Medicare Open Enrollment 2027: Help Your Parent Choose the Right Plan

Medicare plan mail starts arriving well before enrollment opens. Your parent may receive notices, advertisements, and plan comparisons that look similar but lead to very different costs.

The most important rule is simple:

The lowest monthly premium is usually not the cheapest plan. Compare the total annual cost for your parent’s actual medications and doctors.

You do not need to solve every Medicare question at once. Start with the plan your parent has now. Then compare what changes in 2027.

Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7, 2026

The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, or AEP, opens October 15, 2026. It closes December 7, 2026.

Changes take effect January 1, 2027.

The plan must receive the enrollment request by December 7. A December 7 postmark does not count if the request arrives later. Online submissions, phone enrollments, and other methods may have different confirmation steps, so keep the confirmation number or receipt.

Your next step: Put October 15 and December 7 on your calendar. Plan to finish the comparison several days early.

Your parent’s current coverage determines what can change

During AEP, your parent’s options depend on the coverage already in place.

A parent who moves from Medicare Advantage to Original Medicare may also need to think about Medigap. The Medicare plan change and the Medigap decision are separate.

Your next step: Write down whether your parent has Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Part D, and Medigap before reviewing plan choices.

The January enrollment period is not a second chance for every change

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs from January 1 through March 31, 2027.

It applies only to people already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. During this period, your parent can:

• Switch to another Medicare Advantage plan
• Drop Medicare Advantage and return to Original Medicare
• Add a standalone Part D plan after returning to Original Medicare

This period does not allow someone to start, stop, or change a standalone Part D drug plan by itself. It also does not let someone move from Original Medicare into Medicare Advantage if they were not already enrolled in Medicare Advantage on January 1.

Your next step: Treat December 7 as the real deadline for a Part D decision. Do not assume January offers the same options.

Medigap can make a Medicare Advantage switch difficult to reverse

Moving from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage during AEP is generally straightforward. Moving back later is possible, but the Medigap part may not be simple.

If your parent drops Medigap and later wants to buy a new policy, the insurer may require medical underwriting. The insurer may decline coverage or charge more based on health history. A handful of states have more generous rules.

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period does not automatically create a new Medigap open enrollment period.

This makes the decision less symmetrical than it appears. Before your parent leaves Original Medicare and Medigap, check whether they have guaranteed-issue rights or another protection under federal or state rules.

Your next step: Before changing from Original Medicare and Medigap, call the State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP, for guidance specific to your parent’s situation.

The 2027 Part D numbers make total cost comparisons important

Several Part D changes affect the cost calculation for 2027:

• The standard Part D deductible is $700. Some plans charge less, and some charge no deductible.
• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,400 for covered formulary drugs. Once your parent reaches that amount, covered formulary drugs cost nothing for the rest of the year.
• The 2027 base beneficiary premium is $41.33, up about 6% from 2026. Your parent’s actual premium depends on the plan and income.
• The Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration ends December 31, 2026. Many people enrolled in standalone Part D plans should expect higher premiums in 2027.
• Final plan-specific premiums come from CMS in fall 2026.

A plan with a $0 premium may still have a $700 deductible and higher drug costs. A plan with a higher monthly premium may cost less over the entire year.

The $2,400 cap applies to covered Part D drugs. Premiums and non-covered drugs do not count toward that cap.

Your next step: Estimate the full 2027 cost instead of comparing monthly premiums alone.

The Annual Notice of Change shows what is different

Your parent’s plan must send an Annual Notice of Change, or ANOC, before enrollment begins. It lists the plan’s changes for the coming year, including:

• Premiums
• Deductibles
• Copays
• Drug tiers
• Provider networks
• Pharmacy networks
• Other coverage rules

The plan’s 2027 changes should reach enrollees by September 30. If the ANOC has not arrived, call the plan.

Do not rely on last year’s summary or your parent’s current experience. A medication can move to a different tier. A doctor can leave the network. A pharmacy can change its preferred status.

Your next step: Find the ANOC and mark every section that affects your parent’s medications, providers, and expected care.

Check every medication by tier and restriction

Make a complete medication list. Include:

• Drug name
• Strength and dose
• How often your parent takes it
• Monthly or annual quantity
• Whether it is brand-name or generic

Then check each medication against the 2027 formulary for every plan you are considering.

Do not stop after seeing that a medication is “covered.” Check the drug’s tier. A higher tier may mean a larger copay or coinsurance.

Also look for:

• Prior authorization
• Step therapy
• Quantity limits
• Preferred pharmacies
• Mail-order pricing

Insulin remains capped at $35 per month per covered insulin product. Recommended vaccines are free under Part D.

Your next step: Compare your parent’s actual medication list in Medicare.gov Plan Compare and review the details behind each result.

Confirm doctors, hospitals, labs, and imaging

A plan can look affordable until your parent needs care outside its network.

Call each important provider before enrolling. Confirm that the doctor accepts the plan for 2027. Check specialists, hospitals, laboratories, imaging centers, and other providers your parent uses regularly.

Ask the provider’s office to check the specific plan name. A doctor may accept one plan from an insurer but not another.

If your parent has an upcoming treatment, procedure, or specialist visit, ask whether the plan requires referrals or prior authorization.

Your next step: Make a provider list and call the offices before choosing a plan.

Compare the total annual cost

Use the same calculation for every plan. Add together:

• Annual premiums
• The deductible
• Expected copays or coinsurance for your parent’s actual drugs
• Expected costs for regular care
• Other likely out-of-pocket expenses

The total is your parent’s estimated annual cost for that plan.

Use realistic assumptions. Include the medications your parent takes every month. Include regular specialist visits and the providers your parent is most likely to use.

Do not compare a plan’s premium in isolation. A $20 monthly premium difference is $240 per year. A deductible or higher drug tier can quickly outweigh that amount.

Also compare pharmacy options. The usual local pharmacy may not have the lowest price. Mail order may help for maintenance medications, but confirm delivery timing and quantity limits.

Your next step: Build a one-page comparison for the top two or three plans. Choose the plan that fits your parent’s complete care pattern, not just the one with the smallest premium.

Part B costs are not final yet

The official 2027 Medicare Part B premium and deductible are not confirmed yet. CMS typically announces those amounts in the fall.

Some projections place the standard Part B premium near $209.50 per month, but that is only a projection. Do not use it as the final number.

Check Medicare.gov for the official amount when CMS announces it.

Your next step: Leave the projected Part B figure out of your final comparison until the official number is available.

Free, unbiased help is available

You do not have to compare plans alone.

Free resources include:

• Medicare.gov Plan Compare
• 1-800-MEDICARE: 1-800-633-4227
• SHIP: State Health Insurance Assistance Programs offer free, unbiased, one-on-one counseling in every state.

Private brokers are paid by insurers. That does not automatically make their guidance unsuitable, but commission-free help is worth knowing about when you want an independent review.

For questions about Medicare supplements, Part D, and related coverage, My Senior Care Advisors’ Medicare guidance service can also connect families with licensed partner advisors at no cost.

Your next step: Gather your parent’s ANOC, medication list, provider list, and current plan card before contacting a counselor.

Medicare does not cover the whole long-term care picture

Medicare plan selection is important, but it is only one part of planning for aging.

Medicare is not the whole answer for ongoing long-term care needs such as:

• In-home help
• Assisted living
• Memory care
• Care transitions
• Long-term care planning

If the real concern is how to pay for or arrange that type of support, a senior care advisor can help you understand local options and next steps. Families can receive this guidance for free.

When you are ready, request free senior care guidance. You can share your situation, timeline, and the type of care your parent may need. There is no obligation.

Start with the Medicare comparison now. Then look at the broader care plan your parent may need in 2027 and beyond.