Medicare Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage runs October 15 through December 7, 2026. Changes made during this period generally take effect January 1, 2027. Before choosing a plan, review your prescriptions, doctors, expected costs, and any services you need to continue receiving.

A familiar plan name does not mean familiar coverage. Premiums, medication costs, provider networks, and extra benefits can change from one year to the next. A useful review starts with a practical question: Will this coverage support the care I actually need?

When is Medicare Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage?

The fall Medicare Open Enrollment period, also called the Annual Enrollment Period, takes place in 2026 for coverage beginning in 2027.

• September 30, 2026: Current plan members generally should receive their Annual Notice of Change by this date.
• October 15, 2026: Fall Medicare Open Enrollment begins.
• December 7, 2026: The plan must receive your enrollment request for a change through fall Open Enrollment.
• January 1, 2027: Coverage selected during fall Open Enrollment generally begins.
• January 1–March 31, 2027: People already enrolled in Medicare Advantage have a separate opportunity to make one permitted coverage change.

During fall Open Enrollment, you can switch Medicare Advantage plans, change Part D drug plans, or move between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage.

This is different from first enrolling in Medicare Parts A and B and from your Medigap Open Enrollment Period. Medicare explains the different enrollment windows here.

What is changing with Medicare Part D costs in 2027?

CMS has finalized these Part D amounts:

• Maximum annual deductible: $615 (2026) → $700 (2027)
• Annual out-of-pocket limit for covered Part D drugs: $2,100 (2026) → $2,400 (2027)
• National base beneficiary premium: $38.99 (2026) → $41.33 (2027)

The deductible and out-of-pocket amounts appear in CMS’s 2027 rate announcement. The base premium appears in CMS’s 2027 Part D premium fact sheet.

These figures do not mean everyone pays the same amount. A plan may have a lower deductible or none at all. The national base beneficiary premium is a calculation benchmark, not your plan’s quoted premium. Its 6% annual growth limit does not cap every individual plan’s premium increase at 6%.

CMS is also ending the temporary Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration after 2026. That makes checking your own plan’s 2027 premium especially useful; the change does not establish how much any particular person will pay.

What does the $2,400 drug limit include?

In 2027, once spending that counts toward your Part D out-of-pocket limit reaches $2,400, you pay no additional cost sharing for covered Part D drugs for the rest of the calendar year.

Qualifying spending includes your deductible, copays, coinsurance, and certain payments made on your behalf. The limit does not include premiums, drugs your Part D plan does not cover, or medications covered under Part B. It is also separate from your medical expenses.

Check your plan’s drug costs and coverage details. Copays and coinsurance can vary by plan and medication.

Other protections continue: a month’s supply of each covered insulin product costs no more than $35, and certain products may cost less. Adult vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and covered under Part D have no cost sharing. See Medicare’s insulin guidance and CMS’s explanation of these protections.

Which drugs have new negotiated Medicare prices in 2027?

Negotiated prices for 15 additional selected Part D drugs take effect January 1, 2027. Examples include:

• Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy, grouped together as one selected drug.
• Trelegy Ellipta and Breo Ellipta.
• Linzess.
• Vraylar.
• Tradjenta and Janumet/Janumet XR.

A negotiated Medicare price is not your pharmacy copay. Your cost depends on your plan, the specific prescription, coverage requirements, and your benefit stage. Inclusion in the negotiation program does not guarantee coverage for every use of a medication.

Published negotiated prices can also differ by drug strength, dosage form, or package. Check your plan’s estimate instead of treating a headline price as what you will pay.

If you take a selected drug, check your exact medication and dose in your plan’s 2027 formulary—the list of drugs it covers—and its cost estimate. CMS publishes the negotiated prices and product-specific explanation here.

Are Medicare Advantage benefits being cut in 2027?

Some plans may reduce benefits or change costs, but changes will differ by plan and location.

An early-2026 HealthScape Advisors survey found that nearly 70% of responding plan leaders expected less generous benefit packages for 2027. Most responses were collected before the January 2026 proposed payment announcement. This was a survey of expectations, not confirmation that 70% of all Medicare Advantage plans will cut benefits.

Review the benefits you actually use: dental services, hearing aids, transportation, over-the-counter allowances, fitness programs, and any Part B premium reduction. Check eligibility rules and restrictions as well as advertised dollar amounts.

Give equal attention to specialist copays, hospital costs, access to treatment, and the plan’s annual limit on covered medical expenses.

What should you check in your Annual Notice of Change?

Your Annual Notice of Change, or ANOC, summarizes changes to your current plan for the coming year. Current members generally should receive it by September 30; check your mail and any electronic delivery you have authorized. Contact the plan if it is missing.

Use it as a starting point. Also consult the plan’s 2027 Evidence of Coverage, formulary, and provider and pharmacy directories. The ANOC alone is not a personalized confirmation that all your medications and clinicians remain covered.

Medicare explains the ANOC here.

What is the Medicare Open Enrollment checklist?

1. List the care you need

Write down your prescriptions, doctors, specialists, pharmacies, equipment, and ongoing treatments. Include services such as physical therapy, cardiac or pulmonary rehabilitation, home health, and behavioral health care.

If you are helping a parent or spouse, include appointments already scheduled for early 2027.

2. Check every prescription

Use the exact drug name, strength, formulation, and quantity. Review its coverage, cost tier, and any prior authorization, step therapy, or quantity limits.

Check your preferred pharmacy, too. A pharmacy can participate in a plan’s network without offering its preferred cost sharing.

3. Confirm providers and facilities

For Medicare Advantage, confirm participation in the specific 2027 plan, both with the insurer and the provider’s office. Ask about your hospital, rehabilitation provider, home health agency, and equipment supplier as relevant.

Ask about the exact plan—not simply whether an office “takes Medicare” or accepts the insurance company.

4. Protect ongoing treatment

If you are changing plans during active treatment, ask how prescriptions, existing authorizations, scheduled procedures, and current providers will be handled.

Find out whether the new plan has transition arrangements and what paperwork your care team needs. Avoid assuming that an approval from your current plan automatically transfers.

5. Compare total annual costs

Compare premiums plus expected out-of-pocket spending for medications and medical care. Include any Medigap premium when evaluating Original Medicare with supplemental coverage.

Use the Medicare Plan Finder to estimate drug costs with your prescriptions and pharmacies. Check what each estimate already includes before adding deductibles or copays again.

For Medicare Advantage, review the medical out-of-pocket limit and any separate out-of-network limit. A $0 plan premium does not mean $0 healthcare costs.

6. Review extra benefits carefully

For benefits you use, check annual limits, covered services, participating providers, and eligibility requirements. A dental allowance or grocery benefit may come with restrictions that affect its value to you.

7. Check financial assistance

Extra Help can reduce Part D expenses for eligible people. Medicare Savings Programs can help with Part A or Part B costs, depending on the program.

The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan offers another option: spreading covered Part D out-of-pocket costs across the calendar year. It changes when you pay, not the total amount you owe.

8. Confirm your choice and effective date

Before enrolling, confirm any effect on employer, retiree, union, Medicaid, or other coverage. For a change through fall Open Enrollment, the plan must receive your request by December 7.

Keep your enrollment confirmation and verify the effective date. Tell your care team about coverage changes before January appointments.

What if your Medicare plan is ending?

Read the non-renewal notice carefully. Do not assume Medicare will automatically choose a suitable replacement plan for you.

If a Medicare Advantage plan’s contract is not renewed and you do not join another Medicare Advantage plan, you generally return to Original Medicare. You may need separate Part D coverage and should check your rights to buy Medigap.

A contract non-renewal generally creates a Special Enrollment Period from December 8 through the last day of February. Coverage start dates depend on when you enroll, so choosing replacement coverage during fall Open Enrollment can help avoid a January gap.

Follow the instructions in your notice and confirm your situation with 1-800-MEDICARE. Medicare lists these Special Enrollment Periods here.

Can you switch from Medicare Advantage to Original Medicare?

Yes, during an applicable enrollment period. Before switching, evaluate your prescription coverage and whether you can obtain a Medigap policy if you want one.

Fall Open Enrollment does not automatically give you a guaranteed right to buy Medigap. Outside protected enrollment periods, insurers in many states can consider your health history when deciding whether to offer coverage and at what price.

Some situations, including certain plan non-renewals and trial rights, provide additional protections. State rules can also offer broader rights. A birthday rule does not necessarily let someone leaving Medicare Advantage buy Medigap for the first time.

Confirm eligibility, premiums, and coordinated effective dates before changing coverage. Check Medicare’s Medigap guidance and your state’s rules.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to re-enroll if I want to keep my plan?

Usually not, if your plan continues and you remain eligible. Review any notices about renewals, plan changes, or movement into another plan. Continuing enrollment does not mean your benefits and costs stay the same.

Can I change Medicare plans after December 7?

Sometimes. People already enrolled in Medicare Advantage can generally make one permitted change between January 1 and March 31. Qualifying circumstances may also create a Special Enrollment Period. The January–March window is not a general opportunity for everyone with Original Medicare to switch standalone Part D plans.

Where can I get free help comparing Medicare plans?

Contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP, for free, personalized Medicare counseling. You can also use Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

How can Pinnie help?

Pinnie helps patients and families navigate care when health conditions make the healthcare system difficult to manage.

As part of ongoing care advocacy, a Pinnie advocate can help organize your medications and providers, identify coverage questions that could interrupt treatment, and help you communicate with your care team and health plan.

Pinnie does not sell insurance or enroll you in Medicare plans. For plan-selection counseling, contact SHIP or Medicare. If you are considering a coverage change, ask Pinnie to confirm whether its services would be covered under the new plan.

Learn about care advocacy with Pinnie. Eligibility, insurance coverage, and out-of-pocket costs depend on your circumstances.

Pinnie is not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or the federal government.