Key Takeaways
- Open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs October 15 to December 7, 2026; changes start January 1.
- 2027 plan details go live on Medicare's Plan Finder around October 1, before enrollment opens.
- Part D's out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 and its deductible to $700 in 2027.
- One doctor leaving your plan still doesn't open a special enrollment window; CMS dropped that proposal.
Medicare’s open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and whatever you pick takes effect January 1, 2027. The 2027 plans themselves show up earlier: insurers can publish their premiums, drug lists and networks starting October 1, so you can shop for two weeks before you can enroll.
That’s the question I get most this time of year: when can I actually see next year’s plans? The short answer is now. Here are the dates that matter, what’s changing for 2027, and the quickest way I know to compare plans without losing an afternoon to it.
Key Dates for 2027 Medicare Coverage
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| By September 30, 2026 | Your plan mails its Annual Notice of Change listing what’s different for 2027 |
| Around October 1, 2026 | 2027 plans appear on Medicare’s Plan Finder; you can research but not enroll yet |
| Early October 2026 | Plans leaving your area send non-renewal letters |
| October 15, 2026 | Open enrollment opens |
| December 7, 2026 | Last day to make a change; no extensions |
| January 1, 2027 | Your new coverage starts |
| January 1 – March 31, 2027 | Medicare Advantage members get one more switch (see the last section) |
You can change your mind as often as you want before December 7. Medicare goes with the last choice you make. Enrolling on October 15 or December 7 gives you the same January 1 start, so there’s no prize for going early, just less stress.
If you live in an area with a FEMA disaster declaration, Medicare can give you extra time. And if your plan sent a non-renewal letter, you’re not limited to December 7: you have until the end of February to pick a new plan, though picking by December 7 avoids any gap.
What You Can Change During Open Enrollment
Open enrollment lets you:
- Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan.
- Switch from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare.
- Move from one Medicare Advantage plan to another.
- Join, switch or drop a standalone Part D drug plan. If you’ve gone without creditable drug coverage, a late-enrollment penalty can apply.
If you do nothing, your current plan usually renews automatically. But “renews” doesn’t mean “stays the same.” Premiums, deductibles, drug lists and networks can all change for 2027 without you lifting a finger.
What’s Changing for 2027
These are the changes I’d actually look at before comparing plans:
| 2026 | 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Part D out-of-pocket cap | $2,100 | $2,400 |
| Part D maximum deductible | $615 | $700 |
| Medicare Advantage in-network out-of-pocket limit (maximum a plan can set) | $9,250 | $9,850 |
| Average Medicare Advantage premium (CMS projection) | $14.37 | about $12 |
| Standard Part B premium | $202.90 | about $209.50 (projected; official figure due in November) |
This year’s full costs, from Part A to IRMAA, are in my 2026 Medicare coverage changes guide.
A few changes don’t fit in a table:
- Standalone Part D premiums may rise. The temporary premium subsidy CMS ran for drug plans ends after 2026, so even a plan you’ve kept for years could cost more. I cover this in my Part D out-of-pocket cap guide.
- Lower negotiated prices for 15 more drugs start January 1, including Ozempic and Wegovy. If you take one of them, check what each plan charges now.
- Fewer Medicare Advantage choices in many counties. Several insurers are pulling out; my Medicare Advantage plan exits for 2027 guide lists what to do if yours is one of them.
- Smaller extras. Many Advantage plans are trimming supplemental benefits; my guide to Medicare Advantage grocery benefits covers what’s tightening for 2027.
- Looser marketing rules. CMS relaxed limits on insurers and agents for 2027, so expect more mail, calls and ads this fall. Never give your Medicare number to a caller you can’t verify.
One more thing you may have noticed in your bank account: if you have Original Medicare, you may have received a one-time $90 deposit in October. It’s a credit toward your October Part B premium, paid automatically. Medicare Advantage members, people whose premiums are paid by Medicaid, and people paying income-related surcharges didn’t get it. It doesn’t lower future premiums.
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The Doctor-Network Rule That Didn’t Change
Earlier this year CMS proposed a rule that would have let you switch plans mid-year if even one of your doctors left your Medicare Advantage network. Some sites, including an earlier version of this page, reported it as done. It wasn’t finalized. When CMS published the 2027 rule in April, it dropped that proposal and said it may revisit it later.
So for 2027 the old rule still applies: a doctor leaving your network only opens a special enrollment window if CMS or your plan deems it a “significant” network change. If a doctor you rely on is leaving, open enrollment is your reliable chance to move.
Example: Robert, 68, has had a Medicare Advantage plan since 65. In September his cardiologist left the plan’s network. He called the plan and was told the change wasn’t “significant,” so no special window. He’s using open enrollment instead: he listed his three must-keep doctors, checked which 2027 plans include all three, and is switching by December 7.
How to Compare 2027 Plans in About 30 Minutes
This is the routine I’d use, in this order:
- Read your Annual Notice of Change. It lists exactly what changes in your current plan for 2027: premium, deductible, drug tiers and network.
- Make a short list: every prescription with its dose, your pharmacy, and the doctors and hospitals you won’t give up.
- Run it through the Medicare Plan Finder. Enter your drugs and pharmacy, then sort by estimated total yearly cost, not premium. The premium is only part of what you’ll pay.
- Check the out-of-pocket maximum on each Medicare Advantage finalist. A $0-premium plan with a high cap can cost far more in a bad year.
- Confirm doctors by phone. Online directories are often out of date; call the office and ask if they’ll be in-network for 2027.
If you’d like help, your state’s free SHIP counselors will compare plans with you at no cost, and they don’t sell insurance. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE.
Example: Linda, 66, likes her Part D plan and almost skipped the review. Her Annual Notice of Change showed one of her regular medications moving to a higher cost tier for 2027. Running her list through the Plan Finder, a different plan covered it at the lower tier, saving her several hundred dollars next year.
If your income is limited, check whether you qualify for Medicare Extra Help, which can cut your drug costs no matter which plan you choose. And since the Part B premium comes out of your Social Security check, the 2027 Social Security COLA shows how much of your raise is left after it.
Open Enrollment vs. the Other Medicare Windows
People mix these up constantly, and it can be expensive.
| Window | When | What it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| Open enrollment (this one) | Oct 15 – Dec 7 every year | Change Medicare Advantage or Part D coverage for next year |
| Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment | Jan 1 – Mar 31 | Medicare Advantage members only: one switch, or a return to Original Medicare |
| Initial Enrollment | 7 months around your 65th birthday | First sign-up for Medicare |
| General Enrollment | Jan 1 – Mar 31 | Sign up for Part B if you missed your first chance (penalties may apply) |
| Medigap Open Enrollment | 6 months, once, starting when Part B begins | Buy any Medigap policy without health questions |
| Special Enrollment | After qualifying events | Moving, losing employer coverage, plan leaving your area |
The costly one is Medigap. Your guaranteed right to buy a Medigap policy at standard rates is a one-time window, not something that comes back every fall. If you leave Medicare Advantage for Original Medicare during open enrollment, most states let Medigap insurers ask health questions and charge more or turn you down. A few states, including New York and Connecticut, have stronger protections; check your state’s rules before you switch.
Where People Get Tripped Up at Open Enrollment
I hear the same handful of mistakes every fall:
- Comparing premiums instead of total cost. A plan that’s $20 a month cheaper can cost hundreds more once your drugs are priced in.
- Assuming a diagnosis reopens enrollment. A new health condition doesn’t extend any window; only qualifying events like a move or losing other coverage do.
- Skipping the Annual Notice of Change because last year’s plan was fine. Drug lists and networks change every year.
- Believing a doctor leaving gives you a special window. For 2027 it usually doesn’t, because CMS didn’t finalize that change. Use open enrollment.
- Trusting unsolicited calls. With looser marketing rules, expect more of them. Hang up and call the plan or 1-800-MEDICARE directly.
After December 7: Your January–March Second Chance
If you’re in Medicare Advantage and your 2027 choice isn’t working, you get one more move between January 1 and March 31, 2027: switch to another Advantage plan, or go back to Original Medicare and add a Part D plan. It can’t be used to join Medicare Advantage from Original Medicare, and standalone Part D members don’t get this extra window.
What I’m watching before open enrollment for 2028:
- November 2026: CMS announces the official 2027 Part B premium, deductible and income-related surcharges. I’ll update the projected figure above.
- Winter to spring 2027: CMS proposes and then finalizes its 2028 plan rules, including whether the doctor-network change comes back, and the Trustees Report projects the 2028 Part B premium.
- October 1, 2027: 2028 plans post to the Plan Finder, two weeks before the next open enrollment.
Veterans should double-check how VA benefits and Medicare fit together; my VA disability compensation guide has this year’s rates, and the two programs’ coverage decisions are made separately.
