Medicare Open Enrollment Ends December 7: Plan Changes Must Be Submitted by Then and Take Effect January 1, 2027
Medicare's 2026 Open Enrollment period runs from October 15 to December 7. It is the one time each year when people who already have Medicare can adjust their coverage: changes take effect on January 1, 2027, provided the plan receives the request to join by December 7.
During Open Enrollment you can join, drop, or switch to another Medicare Advantage Plan, with or without drug coverage, or add or drop drug coverage; switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage Plan, or back again; and, if you are in Original Medicare, join, drop, or switch a separate Medicare drug plan. There are three ways to join: select "Enroll" for the plan you want at Medicare.gov/plan-compare; contact the plan directly, including by paper form, which must arrive before the enrollment period ends; or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048).
Before choosing, Medicare.gov advises checking three things: whether the plan covers your regular prescriptions, whether your doctors and pharmacies are in network, and the estimated yearly cost including premiums and deductibles. People who live in another state part of the year should confirm the plan works there, and anyone with other insurance should check with that provider before making changes.
One more date matters for people already in a Medicare Advantage Plan: the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 to March 31 each year, when you can switch to another Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare and join a separate drug plan, effective the first of the month after the plan gets your request. With the December 7 deadline approaching, enrollees who have not yet compared plans should use the official Plan Finder to check whether their 2027 drug coverage and provider networks are changing.
(Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，「Elderly Couple Eating」，CC0 | Image: Wikimedia Commons, "Elderly Couple Eating," CC0
