Medicare Open Enrollment 2026: Dates, Deadline, What Can Change

Medicare open enrollment 2026 runs from October 15 through December 7, 2026. It is the one time each year when anyone with Medicare can change health and drug coverage for the coming year. Whatever you choose takes effect on January 1, 2027. If you do nothing, your current plan generally renews.

This article covers the dates, what you can and cannot change, the 2027 figures CMS has already published, and the ones that are still pending. Every number is labelled with its status as of October 16, 2026.

Medicare open enrollment 2026 schedule

Period	Dates	Who it is for	When changes take effect
Open Enrollment (annual election period)	Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, 2026	Everyone with Medicare	Jan. 1, 2027
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment	Jan. 1 to Mar. 31, 2027	People already in a Medicare Advantage plan	First day of the month after the plan gets your request
Special Enrollment Periods	Vary	People with qualifying life events (moving, losing coverage, getting Medicaid or Extra Help)	Depends on the situation

The plan must receive your enrollment request by December 7, 2026. Do not wait until the last day, because plan websites and phone lines get busy in the final week.

What you can change during open enrollment

According to Medicare.gov, during the October 15 to December 7 window you can:

• Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan.
• Switch from a Medicare Advantage plan back to Original Medicare.
• Join, drop or switch to another Medicare Advantage plan, with or without drug coverage.
• Join, drop or switch a stand-alone Medicare drug plan (Part D) if you have Original Medicare.

To join a Medicare Advantage plan you must have both Part A and Part B and live in the plan's service area.

What open enrollment does not change

• Medigap. There is no annual open enrollment for Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policies. Outside your one-time Medigap enrollment window, insurers in most states can use medical underwriting. A few states have extra rights, so ask your SHIP before you drop a Medigap policy for an Advantage plan.
• Signing up for Part A or Part B for the first time. That happens during your Initial Enrollment Period, the General Enrollment Period (January 1 to March 31) or a Special Enrollment Period.
• Medicaid and Extra Help. These have their own rules and can open Special Enrollment Periods at other times of the year.

What is official for 2027

CMS published its 2027 plan year projections on September 28, 2026, ahead of open enrollment. The Part D benefit parameters were set earlier, in the CY 2027 Rate Announcement.

Item	2026	2027	Status
Part D annual out-of-pocket cap	$2,100	$2,400	Official (CMS Rate Announcement)
Part D standard deductible	$615	$700	Official (CMS Rate Announcement)
Average stand-alone Part D plan premium	$35.09/mo	$36/mo	CMS projection
Average Medicare Advantage premium (all plans)	$14.37/mo	$12.00/mo	CMS projection
Average Part D premium inside Advantage plans	$11.32/mo	$7/mo	CMS projection
Medicare Advantage plans offered	About 5,553	About 5,532	CMS
Part B standard premium	$202.90/mo	Pending	CMS usually announces in November
Part B deductible	$283	Pending	CMS usually announces in November

CMS estimates Medicare Advantage enrollment at about 34 million people in 2027, roughly 47.4% of everyone with Medicare. Averages hide a wide range. Your own premium depends on the plan, the county and, for Advantage plans, how much of the plan's rebate goes to lowering the premium. The Plan Finder shows the exact 2027 premium for each plan available at your ZIP code.

Medicare open enrollment 2026 Part B: what to expect

Part B premiums are not chosen during open enrollment. Everyone in Part B pays the standard premium unless their income triggers the income-related monthly adjustment amount (IRMAA) or a state pays it for them. The 2027 amount is still pending. Last year CMS released the 2026 figures on November 14, 2025.

The Part B premium is usually deducted from Social Security checks. Social Security benefits rise 3.6% in January 2027, and the January statement shows the new Part B deduction. Our COLA 2027 page shows how the raise and the premium interact and will reflect the official Part B amount once CMS publishes it.

Medicare open enrollment 2026 Part D: the drug plan check

Drug plans change more from year to year than most other coverage. Before December 7:

1. Read your Annual Notice of Change. Plans send it each fall. It lists changes to the premium, deductible, drug list (formulary), pharmacy network and cost-sharing tiers.
2. Enter your actual drugs in Plan Finder. Include dose and quantity. A plan with a low premium can cost more overall if your drug sits on a high tier.
3. Check preferred pharmacies. The same plan can charge different copays at different pharmacies.
4. Remember the cap. With the $2,400 out-of-pocket limit in 2027, people with expensive medicines have a hard ceiling on what they pay for covered drugs.
5. Ask about spreading costs. The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you pay your out-of-pocket drug costs in monthly amounts over the year instead of all at once at the pharmacy. You can sign up through your drug plan.

If you have no creditable drug coverage and do not join a Part D plan when first eligible, a late enrollment penalty can be added to your premium for as long as you have Part D. Open enrollment is a chance to stop that penalty from growing.

Medicare Advantage open enrollment period 2026: the second chance

People who are already in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1 get another window from January 1 to March 31, 2027. Medicare.gov describes it this way:

• You can make one change.
• You can switch to another Medicare Advantage plan, or drop your Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare. If you return, you can also join a stand-alone drug plan.
• You cannot use this period to move from Original Medicare into an Advantage plan, or to switch between stand-alone drug plans if you have Original Medicare.

How to compare plans in five steps

1. Make a list of your doctors, hospitals and prescriptions, with doses.
2. Log in to Medicare.gov and open Plan Finder. Logged-in users see their current plan and drug list.
3. Compare total estimated yearly cost, not just the premium. Add the premium, deductible and expected copays.
4. For Advantage plans, check the provider network, prior authorization rules and the out-of-pocket maximum for medical care.
5. Enroll through Plan Finder, by calling the plan, or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE before December 7.

Help with costs

If your income is limited, two programs can cut your Medicare costs sharply. Extra Help (the Part D Low-Income Subsidy) lowers drug premiums and copays. Medicare Savings Programs, run by state Medicaid agencies, can pay the Part B premium. People who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid have their own enrollment options. Households on a tight budget may also qualify for food help; see our SNAP payment schedule for deposit dates by state.

Bottom line

Medicare open enrollment 2026 runs October 15 to December 7, and changes start January 1, 2027. The 2027 Part D cap of $2,400 and deductible of $700 are official, and CMS projects stable average premiums. The 2027 Part B premium is still pending. Spend twenty minutes in Plan Finder with your real prescriptions before the deadline. If anything is confusing, a free SHIP counselor can walk you through it.

Cover photo: President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Medicare bill with former President Harry S. Truman, July 30, 1965. White House Press Office, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.