Guide

An Open Enrollment checklist, October 15 to December 7

Figures and rules on this page last checked against their sources: October 25, 2026.

Every year from October 15 to December 7, anyone with Medicare can change how they get it for the next year. The change takes effect January 1, as long as the plan gets your request by December 7.¹

The current or next Open Enrollment: October 15, 2026 to December 7, 2026. Open now.

What you can change

Join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage plan, with or without drug coverage.
Move from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, or from a Medicare Advantage plan back to Original Medicare.
Join, switch or drop a stand-alone Medicare drug plan if you have Original Medicare.¹

What it doesn't cover

Signing up for Part B for the first time. That happens in your Initial Enrollment Period, a Special Enrollment Period, or the General Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31.²
Medigap. Medicare Supplement policies aren't tied to Open Enrollment. Under federal rules, outside your own Medigap Open Enrollment Period and the situations that give you guaranteed rights, an insurer doesn't have to sell you a policy.³ Some states give more rights; your State Health Insurance Assistance Program can tell you yours.⁴ If you are thinking of leaving a Medicare Advantage plan for Original Medicare, check this before you switch.

The checklist

1. Read the letters your plan sent

Each fall your plan sends an Annual Notice of Change and an Evidence of Coverage. The Annual Notice of Change lists changes to coverage and costs that start in January. If you didn't get them, contact your plan.⁵

2. Check whether your plan is ending

If your plan is leaving Medicare or your area, you have extra options and an extra deadline. See your plan is leaving.

3. Write down your drugs

List every prescription with its dose and how often you take it. Then check each one on the plans you are comparing. Plans change which drugs they cover and the tier each drug sits on, so a plan whose premium hardly moves can still cost you more.⁶

4. Check your doctors and pharmacy

If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, or thinking of joining one, confirm that the doctors, hospitals and pharmacy you use are in its network for next year. Ask the offices directly as well as checking the plan's directory.

5. Compare the whole cost, not just the premium

Add up the premium, the deductibles, and what you would pay for your usual visits and drugs. Two drug-coverage figures are set nationally each year. The standard Part D deductible is $700⁷ in 2027, up from $615⁸ in 2026. The yearly out-of-pocket threshold for covered drugs is $2,400⁹ in 2027, up from $2,100¹⁰.

6. If you have a stand-alone drug plan, expect its premium to change

For 2027, KFF found no stand-alone drug plans with a $0 premium for people who don't get Extra Help. About 4 million¹¹ people who paid $0 in 2026 will pay something in 2027 whether they stay or switch. The average person has 9¹² stand-alone plans to choose from, down from 11¹³ in 2026.

CMS projects an average stand-alone premium of $36 a month¹⁴ for 2027, against $35.09 a month¹⁵ in 2026. An average hides wide swings, so look up your own plan's 2027 premium.

7. If you are in Medicare Advantage, look at your choices

KFF counts 28¹⁶ Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage available to the average person in 2027, down from 32¹⁷ in 2026. Choice varies by county: 193 counties, home to 638,000 people with Medicare¹⁸ have none open to general enrollment.

8. Compare on the official tools

Medicare's Plan Finder compares plans for your ZIP code and drug list. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227); TTY 1-877-486-2048¹⁹.

9. Get free help if you want it

Every state has a State Health Insurance Assistance Program offering free counseling on choosing a plan, reviewing coverage and understanding costs.²⁰

10. Be careful with calls and ads

Medicare will never call you to sell you anything or visit you at your home. Don't give your Medicare Number to anyone except your doctor or people you know should have it.²¹ This site doesn't sell plans, take referral fees or collect your details.

11. Make the change, then keep the proof

Enroll through the plan, the Plan Finder or 1-800-MEDICARE before December 7. Keep the confirmation number and the letter that follows.

After December 7

If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one more chance. From January 1 to March 31 you can switch to another Medicare Advantage plan, or drop yours and return to Original Medicare and join a drug plan. You can make one change, and it starts the first of the month after the plan gets your request.²² This window is only for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan.

Your other dates, from Part B sign-up to required withdrawals, are on the planner.

More guides

The Initial Enrollment Period, explainedYour first chance to sign up for Medicare is a seven-month window around the month you turn 65. How it is counted, when coverage starts, and the born-on-the-1st rule.

Still working at 65: job coverage and the Special Enrollment PeriodIf you or your spouse have health coverage from a current job at 65, you can often put off Part B without a penalty. How the 8-month Special Enrollment Period works, and where people get caught.

The Part B late-enrollment penalty, and how to avoid itMiss your sign-up window and Part B can cost 10% more for each full year you waited, for as long as you have it. How the months are counted, with worked examples.

Your plan is leaving: what to do when a Medicare Advantage plan endsIf your Medicare Advantage plan won't be offered next year, you have a special right to choose another plan, a right to buy a Medigap policy, and dates that matter. What happens if you do nothing.

Sources for this page

Open Enrollment: October 15 to December 7; changes start January 1. Source: Medicare.gov, Joining a plan. Checked October 25, 2026.

General Enrollment Period: January 1 to March 31; coverage starts the month after you sign up. Source: Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 42 CFR 407.15: General enrollment period; Medicare.gov, When does Medicare coverage start?. Checked October 25, 2026.

Medigap Open Enrollment: 6 months from when you are 65 and have Part B. Source: Medicare.gov, Buying a Medigap policy; Medicare.gov, When can I buy a Medigap policy?. Checked October 25, 2026.

These Medigap rights are federal; your state may give you more. Source: Medicare.gov, When can I buy a Medigap policy?. Checked October 25, 2026.

Plans send an Annual Notice of Change and Evidence of Coverage each fall. Source: Medicare.gov, Medicare costs. Checked October 25, 2026.

Drug lists and tiers change from year to year, not just premiums. Source: KFF, Many Medicare Part D Stand-Alone Drug Plan Enrollees Will See Modest Premium Increases for 2027, But Others Could Pay Much More If They Don't Switch Plans, October 2, 2026. Checked October 25, 2026.

Part D standard deductible. $700 (2027). Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Announcement of Calendar Year 2027 Medicare Advantage Capitation Rates and Part C and Part D Payment Policies, April 6, 2026. Checked October 25, 2026.

Part D standard deductible. $615 (2026). Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Announcement of Calendar Year 2027 Medicare Advantage Capitation Rates and Part C and Part D Payment Policies, April 6, 2026. Checked October 25, 2026.

Part D yearly out-of-pocket cap. $2,400 (2027). Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Announcement of Calendar Year 2027 Medicare Advantage Capitation Rates and Part C and Part D Payment Policies, April 6, 2026. Checked October 25, 2026.

Part D yearly out-of-pocket cap. $2,100 (2026). Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Announcement of Calendar Year 2027 Medicare Advantage Capitation Rates and Part C and Part D Payment Policies, April 6, 2026. Checked October 25, 2026.

People without Extra Help who paid $0 for a stand-alone drug plan in 2026, all of whom face a premium in 2027. 4 million (2027). Source: KFF, Many Medicare Part D Stand-Alone Drug Plan Enrollees Will See Modest Premium Increases for 2027, But Others Could Pay Much More If They Don't Switch Plans, October 2, 2026. Checked October 25, 2026.

Stand-alone drug plans available to the average beneficiary. 9 (2027). Source: KFF, Many Medicare Part D Stand-Alone Drug Plan Enrollees Will See Modest Premium Increases for 2027, But Others Could Pay Much More If They Don't Switch Plans, October 2, 2026. Checked October 25, 2026.

Stand-alone drug plans available to the average beneficiary. 11 (2026). Source: KFF, Many Medicare Part D Stand-Alone Drug Plan Enrollees Will See Modest Premium Increases for 2027, But Others Could Pay Much More If They Don't Switch Plans, October 2, 2026. Checked October 25, 2026.

Average stand-alone drug plan premium, as projected by CMS. $36 a month (2027). Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Programs Expected to Remain Stable in 2027 (press release), September 28, 2026. Checked October 25, 2026.

Average stand-alone drug plan premium. $35.09 a month (2026). Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Programs Expected to Remain Stable in 2027 (press release), September 28, 2026. Checked October 25, 2026.

Medicare Advantage drug plans available to the average beneficiary. 28 (2027). Source: KFF, The Average Medicare Beneficiary has 28 Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan Options for 2027, October 1, 2026. Checked October 25, 2026.

Medicare Advantage drug plans available to the average beneficiary. 32 (2026). Source: KFF, The Average Medicare Beneficiary has 28 Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan Options for 2027, October 1, 2026. Checked October 25, 2026.

Counties with no Medicare Advantage drug plan open to general enrollment. 193 counties, home to 638,000 people with Medicare (2027). Source: KFF, Medicare Advantage Plan Availability Varies Widely by County for 2027, October 9, 2026. Checked October 25, 2026.

Medicare's phone line. Source: Medicare.gov, Talk to someone. Checked October 25, 2026.

Free one-on-one Medicare counseling in your state. Source: Medicare.gov, Talk to someone; SHIP Technical Assistance Center, Find Local Medicare Help (State Health Insurance Assistance Programs). Checked October 25, 2026.

Medicare will never call you to sell you anything or come to your home. Source: Medicare.gov, Reporting Medicare fraud and abuse. Checked October 25, 2026.

Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 to March 31, one change, for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan. Source: Medicare.gov, Joining a plan. Checked October 25, 2026.

Every figure on the site, with its source and checked date, is on the sources page.