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Medicare Open Enrollment 2027

Reviewed by Russell Noga, Licensed Medicare Insurance Broker (all 50 states) — Last updated September 16, 2026

Medicare open enrollment for 2027 runs from October 15 to December 7, 2026. Whatever you choose during those eight weeks takes effect on January 1, 2027, and for most people it is the only chance all year to change how their Medicare works.

It is also the window most people let slide. Roughly two out of three Medicare beneficiaries never compare plans during open enrollment — they let the current plan renew and find out in February that the premium went up, a drug moved tiers, or their cardiologist left the network. This page covers the dates, what you are actually allowed to change, and the five things worth checking before the window opens.

Key Takeaways

  • Medicare open enrollment 2027 runs October 15 through December 7, 2026. Coverage starts January 1, 2027.
  • Carriers can publish 2027 premiums, benefits and networks from October 1, two weeks before you can enroll.
  • There are no extensions. December 7 is a hard deadline and missing it locks you into your current plan for all of 2027.
  • Enrolling on October 15 and enrolling on December 7 produce the same January 1 start date, so there is no penalty for taking time to compare.
  • Doing nothing is a decision. Most plans auto-renew you into their 2027 version at the 2027 price.
Medicare open enrollment 2027 dates from October 15 to December 7 with coverage starting January 1

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Medicare Open Enrollment 2027 Dates

Four dates govern the whole season. All four are fixed by CMS and none of them move.

Date What happens
◎October 1, 2026 Carriers may publish 2027 premiums, benefits and provider networks. You can research and compare, but you cannot enroll yet.
✓October 15, 2026 Medicare open enrollment opens. You can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage plan or a Part D plan.
✗December 7, 2026 The last day to make a change for 2027. There are no extensions and no grace period.
⚑January 1, 2027 Whatever you chose takes effect, whether you enrolled in October or on the final day.

⚑One date before the window opens

If your plan is not being renewed for 2027, the carrier must notify you in writing by early October 2026. That non-renewal letter is the single most important piece of mail a Medicare beneficiary receives all year, and it comes with its own Special Enrollment Period running through the end of February. If one arrives, read our guide on Medicare Advantage plans going away in 2027.

What You Can Change During Medicare Open Enrollment 2027

The fall window is the only one that lets you do everything. Whatever your current setup, all of these moves are on the table between October 15 and December 7.

Every move available to you

  • Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan
  • Drop a Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare
  • Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another
  • Join a Part D prescription drug plan for the first time
  • Switch Part D plans, or drop Part D entirely

The one thing the fall window does not guarantee is a Medigap policy. Leaving Medicare Advantage is always allowed, but a Medicare Supplement insurer can require medical underwriting and decline you unless you have a guaranteed issue right. If that is the move you are considering, understand the difference first — see Medigap vs Medicare Advantage.

Medicare enrollment windows compared for 2027 and what each one lets you change

Medicare Open Enrollment vs the Other Enrollment Windows

People miss changes they were entitled to because they assume every enrollment window works like the fall one. They do not. Here is what each period actually allows.

Window Dates Who it is for What you can do
Annual Enrollment Oct 15 – Dec 7, 2026 Everyone with Medicare Anything. Join, switch or drop Advantage. Move either direction. Change Part D.
Medicare Advantage OEP Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2027 Only people already in an Advantage plan on January 1 One change. Switch plans, or go back to Original Medicare.
Initial Enrollment 7 months around your 65th birthday People new to Medicare Enroll for the first time in any plan type.
General Enrollment Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2027 People who missed their first chance at Part B Sign up for Part B. Coverage starts the month after you enroll.
Special Enrollment When you qualify Moving, losing coverage, Medicaid, plan exits Varies by trigger, usually two to three months.

The January window is not a second open enrollment

If you are on Original Medicare on January 1, you cannot use the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period to join a Medicare Advantage plan. It only works in the other direction, and only for people already enrolled in an Advantage plan. Getting into Advantage takes the fall window or a Special Enrollment Period.

Medicare open enrollment 2027 checklist of five things to review before October 15

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Five Things to Check Before Medicare Open Enrollment 2027 Opens

The two weeks between October 1 and October 15 are the most valuable of the whole season. Plan details are public but you cannot act yet, which makes it the ideal time to narrow a wall of options down to a shortlist of three.

Check 1

Read your Annual Notice of Change

The ANOC arrives by late September and lists every way your current plan differs in 2027 — premium, deductible, copays, drug tiers, network. It is the only document that tells you exactly what changed. Most people bin it unread.

Check 2

Re-check every prescription

Formularies are rebuilt every year. A drug that sat on tier 2 can move to tier 4, or pick up a prior authorization requirement, without your premium moving at all. For 2027 the Part D deductible rises to $700 and the out-of-pocket cap to $2,400, so tier placement matters more than it did.

Check 3

Confirm your doctors are still in network

Networks reset annually and directories go stale fast. Call each office directly and ask whether they will accept the specific plan in 2027. Do not rely on last year’s directory or a search tool that has not been refreshed.

Check 4

Find the out-of-pocket maximum

This is the number that decides what a genuinely bad year costs you. Compare it across your shortlist before you look at a single premium. A plan with a $0 premium and a high maximum is not cheaper than a plan with a small premium and a low one.

Check 5

Watch the mail for a non-renewal letter

If your plan is leaving your area for 2027 this arrives in early October and changes your whole timeline. You get a Special Enrollment Period through the end of February, but acting during the fall window gives you a cleaner January 1 start.

What Happens If You Do Nothing

If you make no change by December 7, most plans roll you into their 2027 version automatically — at the 2027 premium, with the 2027 network and the 2027 formulary. You will not be asked to approve any of it. In a stable year that is a reasonable default. Going into 2027 it carries more risk than usual.

The Part B premium is projected to rise to around $209.50 for 2027, the Part D deductible climbs to $700 and the out-of-pocket cap to $2,400. On the Advantage side, carriers have been trimming supplemental benefits and exiting unprofitable counties for two years running. The plan you liked in 2026 may not be the plan you are renewed into. Our breakdown of the 2027 Medicare Part B premium covers what is confirmed so far.

There is no reward for waiting

Enrolling on October 15 and enrolling on December 7 produce the identical January 1 start date. Waiting does not get you a better price or a better plan. The only thing it changes is the odds you forget. If you have decided, submit it.

Before you decide, know what is actually different next year. Medicare Advantage plans changes 2027 covers every confirmed change, from the CMS payment increase to the new supplemental benefit rules.

How to Compare Plans for Medicare Open Enrollment 2027

Start from your own situation rather than from a list of the best plans. Write down your prescriptions with exact dosages, list the doctors and hospitals you will not give up, and set a realistic ceiling for what a bad health year could cost you. Those three inputs eliminate most of the market before you compare anything.

From there, work through what is actually available where you live. Our overview of Medicare Advantage plans 2027 covers what is changing across the market, the best Medicare Advantage plans for 2027 narrows it by star rating, and 2027 costs and benefits by carrier breaks the numbers down company by company.

If you are weighing whether to be in a Medicare Advantage plan at all, read Original Medicare vs Medicare Advantage before the window opens. That decision is far harder to reverse than a plan switch, and the fall window is the cleanest time to make it.

Enrollment dates are national, but plan availability is not. If you are in one of the biggest Medicare Advantage states, check Pennsylvania plan options before the window opens.

Free help that sells you nothing

Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program offers one-to-one Medicare counseling at no cost and has no product to sell. Find yours at shiphelp.org, or call 1-800-MEDICARE. A licensed agent can also run the comparison with you at no cost, and gets paid by the carrier rather than by you.

Compare 2027 Medicare plans and enroll online

Frequently Asked Questions About Medicare Open Enrollment 2027

➤  When is Medicare open enrollment for 2027?

Medicare open enrollment for 2027 runs from October 15 to December 7, 2026. Any change you make during that window takes effect on January 1, 2027. Carriers can publish their 2027 plan details from October 1, giving you two weeks to research before enrollment opens.

➤  What can I change during Medicare open enrollment 2027?

Everything. You can switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, drop Medicare Advantage and return to Original Medicare, move from one Advantage plan to another, join a Part D plan for the first time, switch Part D plans, or drop Part D entirely. The fall window is the only period that permits all of these.

➤  What happens if I miss the December 7 deadline?

You stay in your current plan for all of 2027 unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. There are no extensions and no grace period. If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan you get one more limited chance between January 1 and March 31, but that window only lets you switch Advantage plans or return to Original Medicare.

➤  Is it better to enroll early or wait until December?

It makes no difference to your coverage. Enrolling on October 15 and enrolling on December 7 both produce a January 1, 2027 start date. There is no early-bird advantage and no better pricing for waiting. The only practical difference is that waiting increases the chance you miss the deadline entirely.

➤  What happens if I do nothing during Medicare open enrollment?

Most plans renew you automatically into their 2027 version at the 2027 premium, with the 2027 provider network and the 2027 drug formulary. You are not asked to approve the changes. Doing nothing is therefore an active choice to accept whatever your plan decided for next year.

➤  Is the January to March window a second Medicare open enrollment?

No. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31 is only open to people already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1, and it allows one change: switch to a different Advantage plan, or return to Original Medicare with a drug plan. If you are on Original Medicare on January 1, you cannot use it to join an Advantage plan.

➤  When will 2027 plan details be available?

Carriers may publish 2027 premiums, benefits and provider networks from October 1, 2026. That gives you two weeks to compare before enrollment opens on October 15. Your Annual Notice of Change, which details how your own plan is changing, arrives by late September.

➤  What if my plan is discontinued for 2027?

Your carrier must notify you in writing by early October 2026. A discontinued plan triggers a Special Enrollment Period that runs from December 8 through the end of February, separate from the standard fall window. Acting during the fall window is still cleaner, because it gives you an uninterrupted January 1 start.

➤  Can I get a Medicare Supplement plan during Medicare open enrollment 2027?

You can leave a Medicare Advantage plan during the fall window, but that does not guarantee a Medicare Supplement insurer will accept you. Outside a guaranteed issue right, Medigap carriers in most states can require medical underwriting and can decline your application or charge more. Confirm you qualify for a guaranteed issue right before you drop Advantage coverage.

Have Questions?

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Find & Compare Plans Online

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1-855-454-9051TTY 711

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