When Is Medicare Open Enrollment?

Medicare open enrollment lasts from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 each year. During open enrollment, current Medicare plan members can make changes to their coverage, such as joining a new prescription drug plan, dropping Medicare Advantage or switching from Original Medicare to Medicare Part C. Any new plan selections you make during open enrollment will take effect at the beginning of the new year.

Medicare open enrollment is an annual period during which eligible Medicare members can join, switch, drop or otherwise change Medicare plans.

Keep reading for more information about how Medicare open enrollment works and what you need to know to prepare.

Key Takeaways During open enrollment from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, Medicare beneficiaries can add or drop coverage from their plan or switch to a different Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage or prescription drug plan. Separate enrollment periods apply for Medicare Advantage and Medigap plans, and you can qualify for a special enrollment period at any time if a major life event significantly alters your coverage needs. You may have to pay a late enrollment penalty if you don’t initially sign up for Medicare during the seven-month window surrounding your 65th birthday. Medicare plans automatically renew themselves in most cases, but your costs and benefits may change from year to year.

What Is Medicare Open Enrollment?

Medicare open enrollment refers to the limited window of time during which Medicare members can sign up for new plans or otherwise make changes to their health insurance coverage. Like Marketplace health insurance, Medicare doesn’t allow year-round enrollment, so you could be locked into your current coverage if you don’t make changes during the annual open enrollment period.

See below for answers to some of the most common questions eligible policyholders may have about 2026 Medicare open enrollment:^[1]

Question	Answer
When does new coverage begin?	Jan. 1, 2027
Can I switch to a Medicare Advantage plan?	Yes
Can I join a separate prescription drug plan?	Only if you have Original Medicare
Can I buy Medicare Supplement Insurance at any time?	Maybe, but limitations may apply if you shop outside of your Medigap open enrollment period

When Is Medicare Open Enrollment in 2026?

Medicare open enrollment lasts for a little under two months, beginning on Oct. 15 and ending on Dec. 7. Keep in mind that separate enrollment periods may apply for different types of Medicare plans, depending on the circumstances. Check the following table for examples of times when you may be able to purchase a certain type of Medicare coverage outside of the standard open enrollment window:^[2][3]

Enrollment Period	Dates	Description
Medicare Advantage open enrollment	Jan. 1 to March 31	You can freely make changes to your Medicare Advantage plan during your first three months on Medicare — otherwise, you can only switch Medicare Advantage plans or go back to Original Medicare during Medicare or Medicare Advantage open enrollment
Medigap open enrollment	The first day of the month you are at least 65 years old and have enrolled in Medicare Part B to six months afterward	You can only get guaranteed issue Medicare Supplement Insurance during your one-time Medigap open enrollment period, after which you could be denied or required to pay more for coverage based on the results of a medical examination
Special enrollment period	Depends on the situation, but it generally begins after you experience a qualifying life event	You can qualify for a special enrollment period and sign up for coverage at any point during the year if you face unique circumstances or experience a major life event, like being impacted by a natural disaster or losing your existing health coverage

When Do 2027 Medicare Changes Take Effect?

As long as your enrollment request is completed by Dec. 7, 2026, your updated Medicare coverage will start on Jan. 1, 2027.^[1] By Sept. 30, Part C and D plan members should receive an Annual Notice of Change letter from their provider going over updated premiums, new benefits and any other changes to their coverage slated to begin in January. Use the information in your ANOC to determine which coverage options work best for you come open enrollment.^[4]

What Can You Change During Medicare Open Enrollment?

In general, you can do the following during the annual Medicare open enrollment period:^[2]

• Join a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time, drop an existing Medicare Advantage plan or switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another
• Add prescription drug coverage to or drop prescription drug coverage from a Medicare Advantage plan
• Switch from Medicare Advantage to Original Medicare or vice versa
• Join a standalone drug plan, drop an existing drug plan or switch from one drug plan to another (only if you’re covered by Original Medicare)

Open enrollment is only for existing Medicare members, and you can only qualify for Medicare if you’re at least 65 years old or have a disability, end-stage kidney disease or ALS.^[2]

Medicare Open Enrollment Is Not the Same as Initial Medicare Enrollment

Medicare initial enrollment refers to the one-time window when you are generally supposed to join Medicare for the first time. Your initial enrollment dates last for seven months, beginning three months before the month you turn 65 and ending three months after the month you turn 65 — or four months before and two months after if your birthday is on the first day of the month.^[5]

Are There Penalties for Late Medicare Enrollment?

If you fail to sign up for Original Medicare during your initial enrollment period, you can instead sign up during the general enrollment period from Jan. 1 to March 31 — however, a late enrollment surcharge may apply to your premiums.^[5] The following table outlines the late enrollment penalties you can expect for the various parts of Medicare:^[6]

Medicare Part	Late Enrollment Penalty	Example
Part A (hospital insurance)	Your premium will go up by 10% for two times the number of years you could have already been on Medicare Part A	If you have a base premium of $311 per month for Part A but don’t purchase coverage until two years after becoming eligible, then your premium will instead be $342.10 per month for your first four years of coverage
Part B (medical insurance)	Your premium will permanently go up by 10% times the number of years you could have already been on Medicare Part B (rounded to the nearest 10 cents)	If you have a base premium of $202.90 per month for Part B but don’t purchase coverage until three years after becoming eligible, then your premium will instead be $263.80 per month for as long as you have Medicare Part B
Part D (drug coverage)	Unless you have a comparable drug plan or qualify for Extra Help, your premium will permanently go up by 1% of the national base beneficiary premium times the number of months you could have already been on Medicare Part D (rounded to the nearest 10 cents)	If you have a base premium of $38.99 per month for Part D but don’t purchase coverage until six months after becoming eligible, then your premium will instead be $41.30 per month for as long as you have Medicare Part D

Keep in mind that Medicare Part A is free for most people, so the Part A late enrollment penalty only applies if you don’t qualify for premium-free coverage.^[6] Meanwhile, if you’re covered by a group health insurance plan through your employer or your spouse’s employer past the age of 65, you can sign up for Part B without penalty whenever your work-based coverage ends.^[7]

Are There New Medicare Plans for 2027?

A handful of changes to Medicare are slated to take effect in 2027, including reduced cost-sharing requirements for Medicare prescription drug coverage and revamped rating systems designed to make it easier to compare Part C and Part D plans.^[8] In addition, the highest allowable deductible for prescription drug plans will increase by $85 in 2027, while the maximum out-of-pocket limit will rise by $300.^[9]

Is It Worth Changing My Medicare Plan Style?

Whether you would benefit from changing your Medicare plan type depends on factors like your coverage requirements, your budget and how satisfied you are with your current plan. Consider the following factors when deciding whether a different type of Medicare plan would better suit your needs:^[10]

1. Coverage: Certain types of Medicare may provide broader coverage than others. For example, Original Medicare doesn’t cover routine dental or vision care, but most Medicare Advantage plans do.^[11] As a result, it may be worth switching to Medicare Advantage if you want claims for your dental, vision and medical care to all be covered under the same plan.

2. Costs: Next, consider whether you can afford your current plan’s premiums and out-of-pocket costs. For example, if you don’t take any prescription medicines and have minimal expected health care needs, it may be better to stick with Original Medicare than to pay more for a Medicare Advantage plan with extra benefits you don’t need.

3. Convenience: You may want to make sure you select a plan that covers your preferred doctors, hospitals and pharmacies — especially if you opt for a Medicare Advantage health maintenance organization (HMO) plan that only covers in-network care. Conversely, you can visit out-of-network providers without restrictions if you opt for a preferred provider organization (PPO) plan, but you’ll also have to pay more.

Is There an Automatic Medicare Reenrollment Process?

Once you’ve enrolled in a Medicare plan, it generally renews itself automatically as long as you keep paying your premiums, which means you won’t need to track Medicare open enrollment dates and manually reenroll each year. The only exceptions are if your insurance company stops offering the type of Medicare Part C or D plan you have or if the federal government cancels its contract with your insurance carrier.^[12]

Original Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage

Original Medicare refers to Medicare Parts A and B as administered by the federal government, while Medicare Advantage — also known as Medicare Part C — refers to plans administered by private insurance companies that offer the same or more benefits. There are pros and cons to each type of Medicare coverage, so you need to evaluate all the potential costs and benefits to determine which type of coverage makes the most sense to you.^[13]

	Original Medicare	Medicare Advantage
Network	Covers health care from every doctor and hospital in the United States that accepts Medicare without requiring referrals to see specialists	May only cover routine care from providers in your plan’s network and may require a referral from your primary care physician before you can see a specialist
Premiums	You must pay a premium for Part B and potentially Part A — along with a separate premium if you opt for additional Part D coverage	You must continue paying your Part B premium while also paying the Part C premium — though some plans don’t come with a separate premium and may even cover some or all of your Part B premium
Out-of-Pocket Costs	Most services covered by Part B require a 20% coinsurance payment after you surpass your annual deductible	Out-of-pocket costs differ based on your plan’s details and the types of medical services you receive
Out-of-Pocket Limits	There’s no limit on how much you may have to spend out of pocket unless you purchase supplemental coverage, such as Medigap	Your insurer will cover 100% of the costs for covered health care services after you reach your annual out-of-pocket maximum
Benefits	Covers most medically necessary treatments and medical supplies received during an inpatient hospital stay or a doctor’s appointment	Covers everything covered by Original Medicare and often additional services, such as vision, dental and hearing care
Drug Coverage	Prescription drug coverage must be purchased separately through Medicare Part D	Prescription drug coverage is typically included automatically

Medicare Open Enrollment at a Glance

1. Definition: Medicare open enrollment is an annual sign-up window when existing Medicare members can make changes to their coverage, such as adding prescription drug coverage or switching from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage.
2. Dates: Each year, Medicare open enrollment runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. That said, separate enrollment dates may apply for certain types of Medicare, such as Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement Insurance.
3. Eligibility: You can only sign up during open enrollment if you’re already on Medicare because you’re at least 65 years old or have a disability, end-stage renal disease or ALS. If you haven’t yet joined Medicare, you generally need to sign up during your initial enrollment period, which is a seven-month window surrounding your 65th birthday.
4. Penalties: Medicare-eligible individuals who miss their initial enrollment period can instead sign up during general enrollment from Jan. 1 to March 31, but they’ll have to pay higher premiums as a penalty for joining late. Fortunately, if you’ve already enrolled in Medicare, you’ll generally be automatically reenrolled, even if you don’t take action during open enrollment.
5. Plan changes: While Medicare plans shouldn’t undergo massive alterations in 2027, there are some changes to keep an eye out for, including lower costs associated with prescription drug coverage and updated star rating systems that may make it easier to compare certain Medicare plans.
6. Plan options: Original Medicare is operated by the government, and its main benefit is that it covers medical care from the vast majority of medical providers in the United States. Conversely, Medicare Advantage is supplied by private companies that are reimbursed by the government, and it can be beneficial because it offers broader coverage, has $0 premium options and places a cap on your out-of-pocket spending.

Medicare Open Enrollment Checklist

Go over the following checklist to make sure you’re prepared before Medicare open enrollment begins in October:^[14]

1. Gather information: You’ll need to have a lot of information at the ready when applying for Medicare plans to confirm your eligibility and make sure the plan you want provides the right level of coverage. Be prepared to share your date of birth, your contact information, the policy number listed on your Medicare card and information about the long-term care facility you live in, if applicable.
2. Review your ANOC: If your Medicare Advantage or standalone prescription drug plan undergoes any changes that could affect your costs or covered benefits, those changes should be explained in your plan’s Annual Notice of Change. Reviewing this before open enrollment is crucial to verify whether your current plan will still work for you or whether you need to shop around for a different plan.
3. Evaluate your coverage needs: Your coverage needs may have changed since last year based on your current health status. For example, if you are currently receiving treatment for a chronic illness or have been prescribed multiple medications, you may want to look into plans that come with fewer out-of-pocket costs each time you receive care.
4. Make a budget: Seniors on a fixed income need to make sure they aren’t weighed down by excessive premiums or out-of-pocket costs related to Medicare. At the same time, you need to make sure you have enough coverage to prevent devastating financial losses whenever you do need medical care. Be sure to weigh all of these cost factors when deciding which Medicare plan fits best within your budget.
5. Decide how you want to pay: Once you’ve enrolled in a Medicare plan, you may have different options for how you’d like to pay your premiums. For example, you may be able to pay with an electronic funds transfer from your bank account, an automatic deduction from your Social Security benefits or an official Medicare payment coupon.

You can shop around for Medicare Advantage plans for free by using an online insurance marketplace, like SmartFinancial. Simply answer a few questions about your coverage needs, and then we’ll connect you with an insurance agent who can help you compare the best plans available in your area. Request a Medicare Advantage quote in as little as a few minutes today!