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Medicare

Quiz: What Do You Know About Medicare Open Enrollment?

Test your knowledge so you can be better prepared for this year’s season

Dena Bunis,

Updated September 26, 2025

AARP

In English

Published September 26, 2022

/ Updated September 26, 2025

Chris Gash

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Like Labor Day, Halloween and Thanksgiving, Medicare’s open enrollment season comes once a year. It’s an important time for Medicare beneficiaries who have signed up for original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan.

Are you up to the challenge? Take this quiz to demystify the process and not get caught by changes in your plan.

Question 1 of 11

When is Medicare open enrollment this year?

Oct. 15 to Dec. 7

Oct. 31 to Dec. 15

Nov. 1 to Dec. 31

Nov. 15 to Dec. 31

You can change your Medicare drug and health plans Oct. 15 through Dec. 7 every year.

Question 2 of 11

What kind of changes can you make to your Medicare coverage during open enrollment?

Switch your current Part D prescription drug plan or Medicare Advantage plan to another.

Change from having original Medicare and a Part D plan to a Medicare Advantage plan that can include medical and drug coverage.

Change from a Medicare Advantage plan to original Medicare and add a Part D drug plan if you don’t have other prescription coverage.

All of the above

You can make any of these changes during open enrollment.

Also, if you didn’t sign up for Part D prescription coverage when you were first eligible and you don’t have equivalent drug coverage from an employer, previous employer, union, the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department or anyone else, you can use the annual open enrollment period to sign up for a Part D plan for the first time.

Question 3 of 11

Why is it a good idea to review your current coverage?

Premiums, deductibles and copayments may change.

New plans may have been added in your area, and others may no longer be available.

You should check to make sure all your prescriptions are still covered in your Part D plan.

If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, see if the services you need are covered and your providers are part of the plan.

All of the above

Insurers can change the premium copays and what’s covered in their Part D and Medicare Advantage plans — including the list of drugs they cover — every calendar year and sometimes in the middle of the year. Look at the letter your current plan should send you in September to see what will be different next year. Compare it with other plans available to you by going to the plan comparison tool at Medicare.gov.

Question 4 of 11

What is the most effective way of comparing Part D drug plans to find your best deal?

Sort through the drug plan materials you’ve received in the mail.

Ask relatives, friends and neighbors about the plan they prefer.

Identify the plan in your area with the lowest monthly premium.

Use the plan-comparing tool on Medicare’s website or ask a Medicare customer service representative to use it for you.

Part D plans charge widely different copays and do not all cover the same drugs. They also have different preferred pharmacies where you can often get the best deal. So it’s vital to check out which drugs each plan covers, what the plan’s monthly premiums are and what the copays are for the prescriptions you take.

The search can be confusing, but the online Medicare plan finder can help. Visit Medicare.gov and click on Find Plans. You can also call the Medicare hotline at 800-633-4227 — 24 hours a day, seven days a week — and ask for help.

During the open enrollment period, if you sign on to Medicare.gov, you can have an online chat with a Medicare representative. If you’re comparing the prescription drug coverage in Medicare Advantage plans, you should also pay attention to their medical benefits and which doctors participate in the various plans.

Question 5 of 11

What will be the out-of-pocket limit for prescription drug costs under Medicare Part D in 2026?

$2,000

$2,100

$2,500

$3,000

The out-of-pocket limit for prescription drug costs under Medicare Part D is adjusted annually for inflation. For 2026, this limit has been set at $2,100, continuing the trend of making prescription drugs more affordable for Medicare beneficiaries.

Question 6 of 11

What is the purpose of the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan introduced in 2025?

To reduce monthly premiums for Medicare beneficiaries.

To eliminate copays for all prescription medications.

To allow beneficiaries to pay their out-of-pocket drug costs in monthly installments.

To increase the out-of-pocket limit for prescription drugs.

The idea behind the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan is to spread medication costs evenly throughout the year if you expect to meet your out-of-pocket drug cost maximum early in the year. That helps avoid a shock to your budget or potentially paying interest on the credit card debt you might have to take on to purchase expensive medicine.

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Question 7 of 11

If your current Medicare plan still meets your needs, do you have to reenroll?

Yes

Maybe, it depends on the plan you’re enrolled in.

Maybe, if you’ve recently been prescribed different drugs.

If you want to stay in original Medicare, or the Part D prescription drug or Medicare Advantage plan you already have, you don’t need to do anything. You will be automatically reenrolled.

Question 8 of 11

How do you enroll in a different Medicare plan?

By signing up online at Medicare.gov

By calling Medicare at 800-633-4227

By calling the plan of your choice or visiting its website

Any of the above

You can use any of these methods to enroll in a new plan. If you enroll online, print out your completed application as proof.

You should receive an acknowledgment from the plan soon afterward. If you haven’t heard from the plan within two weeks, call Medicare to confirm that you are enrolled.

Question 9 of 11

If you switch to a different plan during open enrollment, when will your new coverage begin?

Jan. 1

Immediately after you have enrolled

The first day of the month after you enroll

The month of your next birthday

If you sign up for a different plan at any time during open enrollment, your coverage will begin Jan. 1. You don’t need to notify your current plan. Enrollment in a different plan automatically cancels your current coverage at midnight Dec. 31.

If you change from a Part D drug plan to a Medicare Advantage plan, this automatically cancels your coverage under original Medicare, and you will receive your Medicare benefits through the Medicare Advantage plan, also starting Jan. 1.

Question 10 of 11

What happens if you miss the Dec. 7 deadline for this year’s open enrollment?

You must wait until next year’s open enrollment to change plans.

You can switch plans whenever you want.

You may be able to switch after the deadline, but it depends on your plan’s rules.

You can switch plans after the deadline but only in certain limited circumstances.

You can switch plans after open enrollment ends only in special circumstances — for instance, if you move outside of your current plan’s service area or your Medicare Advantage plan is no longer in operation.

You also can switch Part D prescription drug plans at any time of the year if you qualify for low-cost drug coverage under Part D’s Extra Help program.

If you’re in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can switch Medicare Advantage plans or revert back to original Medicare and a Part D drug plan during a special Medicare Advantage open enrollment period that runs Jan. 1 to March 31.

Question 11 of 11

If you have Medicare supplemental insurance, better known as Medigap, what do you need to do during open enrollment?

Nothing

Notify your insurer that you will continue your policy next year

Switch to another Medigap policy sold by the same insurer

Switch to a Medigap policy sold by a different insurer

Medigap plans, which you buy through private insurers and not the federal government, have no annual open enrollment period. Most people age 65 or older buy these supplemental plans within six months of enrolling in Medicare Part B.

During this initial six-month period, federal law prohibits insurers from denying individuals coverage or charging them higher premiums because of current or past health problems. It’s possible to switch to a different Medigap policy or a different insurer later, but in most states the plans are allowed to refuse to enroll you or charge you higher premiums.

You have unanswered questions. Please go back and complete those questions to finish the quiz.

This quiz, originally published Sept. 26, 2022, was updated with two additional questions to reflect changes in the past three years.

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