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Timing

Medicare Open Enrollment checklist (October 15 to December 7)

What to review each fall before December 7: your plan's change notice, drugs, doctors, pharmacies and costs, plus what you can and can't change, and when new coverage starts.

Checked against official sources on October 27, 2026 · How we check facts

Every year from October 15 to December 7, you can change your Medicare health or drug coverage for the next year. For 2027 coverage, that's October 15 to December 7, 2026. Plans change their costs and coverage every year, so it's worth checking even if you're happy.

What you can do

  • Join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage plan.
  • Join, switch or drop a Medicare drug plan.
  • Switch from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare, or from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage.

If you do nothing, you generally keep your current plan, and any changes your plan made for next year start January 1.

Your checklist

  1. Read your plan's Annual Notice of Change. Plans must send it by September 30. It lists changes to costs and coverage that start in January. The Evidence of Coverage, with full details, comes by October 15. Call your plan if you didn't get them.
  2. Check your drugs. Are all your prescriptions still on the plan's drug list, on the same tier, without new limits?
  3. Check your pharmacies. Are your usual pharmacies still in the network, and still preferred?
  4. Check your doctors and hospitals if you have Medicare Advantage. Networks change.
  5. Compare total costs, not just premiums: deductibles, copays, the plan's out-of-pocket limit and the yearly drug cost cap.
  6. Look at star ratings and any prior authorization rules. See star ratings.
  7. See if you qualify for help. Extra Help and Medicare Savings Programs can cut your costs a lot.
  8. Compare plans on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder with your exact drugs and pharmacies entered.

Before you leave Medicare Advantage

If you switch to Original Medicare, you can join a drug plan, but buying a Medigap policy may require answering health questions in most states. Check your state's Medigap rules before you switch.

After you choose

  • New coverage starts January 1.
  • If your change doesn't show up in your Medicare account within 10 days, contact the plan.
  • If you're in a Medicare Advantage plan and change your mind, you get one more chance from January 1 to March 31. See Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment.

For free, unbiased help comparing plans, call your state's SHIP.

Common questions

When is Medicare Open Enrollment?

October 15 to December 7 every year. Changes you make start January 1.

Do I have to do anything during Open Enrollment?

No. If you do nothing, you generally keep your plan. But plans change costs and coverage every year, so review your plan's Annual Notice of Change and compare plans.

What should I check during Open Enrollment?

Whether your drugs are still covered, your pharmacies and doctors are still in network, and your total costs, including premiums, deductibles, copays and the out-of-pocket limit. Also check whether you qualify for Extra Help.

Can I buy Medigap during Open Enrollment?

Open Enrollment doesn't give you a right to buy Medigap. Outside your first Medigap window and certain protected situations, insurers in most states can ask health questions.

Sources

General information, not advice about a specific plan.