Get ready in September
1. Mark your calendar. AEP runs October 15 to December 7, 2026. Changes you make take effect January 1, 2027.
2. Watch your mail for your ANOC letter. Your plan must get the Annual Notice of Change to you by September 30. It lists every change to your plan's costs and coverage for 2027.
3. Make a list of your doctors, your hospital, your pharmacy, and every prescription you take with its dosage. You will check each one against your plan.
Review your coverage in October
4. Read the cost table in your ANOC. Compare your 2026 premium, deductible, and copays to the 2027 numbers line by line. Two 2027 figures are already set: the standard Part D deductible is $700 and the Part D out of pocket cap is $2,400, up from $2,100.
5. Confirm your doctors and hospital are still in the plan's network for 2027. Networks change every year, even when the plan name stays the same.
6. Confirm your pharmacy is still a preferred pharmacy. A pharmacy that drops to standard status can raise your drug costs all year.
7. Check every prescription against the plan's 2027 drug list. Look for drugs that moved to a higher tier, gained new rules like prior authorization or step therapy, or were dropped.
8. Review the extra benefits: dental, vision, hearing, and any over the counter allowance. These change often and they are where plans quietly cut back.
9. Check the plan's Medicare star rating for 2027. New ratings come out in October.
10. Compare at least two other plans available in your county before you decide. Use the Medicare.gov Plan Finder, or ask a licensed agent to run the comparison for you at no cost.
Decide before December 7
11. If you have a Medicare Supplement plan, ask about your state's switching rules first. California's Birthday Rule lets many people change Medigap plans each year without answering health questions.
12. Check whether you qualify for Extra Help with drug costs or a Medicare Savings Program. Many people qualify and never apply.
13. Enroll by December 7, or confirm you are keeping your current plan. Doing nothing means your plan renews automatically with every 2027 change listed in your ANOC.
14. After you enroll, watch for your confirmation letter and new ID card, and keep paying your current plan's premium until the new coverage starts January 1, 2027.