Medicare Open Enrollment Ends Dec. 7: What People 65 and Older Should Check Before the Deadline

Medicare’s yearly window to change your coverage closes soon. Have you checked whether your plan still works for you in 2027?

Open Enrollment runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, 2026. Plans can change their costs, drug lists, and doctor networks every year, so even people who are happy with their coverage are encouraged to take a look.

Here’s what you can change, what’s new for 2027, and where to get free help.

What Can You Change Before December 7?

During Open Enrollment, you can switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage Plan, or from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare. If you’re in Original Medicare, you can also join, drop, or switch a Medicare drug plan, according to Medicare.gov.

Changes take effect on January 1, but “the plan must get your enrollment request by December 7,” Medicare says.

If you do nothing, your current coverage continues automatically, along with any changes to its costs and benefits for the new year.

One caution for people with a Medigap supplement policy: if you switch to Medicare Advantage, “you may not be able to get the same Medigap policy back later,” depending on your state’s rules and your situation.

What’s Changing in 2027?

• A higher drug cost cap. Out-of-pocket spending on covered Part D drugs will be capped at $2,400 in 2027, up from $2,100 in 2026.
• A higher maximum deductible. No Medicare drug plan may have a deductible of more than $700 in 2027, up from $615.
• Lower prices for 15 more drugs. New negotiated prices for 15 drugs, including Ozempic, Wegovy, and Xtandi, take effect on Jan. 1, 2027.
• Telehealth continues. Medicare has extended its telehealth flexibilities through Dec. 31, 2027.

Premiums are moving in different directions. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) projects that the average Medicare Advantage premium will fall from $14.37 to $12 a month. But KFF, a health policy research group, found that 76% of people in stand-alone drug plans who don’t get low-income help, about 10.4 million people, will pay a higher monthly premium in 2027 if they keep their current plan.

As of Nov. 14, CMS had not yet announced the 2027 standard Part B premium. In 2026, it is $202.90 a month, with a $283 deductible.

How Should You Review Your Plan?

• Read your Annual Notice of Change. Your plan should have sent it by Sept. 30. It lists changes in coverage, costs, and provider networks. If you didn’t get it, contact your plan.
• Check your medicines. Plans can change their drug lists, so make sure the drugs you take are still covered next year.
• Check your doctors. Networks can change, too, so confirm your doctors and pharmacy will still be in the plan.
• Compare plans. The Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov/plan-compare lets you compare premiums, costs, and benefits.

What If You Change Your Mind in January?

If you’re in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one more chance. During the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, from Jan. 1 to March 31, 2027, you can switch to another Medicare Advantage plan, or return to Original Medicare and add a drug plan.

“You can only make one change each year during the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period,” Medicare says. People in Original Medicare can’t use this period to join a Medicare Advantage plan.

Where Can You Get Free Help?

Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) offers free, unbiased counseling. You can find your local office at shiphelp.org. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), which is available 24 hours a day, including weekends.

Watch out for scams. The Federal Trade Commission warns that scammers sometimes pay to appear at the top of search results, so type Medicare.gov directly into your browser. Medicare also advises never sharing your Medicare number with anyone who contacts you out of the blue by phone, email, or in person.

A few minutes of checking before Dec. 7 could save you money and surprises next year.

Sources:

• CMS: Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Programs expected to remain stable in 2027
• Medicare.gov: Open Enrollment
• Medicare.gov: Costs for Medicare drug coverage
• Medicare & You 2027 (CMS handbook)
• CMS: Your Yearly Medicare Review
• CMS: 2026 Medicare Parts A and B premiums and deductibles
• KFF: Medicare Part D premiums and cost sharing in 2027
• CMS: Understanding Medicare Advantage and drug plan enrollment periods
• CMS: Remember key Medicare dates
• FTC: What to know ahead of Open Enrollment to avoid health insurance scams

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