Medicare Open Enrollment 2026: A Step-by-Step Guide to Reviewing Your Coverage

Every fall, people with Medicare get a chance to look at their coverage and make changes for the new year. This year, Medicare Open Enrollment runs from October 15 to December 7, 2026, for coverage that starts January 1, 2027.

Plans can change their costs, covered drugs, and doctors from one year to the next. A short, careful review now can help you avoid surprises in January. This guide walks you through it step by step, in plain English.

This is general information, not advice for your situation. Rules can vary by plan and by state, so check with your local SHIP counselor or 1-800-MEDICARE before you decide.

Key Dates for 2026 Open Enrollment

October 15, 2026: Open Enrollment begins, according to a September 2026 CMS announcement.
December 7, 2026: Open Enrollment ends. Your new plan must receive your request by this date.
January 1, 2027: New coverage starts. If you keep your plan, its new costs and benefits also start that day (Medicare.gov).
January 1 – March 31, 2027: A second, more limited chance to change for people already in a Medicare Advantage Plan (more on this below).

If you’re happy with your current coverage and it still fits your needs, you don’t have to do anything. It continues automatically, as Medicare’s yearly review guide explains.

What You Can Change During Open Enrollment

During this window, Medicare.gov says you can:

Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage Plan.
Switch from a Medicare Advantage Plan back to Original Medicare.
Join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage Plan, with or without drug coverage.
Join, switch, or drop a Medicare drug plan (Part D) if you have Original Medicare.

Both paths can work well. Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage are set up differently, and the right fit depends on your doctors, your prescriptions, your budget, and how you like to get care.

If you switch to Original Medicare, you may need to join a separate drug plan. You may also be thinking about a Medigap policy. Read the Medigap section below first, because the timing rules are different.

If you have coverage from a job, a union, or a former employer, call that benefits office before you change anything. Some changes can affect that coverage.

Step 1: Read Your Plan’s Annual Notice of Change

If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan or a drug plan, your plan sends an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), usually in September. It lists changes to your costs and coverage that start in January. Medicare.gov suggests you review it before Open Enrollment, and call your plan if it never arrived.

Your plan also sends an Evidence of Coverage (EOC) each fall. This longer document explains what the plan covers and what you pay. Keep it handy for details.

What to Look For

Grab a pen and check these items for 2027:

Monthly premium. Is it going up, down, or staying the same?
Deductibles. How much do you pay before the plan starts to pay?
Your drugs. Is each one still on the plan’s drug list, called a formulary? Did any copays change?
Your pharmacy. Is it still in the plan’s network?
Your doctors and hospitals. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, are they still in its network?

Networks can change during the year, too. A Medicare fact sheet on provider networks suggests checking the plan’s provider directory, calling the plan, and confirming with the doctor’s office when you book.

Step 2: Compare Plans With the Medicare Plan Finder

The free Medicare Plan Finder on Medicare.gov lets you compare health and drug plans in your area side by side. You can use it on your own or with a family member or SHIP counselor.

Have your Medicare card, your list of medicines (with doses), and your pharmacy name ready.
Go to medicare.gov/plan-compare and enter your ZIP code.
Add your prescriptions and your pharmacy so the estimates reflect your real costs.
Compare the monthly premium, deductible, and estimated yearly drug costs.
Check that your drugs are covered and your pharmacy is in network.
Look at each plan’s star rating. Medicare considers plans with 5 stars excellent.
Write down the two or three plans that look best, then call those plans or your SHIP with questions.

These comparison points come from Medicare’s fact sheet on choosing drug coverage. A lower premium doesn’t always mean lower total costs, so look at the full yearly estimate.

Step 3: Understand Your 2027 Drug Costs

The Part D Out-of-Pocket Cap

Medicare drug coverage now has a yearly limit on what you pay out of pocket for covered drugs. The cap was $2,100 in 2026 and is $2,400 in 2027, according to Medicare.gov and the CMS 2027 Rate Announcement (figures as of October 2026).

Once your spending on covered Part D drugs reaches the cap, you pay nothing more for covered drugs for the rest of that calendar year. Your deductible counts toward the cap, and so do certain payments made for you, such as through Extra Help.

The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan

This is an optional way to pay. Instead of paying the full amount at the pharmacy, you get a monthly bill from your plan that spreads your drug costs across the year. Medicare.gov says all drug plans offer it, and joining costs nothing.

It does not lower your total drug costs. It can make big bills easier to manage, especially early in the year. To sign up, call your plan or visit its website.

A Careful Note About Medigap

Medigap (Medicare Supplement Insurance) helps pay some costs that Original Medicare doesn’t. It only works with Original Medicare, not with Medicare Advantage.

Here is the important part: the fall Open Enrollment period is not a special time to buy Medigap. Under federal rules described on Medicare.gov, your best time to buy is your 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, which starts once you’re 65 or older and have Part B. Outside that window, an insurance company generally doesn’t have to sell you a policy, or it may charge more based on your health.

There are exceptions, called guaranteed-issue rights. For example, if you joined a Medicare Advantage Plan for the first time within the past 12 months, you may have a “trial right” to switch back and buy certain Medigap policies. Some states also give extra rights.

Before you leave a Medigap policy, or leave Medicare Advantage expecting to buy one, ask your SHIP or your State Insurance Department about your options.

Help Paying for Medicare Costs

Extra Help With Drug Costs

Extra Help is a Medicare program that lowers Part D costs for people with limited income and resources. For 2026, Medicare.gov lists limits of $23,940 in income and $18,090 in resources for an individual, and $32,460 and $36,100 for a married couple. Some people qualify automatically, such as those with full Medicaid or SSI. Others can apply through Social Security at ssa.gov.

Medicare Savings Programs

These state-run programs can help pay Part B premiums, and sometimes deductibles and copays. You apply through your state’s Medicaid office. Rules differ by state, and Medicare.gov encourages people to apply even if they don’t think they qualify.

A Quick Word on Part B Costs

For 2026, the standard Part B premium is $202.90 a month and the Part B deductible is $283, per Medicare.gov (as of October 2026). CMS usually announces the next year’s amounts in the fall, so watch for the 2027 figures.

Changed Your Mind? The January–March Window

If you’re in a Medicare Advantage Plan on January 1, 2027, you get one more chance to make a change from January 1 to March 31, 2027. This is called the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. According to Medicare’s enrollment periods fact sheet, you can:

Switch to a different Medicare Advantage Plan, with or without drug coverage, or
Drop your Medicare Advantage Plan, go back to Original Medicare, and join a separate drug plan.

You can make only one change during this window, and it starts the first day of the month after the plan gets your request. It can’t be used to move from Original Medicare into Medicare Advantage, or to switch drug plans if you’re in Original Medicare.

Where to Get Free, Unbiased Help

SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program): Trained local counselors give free, one-on-one help with Medicare choices. Find yours at shiphelp.org or call the SHIP national center at 877-839-2675.
1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227): Medicare’s official helpline. TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.
Your plan’s member services: The phone number is on your plan card. Ask specific questions about your drugs and doctors.

You may also get a lot of mail and ads this season. Medicare.gov, the “Medicare & You” handbook, and 1-800-MEDICARE are official sources.

Stay Safe From Open Enrollment Scams

Scammers know this is a busy time. Medicare.gov says Medicare will never call to sell you anything or come to your home. The Federal Trade Commission adds that real Medicare won’t contact you out of the blue by phone, text, or email asking for your number or a payment.

Never give your Medicare number to someone who calls, texts, or emails you unexpectedly.
Caller ID can be faked. If unsure, hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE yourself.
Medicare cards are free. Anyone asking you to pay for a new card is a scammer.
Report suspected scams to 1-800-MEDICARE and to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

For more warning signs, read our guide to Medicare Open Enrollment scams: red flags and what to do.

Your Open Enrollment Checklist

Read your Annual Notice of Change and note any changes.
Make a list of your medicines, doses, doctors, and pharmacy.
Compare plans on the Medicare Plan Finder.
Call your SHIP or 1-800-MEDICARE with questions.
Make any change by December 7, 2026, and keep your confirmation.
In early January, check your Medicare.gov account. If changes don’t show within 10 days, contact your plan.

Taking an hour or two now can help you start 2027 with coverage that fits your health and your budget.

Medicare Open Enrollment 2026: A Step-by-Step Guide to Reviewing Your Coverage

Key Dates for 2026 Open Enrollment

What You Can Change During Open Enrollment