Medicare Open Enrollment Ends December 7. Check These 5 Things First.

The Part D out-of-pocket cap was $2,100 in 2026. In 2027, it's $2,400 for the cap, and that change alone is a good reason to open the thick envelope from your plan, even if you've had the same coverage for six years.

Medicare coverage and costs can change each year while you do nothing at all. Open Enrollment gives you a chance to read the notice, check your prescriptions and compare what'll be available next year.

Medicare Open Enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7. Changes take effect January 1, and the plan must get your enrollment request by December 7. Five quick checks can keep an unpleasant surprise out of the pharmacy or doctor's office.

What Open Enrollment actually changes

During Open Enrollment, you can change Medicare health or drug coverage for the next year. The options depend on what coverage you've got now, so read the instructions that came with your notice before choosing.

The deadline's firm. Medicare says the plan must receive your enrollment request by December 7. A change generally begins January 1. Even if you keep your current coverage, its costs or benefits can change on January 1.

Start at Medicare.gov/plan-compare to review options in your area. You can also call Medicare or ask a free local counselor to explain the choices without trying to sell you anything. That's a useful distinction when your phone's already full of sales calls.

Keep a paper list beside the computer. Write down your medicines, pharmacies, doctors and regular treatments that need to stay covered. If a family member helps with the forms, have that person use the same official pages and save confirmation of any change.

What the 2027 drug numbers mean

The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,400 in 2027. After your out-of-pocket spending on covered Part D drugs reaches that amount, you won't pay out of pocket for covered Part D drugs for the rest of the calendar year.

For comparison, the cap is $2,100 in 2026. The maximum Part D deductible is $700 in 2027, compared with $615 in 2026, although a particular plan may have a lower deductible or none. Once you've met the deductible, the standard coinsurance described by Medicare is 25% until your covered drug spending reaches the out-of-pocket threshold.

Those figures can't predict your own prescription costs. Premium, deductible, drug list, pharmacy arrangements and cost-sharing rules all matter. Put your actual medicines and preferred pharmacy into the comparison tool instead of trusting a neighbor's number or a television ad.

Five checks for the kitchen table

Set aside about 30 minutes and work through these. A pencil and a cup of coffee are enough; you don't need an insurance degree.

1. Read the Annual Notice of Change. Your plan sends it each fall, usually in September. It explains coverage, cost and benefit changes that begin in January. If it didn't arrive, contact your plan.

2. Check every prescription. Look up each medicine in the 2027 drug list. Check coverage, cost-sharing tier, restrictions and whether your usual pharmacy's included. A medicine that's affordable this year may cost more or have different coverage next year.

3. Check your doctors and pharmacy. Make sure the doctors you see and the pharmacy you use work with the coverage you're considering. If either isn't listed, call the office and the plan before assuming the information's current.

4. Estimate the full-year drug cost. Look beyond the monthly premium. Add the deductible, expected copayments or coinsurance and what you might pay before reaching the $2,400 cap. Ask whether the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan could spread eligible costs across the year instead of charging them at the pharmacy counter.

5. Compare before December 7. Enter your medicines and pharmacy at Medicare.gov/plan-compare. Compare the result with your current coverage, save it and submit any change before the deadline.

If the current plan still looks right, you don't have to change coverage. Checking is the point. A plan can change its costs and drug list while you stay put.

Get free, objective help

A State Health Insurance Assistance Program, called SHIP, offers free, personalized, objective counseling for people with Medicare and their families. SHIP counselors can review costs, prescriptions, provider networks and coverage options. They aren't connected to an insurance company or health plan.

Find local help at shiphelp.org, or call the SHIP locator at 1-877-839-2675. You can also call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE, or 1-800-633-4227, for information and assistance. Have your Annual Notice of Change and medication list in front of you.

A good counselor won't tell you what to choose. They'll help compare what you've got with what's available, then leave the decision to you. That's useful help.

Before calling, jot down the questions that keep nagging you. Ask about a prescription, doctor, pharmacy or cost you don't understand. You don't need to sound like an insurance expert.

Watch for scam calls

Be cautious when an unexpected caller says your Medicare card's expiring, your benefits will be canceled or you must provide a number to keep coverage. Medicare says it will never call you uninvited and ask for personal or private information.

Don't give your Medicare Number, Social Security number, bank information or a payment to a caller you didn't contact first. Hang up, then call 1-800-MEDICARE yourself if you're worried. Use the number on Medicare.gov, not the one a caller reads to you.

A real deadline leaves time to read and compare. Someone demanding an answer right now is offering a reason to hang up.

Make your list, run it through Medicare.gov/plan-compare and finish before December 7. Then you'll know what changes, if any, should begin January 1.

This article is for general information and is not a substitute for advice from Medicare or a licensed counselor. Check current costs and plans at Medicare.gov.

Last reviewed: November 2026 · Fact-checked & verified