Every fall the same letter or email arrives: your health plan notifies you of next year’s changes. Many people skim it, leave it on the kitchen table, and forget about it — until January, when they discover their medication is no longer covered or their doctor is no longer in the network. That is exactly what Medicare’s open enrollment period lets you avoid.
The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period has been open since October 15, 2026, and it closes on December 7, 2026. Whatever you choose during these weeks takes effect on January 1, 2027. It is your only chance this year to make major changes to your 2027 coverage.
What you can change during this period
During open enrollment you can:
- Change your Medicare Advantage plan: join one, switch to another, or drop it.
- Change your prescription drug plan (Part D): join a new one, switch, or drop it, if you are in Original Medicare.
- Change how you get your coverage: switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, or vice versa.
Your plan must receive your request no later than December 7 for the changes to start on January 1. Don’t wait until the last day: if there is any problem with your request, you need time to fix it.
What to review before deciding: the three points that matter
1. Your medications. Plans change their list of covered drugs (the formulary) every year. A drug that cost you little this year could move to a higher tier in 2027 or leave the list. Go to medicare.gov and compare using your exact prescription list: it is not enough that the plan “covers drugs.”
2. Your doctors and hospitals. In Medicare Advantage plans, the doctor network changes every year. Confirm that your primary care doctor, your specialists, and your preferred hospital are still in the network of the plan you choose. Out of network, you pay more — or you pay everything.
3. Premium, deductible, and spending caps. Don’t look only at the monthly premium. Review the annual deductible, your drug copays, and the maximum you would pay out of pocket during the year. A low-premium plan can end up expensive if you take several medications.
An honest warning: the 2027 Part B premium hasn’t been announced yet
If you are in Original Medicare or an Advantage plan, you know the Part B premium is deducted directly from your Social Security check. The 2027 amount has not been announced yet: Medicare publishes it in November. Don’t make decisions based on the 2026 amount; check the notice on medicare.gov when it is published and redo the math.
If you do nothing, your coverage stays the same
Open enrollment is your opportunity to change, not an obligation. If you don’t join a new plan or change your current one, your coverage continues as-is in 2027. The risk is that it continues with different prices, covered drugs, and doctors than this year — because plans do change even if you change nothing. That is why Medicare recommends reviewing every year, even if you ultimately decide to stay where you are.
What to do today, in order
- Find the annual notice of changes your plan sent you (it arrives every fall) and read it with your medications and doctors at hand.
- Go to medicare.gov and use the health and drug plan comparison tool with your prescription list and ZIP code.
- Confirm that your doctors are still in the network of the plan you intend to choose.
- Make the change before December 7 — and in November check the 2027 Part B premium on medicare.gov.
- If you need free, impartial help, look up your local SHIP program (state health insurance counseling) on medicare.gov.
This content is informational and is not tax or legal advice. For your particular case, consult the official sources or an authorized professional.
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