Short answer: Medicare's yearly Open Enrollment Period runs from October 15 to December 7, 2026, in every state. During it you can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage plan or a stand-alone Part D drug plan, or move between Medicare Advantage and Original Medicare, and whatever you pick starts January 1, 2027, as long as the plan receives your request by December 7 (Medicare.gov, Joining a plan). For 2027, CMS raised the standard Part D deductible to $700 and the annual out-of-pocket threshold for covered drugs to $2,400 (CMS CY 2027 Rate Announcement, Table V-2). Read your plan's Annual Notice of Change, price your actual prescriptions in Plan Compare, and be careful about dropping a Medigap policy, because there's no yearly do-over for Medigap.
This page is for anyone who already has Medicare Part A and/or Part B, in any of the 50 states, and for adult children helping a parent review coverage. It's general information drawn from Medicare.gov and CMS. It isn't a plan recommendation, and plan-specific costs come from the plan's own documents.
What Open Enrollment lets you change
Medicare.gov lists four kinds of changes you can make between October 15 and December 7:
| Change | Allowed during Oct. 15–Dec. 7? |
|---|---|
| Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another (with or without drug coverage) | Yes |
| Move from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan | Yes |
| Leave Medicare Advantage and return to Original Medicare | Yes |
| Join, drop or switch a stand-alone Part D drug plan if you're in Original Medicare | Yes |
| Buy a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy with guaranteed acceptance | No. Open Enrollment doesn't create Medigap rights |
If you review your options and you're satisfied, you don't have to do anything. Your current coverage renews on its own, and any changes your plan announced for 2027 take effect January 1 (Your Yearly Medicare Review, CMS Product No. 11220).
Step 1: Find your Annual Notice of Change
Medicare Advantage and Part D plans mail members a Plan Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) each September. It describes changes in costs, coverage and other terms that start in January (Medicare.gov, Plan Annual Notice of Change). If it never arrived, Medicare.gov says to contact your plan.
When you read it, mark anything that touches you directly:
- Premium: is the monthly amount going up or down?
- Drug list (formulary): is each of your prescriptions still covered, and on which tier?
- Pharmacies: is your usual pharmacy still in network or "preferred"?
- Doctors and hospitals (Medicare Advantage): are your doctors and nearby hospitals still in network?
- Out-of-pocket costs: deductibles, copays and, for Medicare Advantage, the yearly maximum out-of-pocket amount
- Extras: dental, vision or hearing benefits that you actually use
Step 2: Know the 2027 Part D numbers
CMS finalized the 2027 parameters for the defined standard Part D benefit in its CY 2027 Rate Announcement:
| Defined standard Part D benefit | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Deductible | $615 | $700 |
| Annual out-of-pocket threshold | $2,100 | $2,400 |
Two points of caution. First, these are the standard-benefit figures. A given plan can be designed differently, so its own deductible and copays are what matter, and they're in the plan's documents and in Plan Compare. Second, the $2,400 threshold applies to out-of-pocket spending on covered Part D drugs. Your monthly premium, drugs the plan doesn't cover and your medical costs under Parts A and B aren't part of it.
Step 3: Compare plans with your real prescriptions
Medicare.gov's advice is to add every drug you take regularly when you compare plans, so the yearly cost estimate reflects your situation (Medicare.gov, Joining a plan). A plan with a lower premium can still cost more over the year if one expensive drug lands on a higher tier.
Also check:
- Service area. You generally have to live in a plan's service area to join it.
- Part-year residence. If you spend winters or summers in another state, Medicare.gov suggests confirming whether the plan covers you there.
- Other coverage. If you also have retiree, union or other drug coverage, Medicare.gov recommends talking to that benefits administrator or insurer before you join a plan or make any change.
Step 4: Think twice before giving up a Medigap policy
This is the fall decision that's hardest to undo. Under federal law, your Medigap Open Enrollment Period is a one-time, six-month window that starts the first month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. It doesn't come back every year the way Medicare Open Enrollment does. CMS's own handout warns that if you drop Medigap to join a Medicare Advantage plan, you might not be able to buy the same Medigap policy back later, depending on your state's rules and your situation (Your Yearly Medicare Review).
Some protections do exist. If you dropped Medigap to try Medicare Advantage for the first time, or you joined Medicare Advantage when you first became eligible at 65, federal "trial right" rules can let you return to Original Medicare and buy Medigap if you act within the first year. Where a federal guaranteed-issue right applies, Medicare.gov says you can apply up to 60 days before your Medicare Advantage coverage ends and no more than 63 days after (Medicare.gov, When can I buy a Medigap policy?). Keep any letters or notices showing when your coverage ended, because the Medigap insurer may ask for proof.
Some states give more rights than federal law. California, for example, has a yearly birthday window for switching Medigap plans; see the California Medigap birthday rule. Your state insurance department can tell you whether your state has a similar rule.
One more federal rule from the same Medicare.gov page: it's illegal for anyone to sell you a Medigap policy while you're enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. If someone offers to, that's a red flag.
Step 5: Enroll the right way, before December 7
Medicare.gov lists three ways to join a plan: select "Enroll" for the plan in Medicare Plan Compare, contact the plan directly (online, by phone, or with a paper form the plan must receive before the period ends), or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048). Keep the confirmation number or letter.
Fall is also when Medicare marketing mail and calls peak. CMS reminds beneficiaries that Medicare.gov, the "Medicare & You" handbook and 1-800-MEDICARE are its official sources of unbiased information. Free one-on-one counseling is available from your State Health Insurance Assistance Program, which isn't connected to any insurance company; find yours at shiphelp.org.
Missed December 7? What's still possible
| Window | Who it's for | What you can do | When it starts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment, Jan. 1–Mar. 31, 2027 | People already in a Medicare Advantage plan | Switch to another Medicare Advantage plan, or return to Original Medicare and join a separate drug plan | First of the month after the plan gets your request |
| Moving | People who move out of their plan's service area, or to an area with new options | Switch plans; Medicare Advantage members can return to Original Medicare | Window runs from the move through 2 full months after |
| Losing employer or union coverage (including COBRA) | People leaving job-based coverage | Join a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan | Window lasts 2 full months after the month coverage ends |
| 5-star plan | People with a 5-star plan available locally | Switch once to a 5-star plan | Once between Dec. 8 and Nov. 30 of the plan year |
| Medicaid or Extra Help | People with both Medicare and Medicaid, or Extra Help | Change drug coverage once a calendar month | First of the next month |
Sources: Medicare.gov, Joining a plan and Medicare.gov, Special Enrollment Periods. Other special situations exist; 1-800-MEDICARE can confirm whether one applies to you.
The 5-star window comes with a warning on Medicare.gov: if you move from a Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage to a 5-star plan without it, you can lose drug coverage until your next chance to enroll and may owe a Part D late enrollment penalty.
A quick Open Enrollment checklist
- ☐ Annual Notice of Change found and read (or plan called if it never came)
- ☐ Every prescription, dose and pharmacy entered in Plan Compare
- ☐ Doctors and hospitals confirmed in network for 2027 (Medicare Advantage)
- ☐ 2027 premium, deductible and out-of-pocket maximum compared side by side
- ☐ Out-of-state travel or second home checked against the plan's network
- ☐ Retiree or union benefits administrator consulted before any change
- ☐ Medigap decision made with your state's re-entry rules in mind
- ☐ Enrollment completed by December 7, 2026, and confirmation saved
How Medicare fits with the rest of your insurance
Medicare changes are a good moment to look at the coverage around it. A move to a new state, a second home for the winter, or a spouse who is still working can affect homeowners, auto and umbrella coverage too. For the bigger picture, see our retirement insurance checklist, long-term care insurance and how to switch insurance companies without a coverage gap.
Frequently asked questions
When is Medicare Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage?
October 15 through December 7, 2026. Changes you make start January 1, 2027, and the plan must receive your request by December 7.
Do I have to do anything during Open Enrollment if I like my plan?
No. If you're happy with your current coverage, it continues automatically. Your plan's 2027 changes, described in its Annual Notice of Change, still take effect January 1.
What are the 2027 Part D deductible and out-of-pocket threshold?
For the defined standard Part D benefit, CMS set the 2027 deductible at $700 (up from $615) and the annual out-of-pocket threshold at $2,400 (up from $2,100). Individual plans can have different deductibles, and premiums don't count toward the threshold.
Can I buy a Medigap policy during Medicare Open Enrollment?
Not with guaranteed acceptance. Federal Medigap protections come from your one-time Medigap Open Enrollment Period and specific guaranteed-issue situations, not from the fall Open Enrollment Period. Some states add their own rights.
I'm in a Medicare Advantage plan and missed December 7. Can I still change?
Yes. From January 1 to March 31 you can switch to another Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare and join a separate drug plan. The change starts the first of the month after the plan gets your request.
Where can I get free, unbiased help comparing plans?
Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048) or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program, which offers free counseling and isn't connected to any insurance company. Find your local office at shiphelp.org.
Alishahi Insurance · 439 N Canon Dr, Penthouse, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 · (877) 711-4545 · CA License #4348151. General information only. This isn't legal, tax or financial advice or a coverage determination. Coverage depends on policy language and underwriting, and rules vary by state.