Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7. It governs Medicare Advantage plans and Part D drug plans. It does not govern Medicare Supplements. This year, it seems like almost everybody got a letter from their insurance carrier saying that they’ll lose their coverage at the end of the year. So what’s going in in the Medicare world?
1. Your Supplement Plan is Fine
If you have a Medicare Supplement plan (also called Medigap) you don’t need to worry about replacing it. Supplement plans have one true “open enrollment”, and for most people it already passed. That is the six-month window once you are 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. If you miss that window, trying to enroll in a supplement usually involves having to pass health questions.
So if you hold a supplement, open enrollment actually only touches one thing: your drug plan.
How to tell which plan you have
| Medigap Supplement | Medicare Advantage | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider list | Any provider nationwide that takes Original Medicare | Stuck to a defined network |
| Name of the plan | A letter (e.g. Plan G, Plan N) | A marketing name (e.g. "My Choice") |
| Open enrollment applies? | No, only to your separate drug plan | Yes, to the whole plan |
THE MISTAKE WE SEE EVERY FALL
People whose supplement plans have been covering their medical needs see a $0 plan packaged with dental, vision, and other benefits, and switch. They lose the coverage from their supplement plan, and usually can’t get it back without passing medical underwriting.
Owning a supplement works like owning a home. No landlord sets the rules, and any doctor or hospital in the country that accepts Medicare is open to you. Advantage enrollment can prove more permanent than it looks.
Why your premium climbs every year
Supplement holders rarely complain about coverage. They complain about the premium, which most carriers raise annually.
There is a reason for that. A Medigap carrier can never narrow your network, because the policy covers any provider nationwide that takes Medicare. It can never change your benefits either, since a Plan F, G or N stays identical year after year apart from the deductible. And no carrier can drop you, because Medigap plans are guaranteed to be renewable.
Shopping for supplement plans usually means answering health questions. Some states offer a birthday rule or similar window with no underwriting. Those generally let you move to another supplement plan of equal or lesser coverage. If you want to upgrade your supplement coverage, you will most likely have to go through health questions. Your state’s rules decide what is possible. None of that belongs in open enrollment though, since you can shop for supplement plans any time of year.
2. Thinking About Switching Your Advantage Plan?
A Medicare Advantage plan replaces Original Medicare (Medicare Parts A & B). You stay enrolled in Original Medicare, but are no longer covered by it directly, which is why your Part B premium still comes out each month. Medicare pays the carrier to take over your care.
If a supplement is like owning, an Advantage plan is like renting. Medicare still owns the house and pays a landlord to run it, and the landlord sets the rules on which doctors and hospitals are in network. That holds for HMOs and PPOs alike. If your plan hands you a provider list, you have an Advantage plan.
More than half of our clients hold an advantage plan, and among seniors weighing between advantage & supplement plans, roughly three in four pick Advantage.
Why this year is different
Your plan can change every year, and it can disappear. That is what the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) in your mailbox is for. For 2027, more than a million people are getting one that says their plan is ending.
IF YOUR PLAN IS ENDING… YOU GET TWO THINGS
A later deadline. Enroll by December 31 for coverage starting January 1. The special enrollment period runs past that into the new year.
A guaranteed right to a supplement. You can take a Medigap policy with no health questions, within a limited window.
Know what you’re willing to give up
Switching means ranking three things and trading away at least one: lowest premium, keeping your doctors, or drug costs. Keep the doctors and you may pay more. Take the lowest premium and you may be finding new doctors.
A good agent lays those trade-offs out honestly instead of steering you toward a favorite plan, which is why the agent you choose matters more than most people expect.
3. What Happened To My Drug Plan?
If you have a supplement or if you have an MA-only plan, you almost certainly carry a separate, stand-alone Part D plan. Two changes make 2027 unlike any year before it.
The $0 plan is gone
No stand-alone drug plan in the country carries a $0 premium for 2027 unless you qualify for Extra Help. The lowest premium nationally sits near $5.30/mo.
DO NOT DROP COVERAGE TO “SAVE” PREMIUMS
If you go without creditable drug coverage and sign back up when you need more prescriptions covered, a late enrollment penalty gets added to your premium every month, permanently.
Your agent probably can’t enroll you anymore
A few years ago most drug plan carriers started to phase out paying agent commissions, but agents could still process the enrollment. For 2027, many carriers will not allow agent-assisted enrollment at all. A few still allow it in some areas, but those plans are rarely the strongest option in most counties.
So whether your drug plan is stand-alone or bundled into an Advantage plan, read your ANOC. If you do nothing, one of two things happens:
- Your plan ends and you’re left with no drug coverage
- you get moved into a plan with a premium and drug list you did not choose.
The good news is you can still compare drug plans yourself on Medicare.gov by entering your ZIP code, your medications and your pharmacy, then sorting by lowest drug plus premium cost. If you want help navigating Medicare.gov, you can follow our guide by clicking here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dates & Deadlines
When is Medicare Open Enrollment for 2027?
October 15 through December 7, 2026. Changes take effect January 1, 2027.
What happens if I miss December 7?
Most people wait until the next open enrollment. Exceptions exist for qualifying events, including a plan termination, a move, or gaining or losing other coverage.
What is the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period?
It’s a separate window from January 1 to March 31, for people already in an Advantage plan. It allows one switch to another Advantage plan or a return to Original Medicare. It does not let someone on Original Medicare join an Advantage plan, and it does not guarantee you a Medigap policy.
When should my ANOC arrive?
Plans must send the Annual Notice of Change by September 30. It lists every change to premiums, copays, networks and the drug formulary.
MEDIGAP AND MEDICARE ADVANTAGE
Does open enrollment apply to my Medicare Supplement?
No. Supplements have no annual open enrollment. You can change one any time of year, usually with medical underwriting.
My Advantage plan is ending. What are my options?
You can enroll in a new Medicare Advantage Part D (MAPD) plan or enroll in both a Medicare Advantage Only plan (MA-Only) and a stand-alone Part D Plan (PDP) by December 31. Coverage will start January 1, with the special enrollment period running into the new year.
A termination also grants you a guaranteed issue right to a Medigap policy with no health questions, within a limited window.
Can I switch from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare?
Yes, during open enrollment or the Advantage open enrollment period. The complication is if you’re also trying to enroll in a supplement plan for better coverage. Outside a guaranteed issue situation, a Medigap carrier can require underwriting and turn you down.
My doctor takes Medicare. Does that mean they take my Advantage plan?
No. Advantage plans run their own networks. A provider who accepts Original Medicare may be out of network, or unavailable entirely, under a given Advantage plan.
DRUG PLANS IN 2027
Is there still a $0 Part D plan?
Not for 2027, unless you qualify for Extra Help. The lowest stand-alone premium nationally is about $5.30 a month. Even then, that $5.30 plan may not exist in your state.
What is the Part D out-of-pocket maximum in 2027?
$2,400, up from $2,100 in 2026. Once you reach your out-of-pocket spending on covered drugs, you won’t have to pay anything more for covered drugs that year.
What is the Part D late enrollment penalty?
It is a permanent surcharge for going 63 days or more without creditable drug coverage after becoming eligible. It is added to your monthly premium for as long as you hold Part D.
Do I need to cancel my old drug plan?
No. Enrolling in a new Part D plan ends the previous one automatically.
Should I keep a drug plan if I take no medications?
Usually yes. The lowest-premium plan costs a few dollars a month and avoids the permanent penalty that grows for every month you go without coverage.