Medicare Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment is when anyone with Medicare can change their coverage for next year. You can pick a new drug or health plan, or move between Original Medicare and a Medicare Advantage plan. If your plan's letter is confusing or a drug costs more, Plan Finder, 1-800-MEDICARE and your SHIP can help you compare.

You can make a change if

• You have Medicare: hospital insurance (Part A), Part B (the part of Medicare that pays for doctor visits), or both. Medicare Advantage needs both.
• You live in the area the new plan serves.
• The new plan gets your request by December 7.

Not sure what to change? Ask anyway, because a SHIP counselor can go over your drugs and doctors with you at no cost. A Pair Team advocate can also help you get ready.

What you can change in Open Enrollment

Your old drug plan ends when the new one starts, so you don't need to cancel it.

What should I check before December 7?

Start by checking your plan's Annual Notice of Change, which plans mail in September. It lists what changes in January, like costs and covered drugs. If you didn't get it, call your plan, then check:

• Your drugs: Check that each drug you take is on the plan's drug list for next year.
• Your doctors and pharmacy: A Medicare Advantage plan may only pay for doctors in its network. Ask each office if it will be in the plan next year.
• What you'll pay in a year: In 2027, no drug plan can have a deductible over $700. Put all your drugs into Plan Finder to see the full-year cost.
• Your Social Security check: Medicare costs most people $202.90 a month in 2026, usually taken out of that check. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services sets the next year's amount each fall.

What is the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period?

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs each year from January 1 to March 31. It's only for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan. You get one change: join a different Medicare Advantage plan, or go back to Original Medicare and join a drug plan. The change starts the first of the next month.

If you have Medicaid or Extra Help

You don't have to wait for Open Enrollment. Once each calendar month, Medicare.gov says, you can:

• Change to a different Medicare drug plan.
• Leave a Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage, go back to Original Medicare, and join a separate drug plan.

The change starts the first of the next month. With full Medicaid, you can also join an integrated Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan once a month. That's a plan that works with your Medicaid plan. The monthly drug plan change is closed to you if your plan sent an "at risk" letter about its drug safety program.

Losing Medicaid or Extra Help? You get 3 full months to make a change. See having Medicare and Medicaid together.

How to spot a sales call

Medicare will never call you to sell you anything or come to your home. It calls only in a few cases, like to return your call.

• Don't give your Medicare Number or Social Security number to a caller.
• Don't join a plan over the phone unless you made the call.
• If a caller says they're from Medicare and wants to sell you a plan, hang up.
• Report it to 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or the Senior Medicare Patrol at 1-877-808-2468.

How to make a change

1. List your drugs and doses, your doctors and your pharmacy, to check against each plan.
2. Compare plans in Plan Finder at medicare.gov/plan-compare, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048).
3. Get free help from your SHIP at 1-877-839-2675 (shiphelp.org). In California, call the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) at 1-800-434-0222. In New York, call the Health Insurance Information, Counseling and Assistance Program (HIICAP) at 1-800-701-0501.
4. Join. Pick "Enroll" in Plan Finder, call the plan, or call 1-800-MEDICARE. The plan must get your request by December 7.
5. Watch the mail for a letter from your new plan with the start date.
6. Pay for drugs by the month? The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan ends when you change plans. Ask your new plan to sign you up again.

What a Pair Team advocate does

We don't sell plans or pick one for you. This is what we do:

• Read your plan's letter with you and mark what changes in January.
• Help you make your list and set up a call with your SHIP counselor.
• Check if you can get Extra Help or a Medicare Savings Program, which can lower your drug costs and the $202.90.
• Help with what usually comes with it: rides to the pharmacy and the doctor, food, utilities and housing.

An advocate is covered by Medicare if you qualify. It takes two minutes to find out.

Check if you qualify for a Pair Team advocate

Frequently asked questions

Can I change plans after December 7?

You can change plans only in certain cases, like a move, losing other coverage, or getting Medicaid or Extra Help. If a plan near you has a 5-star rating, you can join it once between December 8 and November 30.

What if my plan is leaving Medicare next year?

If your plan is leaving, you have from December 8 to the last day of February to join another plan. It will send you a letter, and if you don't join a Medicare Advantage plan, you go back to Original Medicare.

If I leave Medicare Advantage, can I get Medigap?

You can apply for Medigap, but you may not get it. Most states let a Medigap company say no, or charge more, because of your health, says KFF, a health policy research group. That's true once you've had Part B for 6 months. You may have special rights to buy one if you joined your first Medicare Advantage plan less than a year ago. Ask your SHIP first.

I have Extra Help. Will my drug plan still cost $0?

Check your plan's letter to see if your drug plan will still cost $0. If it won't, you may pay part of the monthly cost, but you can change drug plans in any month.

Who can I talk to who is not selling anything?

Your SHIP's counselors aren't connected to any insurance company, and they give free, one-on-one help. Call 1-877-839-2675 to find yours.

Sources

• Open Enrollment, Medicare.gov
• Joining a plan, Medicare.gov
• Special Enrollment Periods, Medicare.gov
• Plan Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), Medicare.gov
• How much does Medicare drug coverage cost?, Medicare.gov
• What if I want to switch, drop, or rejoin drug coverage?, Medicare.gov
• Parts of Medicare, Medicare.gov
• Costs, Medicare.gov
• Reporting Medicare fraud and abuse, Medicare.gov
• Using this payment option (Medicare Prescription Payment Plan), Medicare.gov
• Help with drug costs, Medicare.gov
• Medicare Open Enrollment and Coverage Options: Key Questions and Answers, KFF
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment and General Enrollment Periods Underway, Medicare Rights Center
• Senior Medicare Patrol Resource Center
• State Health Insurance Assistance Programs