Everything You Need to Know About Medicare Open Enrollment

When it starts and ends, how to choose a Part D or Medicare Advantage plan and why it’s important to compare your options this year

Tony Pugh and Dena Bunis,

Updated October 09, 2025

AARP

Reviewed by

Cristina Boccuti, M.A., MPP

Comments

En español

Published September 22, 2022

/ Updated October 09, 2025

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AARP (Source: Getty Images (2))

Key takeaways

Chance to change your Medicare plans is Oct. 15-Dec. 7.
You can make several types of changes to what you have.
Review each plan’s key features using Medicare Plan Finder.
Learn the pros, cons of original and Advantage switches.
Several resources can help you choose a Medicare plan.

Every October, Medicare gives its 69 million beneficiaries a chance to review coverage and make changes for the coming year.

While experts say too many enrollees overlook this opportunity, evaluating your options this year is especially important because of big changes coming to Medicare in 2026.

If you’re happy with your current Medicare Part D prescription plan or Medicare Advantage plan, you can leave your coverage as is. But costs and coverage for this private insurance can change significantly from year to year, and companies may enter or leave certain areas of the country or decide to stop offering plans altogether.

Comparing your options is always a good idea, especially if your health has changed.

“Most people don’t pay much attention to the open enrollment period, and that can come at a cost,” says Tricia Neuman, KFF senior vice president and executive director of the nonpartisan nonprofit’s Program on Medicare Policy. Beneficiaries can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars by finding a prescription drug or Medicare Advantage plan that better meets their needs.

When is Medicare open enrollment?

Medicare open enrollment runs Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 each year. Your coverage selections take effect Jan. 1, 2026.

This year’s open enrollment for 2026 coverage is particularly important. Next year will be the first time that beneficiaries can enjoy government-negotiated lower prices on 10 costly prescription drugs covered in Part D plans.

The average premium for a stand-alone Part D prescription plan — a private insurer offering for original Medicare beneficiaries — is projected to be $34.50 a month next year, a decline of $3.81 from 2025 and a projected savings of nearly $46 annually. Your premium could be higher or lower; the average is the middle of the sum of all the plans divided by the number of plans.

The Washington-based health care consulting firm Avalere Health looked at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) data and came up with a different 2026 projected average for Part D plans: $50.41 a month, a 32 percent increase from its $38.10 estimated 2025 average that would add up to $147.72 more annually.

CMS projects the average Part D total premium for Medicare Advantage plans with prescription drug coverage to fall from $13.32 in 2025 to $11.50 in 2026 after Medicare Advantage program rebates are applied. The agency expects the average premium for all types of Medicare Advantage plans to decrease from $16.40 in 2025 to $14 in 2026.

In 2026, Part D and Medicare Advantage enrollees have a $2,100 annual out-of-pocket spending cap on covered prescriptions. That’s an increase of $100 from 2025.

But insurers may make other changes to their costs and coverage, so investigate your options carefully. If you miss open enrollment, you may not have another chance until next year to switch, except in limited circumstances.

One such circumstance is a planned temporary special enrollment period for people who select a Medicare Advantage plan based on incorrect network provider directory information in the 2026 Medicare Plan Finder.

What changes can I make during open enrollment?

If you have original Medicare:

You can sign up for a Part D prescription plan or switch from one Part D plan to another.
You can leave original Medicare and choose a private Medicare Advantage plan.

If you have Medicare Advantage:

You can switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another.
You can leave Medicare Advantage for original Medicare and choose a Part D prescription plan.

You can get a second chance to make changes during Medicare Advantage’s special open enrollment period Jan. 1 through March 31. That includes switching from one Medicare Advantage plan to another or returning to original Medicare and getting a stand-alone Part D prescription plan.

And for 2026 only, plans are in place to allow beneficiaries to re-enroll in coverage if their Medicare Advantage enrollment through the plan finder was based on incorrect information in the plan finder’s new Medicare Advantage provider directory.

How do I prepare for open enrollment decisions?

If you have original Medicare, most people buy a separate Part D plan to cover prescription drugs. A review of your Part D options every year is important to make sure you have the best plan for the next year.

First, review your annual notice of change. If you have Part D, your plan must send you a notice by the end of September outlining revisions to your costs and coverage. Make sure your prescriptions remain covered and find out if your premiums and other out-of-pocket costs will rise.

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Next, review all Part D options in your area. Use the Medicare Plan Finder to compare them.

Confirm the plan includes all your medications. They can change their list of covered drugs, called a formulary, from year to year. If your drugs aren’t listed, they won’t be subject to 2026’s $2,100 spending cap.
Learn what you could pay in total — premiums plus out-of-pocket costs — for your Part D coverage. A plan with low premiums may have higher total expenses if the amount you have to pay for your prescriptions after you’ve met your deductible is high.
Make sure your preferred pharmacies are included.
Find out if your drugs have coverage requirements such as prior authorization or step therapy.

If you have Medicare Advantage, this private insurance alternative to original Medicare, also known as Part C, bundles Parts A, B and usually D.

First, read your letter. Medicare Advantage plans send members an annual notice of change by the end of September each year. It explains revisions in benefits, costs, covered drugs and provider networks that take effect Jan. 1.

Next, compare Medicare Advantage plans in your area using the Medicare Plan Finder and its new Medicare Advantage in-network provider directory. Learn details such as:

Premiums and out-of-pocket costs for your typical medical care.
A plan’s in-network list of providers.
Covered drugs and how much you’ll pay for them.
Doctors, facilities and other providers. Check the plan’s website or ask your doctors if they participate.
Extra charges for out-of-network providers or facilities. Some plans impose higher copayments if you don’t use participants on their list. Others don’t cover out-of-network providers except for emergencies.
A plan’s maximum limit on out-of-pocket health care costs. Medicare Advantage plans are required to limit your Part A and Part B expenses, different from the $2,100 ceiling for prescription drugs. In 2026, the limit is $9,250 for in-network services, $13,900 for a combination of in- and out-of-network services. This is a decrease of $100 in both areas. Plans can set a lower limit if they want.
Potential special provisions for chronic conditions.
The plan’s star ratings, which grade using several quality measures.
Whether the plan offers other supplemental coverage, such as dental, hearing and vision care.

Why switch between original Medicare, Medicare Advantage?

Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage. Medicare Advantage all-in-one plans for health care and prescription drugs may intrigue you, but make sure your providers participate. Otherwise, you may pay more or have no coverage outside the network.

You’ll likely have to jump through additional hoops to get some of the care you want: Medicare Advantage plans may require more prior authorization than original Medicare before covering some services, and you may need a referral from your doctor to see specialists.

Medicare Advantage to original Medicare. If you switch back to original Medicare, you can use any participating provider and choose a stand-alone Part D plan.

You’ll need to pay a separate premium for Part D. And if you’re eligible, you can buy a Medicare supplement policy, or Medigap, to help with Medicare deductibles and copayments, also for a separate premium.

Medigap isn’t part of annual open enrollment. A policy can be bought at any time of the year.

However, Medigap insurers in most states can reject you or charge more because of preexisting conditions if more than six months have passed since you signed up for Medicare Part B — unless you qualify for a guaranteed issue period, such as changing your mind within 12 months of choosing Medicare Advantage for the first time or moving out of your plan’s service area.

Get help choosing a Medicare plan

The following resources can help when making open enrollment decisions.

State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs) are available in each state for one-on-one assistance from trained counselors and group seminars during open enrollment season. They can educate you about state-specific rules and help you figure out whether you are eligible for financial help with premiums and out-of-pocket costs.

Medicare Plan Finder compares all Part D and Medicare Advantage plans in your area. And for the first time in 2026, the plan finder will list some MA plans’ in-network providers. You also can call 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227) or use its live chat tool 24 hours a day seven days a week, except for some federal holidays.

Contributing: Kimberly Lankford

This story, originally published Sept. 22, 2022, was updated with information about the 2026 open enrollment season.

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Tony Pugh is an award-winning writer and editor covering Medicare for AARP. He has also covered Medicare for Bloomberg Law and as a national correspondent for Knight Ridder/McClatchy Newspapers.

Dena Bunis covered Medicare, health care, health policy and Congress. She also wrote the “Medicare Made Easy” column for the AARP Bulletin. An award-winning journalist, Bunis spent decades working for metropolitan daily newspapers, including as Washington bureau chief for the Orange County Register and as a health policy and workplace writer for Newsday.

Cristina Boccuti, vice president of health security at the AARP Public Policy Institute, previously worked at West Health, the Kaiser Family Foundation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, The Urban Institute and the U.S. Government Accountability Office. She earned her master’s degree in speech-language pathology from George Washington University and her master’s in public policy from Georgetown University.