Medicare Open Enrollment 2026: What to Check Before December 7

Every fall, the mailbox fills up with Medicare envelopes. Most of it is advertising. But one letter in that pile matters: the notice that tells you exactly how your plan changes on January 1. What you decide between October 15 and December 7 sets your prescription and doctor costs for the entire next year. This is the plain-English version of how to get ready.

It sounds like a lot. It is not. Open one envelope, check four things, and get free help if you need it. None of it costs a dollar.

What you can change during Fall Open Enrollment

• Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C)
• Switch from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare
• Join, switch, or drop a Part D prescription drug plan
• Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another

What it does not cover: Medigap

Medigap (Medicare Supplement) plays by different rules. Your Medigap open enrollment is a one-time, six-month window that starts the month you turn 65 and are enrolled in Part B. During those six months an insurer must sell you any Medigap policy it offers in your state, regardless of your health.

After that window closes, unless you qualify for a federal or state guaranteed-issue situation, insurers can use medical underwriting. They can charge you more or turn you down. Fall Open Enrollment does not restore that protection, so plan around it rather than assuming October fixes it.

What happens if you do nothing?

Your current plan renews automatically. The catch is that “the same plan” is rarely the same. Premiums, copays, the list of covered drugs, and the network of doctors and hospitals can all change from one year to the next. Last year’s best plan is not automatically this year’s.

That is why Medicare tells people to read the notice even when they have no intention of switching. Ten minutes is enough.

Start with the envelope that arrives in September

The Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) spells out what is different next year. The Evidence of Coverage (EOC) that comes with it has the full detail. Check four things:

1. Is the monthly premium going up?
2. Are your prescriptions still covered, and did any of them move to a higher tier?
3. Are your doctor and your hospital still in the network next year?
4. Is your usual pharmacy still a preferred pharmacy?

If the answer to any one of those is no, you have a reason to compare plans this year.

The five things worth comparing

1. Your actual prescriptions

Enter every drug and dosage you take. The same medication can cost hundreds of dollars more per year under one plan than another. Get this right and you have done half the work.

2. Your doctor and your hospital

Medicare Advantage plans use networks. Check the plan directory, then go one step further and call the office to ask whether they are taking that plan next year. Directories are not always current.

3. Your pharmacy

Under the same plan, what you pay can change depending on where you fill the prescription. Confirm your regular pharmacy is a preferred pharmacy for that plan.

4. Total yearly cost, not the monthly premium

A $0-premium plan is not automatically the cheapest plan. Add the premium, the deductible, and your expected copays together and compare the yearly total. That is the number that comes out of your pocket.

5. What the extra benefits actually cover

Dental, vision, hearing, and transportation benefits almost always come with annual caps and conditions. Read the dollar limit, not the brochure headline.

Do not do this alone: three free sources of help

1. The official comparison tool. Enter your ZIP code and your medication list at medicare.gov/plan-compare and it lays your local plans side by side. Free, and it is the government’s own tool, not an ad.
2. 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). Staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays. If English is not your first language, ask for an interpreter. There is no charge.
3. Free one-on-one SHIP counseling. State Health Insurance Assistance Programs give free personalized counseling and are not connected to any insurance company or plan, so nobody is selling you anything. Find your local office at shiphelp.org.

If a parent or relative is more comfortable in another language, the official Medicare & You handbook is published in Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish, and other languages, free to download or order.

If the premiums are a strain, check these two programs

A lot of people qualify and never apply.

• Extra Help (the Part D low-income subsidy). It lowers Part D premiums, deductibles, and copays. Apply through Social Security at ssa.gov or call 1-800-772-1213. Income and resource limits are adjusted each year, so check the official page before you rule yourself out.
• Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs). Run by your state, these help pay Part A and Part B premiums, and in some cases deductibles and coinsurance. For 2026 the monthly income limits are $1,350 individual / $1,824 married for QMB, $1,616 / $2,184 for SLMB, and $1,816 / $2,455 for QI, with resource limits of $9,950 individual / $14,910 married. Alaska and Hawaii use higher limits. Apply through your state Medicaid office.

Scam calls spike during this window

The moment Open Enrollment opens, the “calling from Medicare” calls start. Knowing the rules makes them easy to spot. Under federal marketing rules, plans and agents may not:

• Call you if you did not give them permission to call
• Show up at your home uninvited, or leave materials at your door
• Approach you in a parking lot, a store, or any other public place
• Say they are calling “on behalf of Medicare” or imply they are the government
• Serve a meal at a sales presentation (light snacks are allowed)

And never give your Medicare number to someone who called you. Medicare does not call to ask for it. To report a call:

• Medicare fraud: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)
• Medicare Advantage or Part D fraud: 1-877-772-3379
• Online: oig.hhs.gov
• Free help and prevention training: Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), 877-808-2468

For the newer version of this problem — cloned voices and AI-written scripts — see how to recognize AI-generated scams.

For reference: confirmed 2026 amounts

• Part B standard monthly premium: $202.90
• Part B annual deductible: $283
• Part A inpatient hospital deductible (per benefit period): $1,736
• Part D annual out-of-pocket cap: $2,100

The 2027 figures had not been released as of August 2026. CMS normally announces them in mid-to-late November. Anything quoting a specific 2027 premium before then is an estimate, not a fact — which is a useful thing to remember when someone quotes one to you on the phone.

Your timeline between now and December 7

• Now (August–September). Write down every medication and dosage, your doctors and hospital, and your pharmacy on one sheet of paper. With that sheet, comparing plans takes ten minutes.
• Late September to early October. Open the ANOC envelope and check the four things above.
• After October 15. Compare at medicare.gov/plan-compare, and book a free SHIP appointment if anything is unclear.
• First week of December. If you are switching, finish before December 7 and write down your confirmation number.
• Early January. Confirm your new card arrived and that your first prescription costs what you expected.

The 30-second version

• October 15 to December 7. Changes start January 1.
• Do nothing and your plan renews — but the plan itself changes every year.
• Open the ANOC that arrives by September 30 and check drugs, doctors, pharmacy, premium.
• Compare on total yearly cost, not the monthly premium.
• Use medicare.gov/plan-compare, 1-800-MEDICARE (interpreters available), and free SHIP counseling.
• Anyone claiming to call from Medicare is breaking the rules. Never give out your Medicare number.

Frequently asked questions

I like my plan. Do I still need to do something?

No. But read the ANOC anyway. The specific thing you like about the plan — your drug cost, your doctor, your pharmacy — is exactly the kind of thing that changes quietly on January 1. If you read it and decide to stay, you do not have to do anything else.

What if I miss December 7?

In most cases you wait until next fall. There are exceptions. If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one change between January 1 and March 31: switch to a different Advantage plan, or go back to Original Medicare. Certain life events, such as moving or losing other coverage, also open a special enrollment period.

Can my parent get help in a language other than English?

Yes. Call 1-800-MEDICARE and ask for an interpreter — 24 hours a day, free. The Medicare & You handbook is published in several languages, and some SHIP offices have counselors who speak other languages. Ask when you book.

An agent told me the offer expires if I do not decide today.

That sentence is the warning sign. The only deadline in this window is December 7, and there is no benefit that requires deciding today. Urgency is a sales technique, not information. Hang up and check medicare.gov or call SHIP.

Sources and further reading

• Medicare.gov: Open Enrollment
• Medicare.gov: Understanding Medicare Advantage and drug plan enrollment periods (PDF)
• Medicare.gov: Buying a Medigap policy
• CMS: 2026 Medicare Parts A & B premiums and deductibles
• Medicare.gov: Medicare Savings Programs (2026 limits)
• Medicare.gov: Reporting Medicare fraud and abuse
• Medicare & You 2026, Korean edition (PDF)

Sources verified August 20, 2026. This is general educational information, not insurance advice. Plan details and costs vary by location and plan and change every year. Before you decide, check your own situation at medicare.gov, call 1-800-MEDICARE, or talk to a free SHIP counselor.