Medicare Open Enrollment Explained: 7 Smart Moves Before December 7

Medicare Open Enrollment Is Here — Why You Should Look at Your Plan Every Year

Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period runs from October 15 to December 7 every year, and any changes you make take effect on January 1. Even if you were happy with your coverage this year, plans change their premiums, drug lists, and doctor networks annually. Spending an hour reviewing your options now can save you hundreds — or thousands — of dollars next year.

1. Read Your Annual Notice of Change

By now your plan should have sent you an Annual Notice of Change. This letter lists everything changing for next year: the monthly premium, deductibles, copays, the list of covered drugs (the formulary), and the provider network. If your premium is going up or a medication you take is moving to a higher cost tier, that is your cue to shop around. Never assume your plan stays the same — it almost never does.

2. Review Your Prescriptions First

Drug coverage is where most people overpay. Make a list of every prescription you take, including doses, and check whether your plan still covers each one and at what price. A drug that cost you $10 a month this year could cost $60 next year if your plan moved it to a different tier — or dropped it entirely. This one check drives more plan switches than anything else.

3. Confirm Your Doctors and Pharmacies Are Still in Network

Medicare Advantage plans work with specific networks. If your favorite doctor or pharmacy left the network, you could face much higher out-of-network costs — or have to switch providers. Call the plan or check its online directory; do not rely on last year's list. If you have Original Medicare plus a Medigap policy, this matters less, since nearly all US providers accept Medicare.

4. Compare the Total Cost, Not Just the Premium

A plan with a $0 monthly premium is not automatically the cheapest. Add up the whole picture: premium × 12, plus the annual deductible, plus your expected copays and coinsurance for doctor visits, hospital stays, and prescriptions. A plan with a $40 premium but low drug copays can easily beat a $0-premium plan if you take regular medications. Use Medicare's official Plan Finder tool to get side-by-side totals based on your actual drugs and pharmacies.

5. Check the Plan's Star Rating

Medicare rates plans from 1 to 5 stars on quality — things like customer service, how well the plan helps members stay healthy, and how easy it is to get care and prescriptions. Plans rated 4 stars or higher generally deliver a better experience, and 5-star plans can be joined at any time of year through a special enrollment rule. All else being equal, prefer the higher-rated plan.

6. Understand What Advantage Plans Do and Don't Include

Many Medicare Advantage plans bundle extras like dental, vision, hearing, and gym memberships. These are nice perks, but weigh them against the network limits and prior-authorization rules that come with them. Original Medicare with a Medigap policy usually costs more in premiums but gives you the freedom to see any doctor who accepts Medicare, anywhere in the country, with far fewer surprises. Choose based on how you actually use health care, not the advertising.

7. Watch Out for Marketing Pressure and Scams

October through December is peak season for aggressive Medicare marketing — TV ads, cold calls, and mailers promising free groceries or cash cards. Some of it is legitimate advertising; some of it is misleading. Never give your Medicare number or personal details to an unexpected caller, and never let an agent pressure you into switching on the spot. Medicare will never call you to ask for your Medicare number. Take your time, compare in writing, and enroll only through official channels or a plan you have verified yourself.

The Bottom Line

Medicare open enrollment is your one guaranteed chance each year to change plans, and December 7 is a hard deadline — miss it and you are locked in for 2027. Pull out your Annual Notice of Change, re-check your drugs and doctors, compare total costs with the official Plan Finder, and ignore the pressure tactics. One careful hour in October beats twelve months of regret in January.


 

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