Medicare’s annual Open Enrollment Period runs from October 15 through December 7 every year. Changes you make take effect January 1. For 2027 coverage, the plan must receive your request by December 7, 2026.
Open Enrollment covers Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plans. It does not give you a right to buy or switch a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy, and that’s the point most often misunderstood. This page covers both.
What you can change during Open Enrollment
- Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan.
- Switch from a Medicare Advantage plan back to Original Medicare.
- Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another, with or without drug coverage.
- Join, switch or drop a stand-alone Part D drug plan.
If you make more than one change during the period, the last one the plan receives by December 7 is generally the one that counts. You don’t have to do anything if you’re satisfied: most plans renew automatically. A plan can change its premium, network, drug list and costs from year to year, though, so it’s worth reviewing even if you plan to stay.
What Open Enrollment does not do: Medigap
Medigap policies follow their own rules, separate from Open Enrollment. You can apply for a Medigap policy at any time of year, but outside certain protected situations, insurance companies in most cases can ask health questions and charge more or turn you down.
That matters most for someone leaving Medicare Advantage for Original Medicare. Open Enrollment lets you make that switch, but it doesn’t guarantee you’ll be able to buy a Medigap policy to go with it. People in that situation should check whether they qualify for a Medigap protection before leaving their plan. Federal protections include:
- A Medicare Advantage “trial right.” Generally, if you joined Medicare Advantage when you first became eligible at 65, or dropped a Medigap policy to try Medicare Advantage for the first time, and you leave within the first 12 months.
- Your plan leaving your area or ending. If your Medicare Advantage plan stops serving your area or leaves Medicare, you generally get a guaranteed right to buy certain Medigap policies.
These rights have specific time limits and conditions. Some states add a yearly Medigap switching right for people 65 and older. Texas is not one of them as of this review. Confirm your situation with the Texas Department of Insurance or Texas HICAP before you act.
If you already have a Medigap policy, Open Enrollment is still the time to review your Part D drug plan, which is separate from your Medigap policy. For how Medigap plans differ, see Medigap Basics and Medigap Plan G vs. Plan N.
What’s changing for 2027
- Part D out-of-pocket threshold rises to $2,400 (from $2,100 in 2026). After your qualifying out-of-pocket costs for covered Part D drugs reach that threshold, you generally pay nothing more for covered Part D drugs for the rest of the year. The threshold is not a cap on monthly plan premiums, medical services under Part B, or drugs that Part D does not cover.
- The maximum Part D deductible rises to $700 (from $615 in 2026). Many plans set a lower deductible or none, so check each plan’s actual figure.
- Plans themselves change. Premiums, drug lists, pharmacy networks and provider networks can all be different in 2027 from what you have now.
If high drug costs are hard to manage month to month, the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread out-of-pocket Part D costs over the year in monthly payments. It doesn’t lower the total you pay. Ask your plan about it.
How to review your coverage
- Read your Annual Notice of Change. Your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan mails it each fall. It lists what changes on January 1.
- Check your prescriptions. Enter your current drugs and doses in Medicare Plan Compare and confirm each one is covered, at what cost, and at which pharmacies.
- Check your doctors and hospitals. If you have Medicare Advantage, confirm with each provider that they’ll be in the plan’s network for 2027. Don’t rely only on a directory.
- Compare total yearly cost, not just the premium. Add premiums, deductibles, expected copays and drug costs. For Medicare Advantage, look at the plan’s maximum out-of-pocket limit.
- Get it in writing. Keep confirmation of any enrollment or change you make.
If you miss December 7
Your current coverage usually continues into the new year. A few other windows may still apply:
- Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1–March 31): If you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan during this period, you can generally make one change: switch to another Medicare Advantage plan, or return to Original Medicare and join a stand-alone Part D plan. People in Original Medicare cannot use this period to join Medicare Advantage for the first time.
- 5-star Special Enrollment Period (December 8–November 30): If a plan rated 5 stars is available in your area, you can generally switch to it once during this period.
- Other Special Enrollment Periods: Certain life events, such as moving, losing other coverage or qualifying for Extra Help or Medicaid, can let you change plans outside the usual windows.
Watch for misleading calls and ads
Open Enrollment brings heavy advertising and unsolicited calls. Medicare won’t call you to sell a plan or ask for your Medicare number. Be cautious with any caller or ad that pressures you to switch quickly. Texas HICAP can give you free, unbiased help comparing options.
Free help in Texas
Texas HICAP (Health Information, Counseling and Advocacy Program): 1-800-252-9240. Medicare: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). Texas Department of Insurance Consumer Help Line: 1-800-252-3439.
Official sources
- Joining a plan: enrollment periods (Medicare.gov)
- Medicare Plan Compare (Medicare.gov)
- CMS: 2027 Part D benefit parameters (2027 Rate Announcement, Attachment V)
- Medigap basics (Medicare.gov)
- Texas HICAP contact listing (CMS.gov)
- Texas Department of Insurance
Sources reviewed November 9, 2026. 2027 Part D amounts are from CMS’s 2027 Rate Announcement (April 2026). Medicare rules and plan information may change; check the official source for updates.
