Medicare Open Enrollment: 3 Numbers to Check Before December 7

Medicare Open Enrollment has been open since October 15, and the December 7 deadline is now closer than it feels. Between news stories, plan mailings, and advice from well-meaning friends, the numbers can start to blur together. So let us slow down and focus on just three of them.

In late September, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published its projections for 2027. Three figures in that release are worth writing on an index card and holding up against your own plan: the average Medicare Advantage premium, the average stand-alone Part D premium, and the Part D out-of-pocket cap. Here is what each number means, and how to check it against your own coverage before the window closes.

1. Number One: $12 — The Average Medicare Advantage Premium for 2027

CMS projects that the average monthly premium across Medicare Advantage plans will be about $12 in 2027, down from $14.37 in 2026. That is the national average, weighted by enrollment, and it includes the many plans that charge no additional premium at all beyond Part B.

Your check is simple: find the 2027 premium for your plan in the Annual Notice of Change it mailed you this fall. If your premium is far above the $12 average, that is not automatically a problem — your plan may offer richer benefits or the network you rely on. But it is a reason to ask what the extra amount is buying you. And remember, this figure never replaces your Part B premium, which you keep paying either way.

2. Number Two: $36 — The Average Stand-Alone Part D Premium for 2027

If you have Original Medicare with a separate prescription drug plan, your benchmark is different. CMS projects the average premium for stand-alone Part D plans at about $36 a month in 2027, up slightly from $35.09 in 2026.

The small rise hides a bigger story. A temporary federal program that held Part D premiums down in 2025 and 2026 has ended, so individual plans are moving in different directions: some barely change, others rise much more than a dollar. That is why the average matters less than your own plan's 2027 premium, printed in your Annual Notice of Change. If your plan's increase is steep, the average tells you that calmer options may exist — if you compare before December 7.

3. Number Three: $2,400 — The Part D Out-of-Pocket Cap for 2027

The third number protects people who take expensive medications. In 2027, once your out-of-pocket spending on covered Part D drugs reaches $2,400 for the year, you pay $0 for covered drugs for the rest of the year. The cap rises from $2,100 in 2026, and it applies inside Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage as well as in stand-alone Part D plans.

To use this number, add up roughly what you spent on prescriptions this year. If your total came anywhere near the cap, drug coverage is probably the most important part of your plan choice — more important than a small difference in premiums. A plan that covers your medications well can be worth far more than a cheaper plan that covers them poorly.

4. The Checklist: Put Your Plan Next to the Three Numbers

• Your 2027 premium: Find it in your Annual Notice of Change and compare it with the $12 Medicare Advantage average or the $36 stand-alone Part D average, whichever fits your coverage.
• Your medications: List each prescription with its dosage, and confirm every one is still on your plan's 2027 drug list, at a tier you can afford.
• Your drug spending: Estimate your yearly total at the pharmacy. If it approaches $2,400, weigh drug coverage heavily in your decision.
• Your doctors: If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, confirm your doctors and hospital are still in the network for 2027.
• Your total yearly cost: Compare plans on premium plus deductible plus expected drug and care costs — not on premium alone.

5. If Your Numbers Look Worse Than the Averages

Do not panic, and do not ignore it either. Averages describe the whole country; your plan, your county, and your prescriptions describe you. A plan that costs more than average may still be the right plan. The averages simply tell you when it is worth a second look.

That second look is free. The Plan Compare tool at Medicare.gov lets you enter your medications and pharmacy and see estimated total yearly costs side by side. Your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) offers free, unbiased counseling in person or by phone. Whatever you decide — switching or staying — decide it on your own numbers before December 7, while the choice is still yours to make.

Key Takeaway

Three 2027 numbers frame this enrollment season: an average Medicare Advantage premium of about $12 a month, an average stand-alone Part D premium of about $36 a month, and a $2,400 yearly cap on Part D drug spending. None of them is your number. Use them as a measuring stick: pull out your Annual Notice of Change, check your premium, your drugs, and your yearly drug spending against them, and compare total costs on Medicare.gov. A half hour with the checklist now beats a year of paying for a plan that no longer fits.

This article was written with the help of generative AI.

For general information only, not medical advice.

Consult a qualified professional for your situation.

Your Annual Notice of Change: 5 Quick Checks Before December 7

Every fall, your health or drug plan mails you a document called the Annual Notice of Change — ANOC for short. It had to reach you by September 30 — and if you do nothing, your plan simply renews on the new terms it describes. The notice is easy to ignore because it looks like routine paperwork. It is not. Fifteen minutes with this checklist — premium, deductible, drugs, doctors, and extra benefits — can save you from a January surprise.

What Is the Annual Notice of Change?

The ANOC is your plan's official list of what changes on January 1, 2027: the premium, the deductible, copays, the drug list, and the provider network. Medicare requires every Medicare Advantage plan and every Part D drug plan to send it, and the deadline is the same every year: September 30. If yours never arrived, call your plan and ask for a copy — and if you are comparing options during Open Enrollment (October 15 to December 7), the ANOC is the document to compare against.

Check 1: Your Premium (Minutes 1–3)

Find the 2027 monthly premium in the notice and write it next to what you pay now. A few dollars a month is easy to shrug off, but do the yearly math: $8 more a month is $96 a year, every year, for the same plan. Then check whether the notice mentions any change to extra charges — some plans adjust the Part B premium give-back or add a new supplemental fee. If the premium rose and nothing else about the plan improved for you, that is your first reason to shop around before December 7.

Check 2: Your Deductible and Copays (Minutes 4–6)

Next, compare the deductible. Check the 2027 deductible — the amount you pay before coverage starts — for both medical care and, if your plan includes drugs, prescription coverage. Then look at the copays for the visits you actually use: primary care, specialists, urgent care, and the emergency room. Small copay increases on a service you use every month add up faster than a premium increase. If you see a number you do not recognize, the ANOC summary chart usually puts the current year and next year side by side.

Check 3: Your Medications — Still Covered, Same Tier? (Minutes 7–10)

This is the check that matters most, and — for drug plans — the one most likely to change:

• Still on the list? Confirm every drug you take is still on the plan's 2027 drug list (the formulary).
• Same tier? A drug that moves to a higher tier can jump from a small copay to a percentage of the full price.
• New restrictions? Are there new rules — prior authorization, step therapy, or quantity limits — attached to any of your medications?

If one of your regular prescriptions moved or vanished, that alone can justify switching plans. Bring your medication list to this check; do not rely on memory.

Check 4: Your Doctors and Pharmacy (Minutes 11–13)

Plans renegotiate with doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies every year, and the ANOC flags the big network changes. Confirm that your primary care doctor, your key specialists, and your usual hospital are still in the network for 2027, and that your pharmacy remains a preferred pharmacy — the difference between a preferred and a standard pharmacy can be several dollars on every prescription. If a provider is leaving the network, the notice may explain your options, including any transition period.

Check 5: Your Extra Benefits (Minutes 14–15)

Finally, scan the extra benefits: dental, vision, hearing, fitness, over-the-counter allowances, and transportation. These are the benefits plans trim first when costs rise, and they are often the reason people chose the plan in the first place. If an allowance you actually use was cut, put a dollar value on the loss and add it to your premium and deductible changes. Sometimes a plan with a slightly higher premium is the cheaper plan once the extras you use are counted honestly.

What If You Find a Red Flag?

You have until December 7 — the end of Medicare Open Enrollment — to switch to a plan that fits better, with the new plan starting January 1, 2027. Compare total costs at Medicare.gov/plan-compare, which uses your drugs and your doctors, and remember that help is free: your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) offers one-on-one counseling at no cost. Bring your ANOC with you; it is exactly the document a counselor will want to see first.

One more date to keep in mind: if you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, a second window — the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period — runs January 1 to March 31, when you can switch Advantage plans or move back to Original Medicare. The December 7 deadline in the ANOC letter is the main one for most people, but it is not quite the last word for Advantage members.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I ignore my Annual Notice of Change?
Nothing dramatic — and that is the risk. Your plan renews automatically on its 2027 terms: new premium, new drug list, new network, whether or not those terms still suit you.

When do the changes in the notice take effect?
January 1, 2027. The ANOC describes next year's terms, not changes to your current coverage.

Is the ANOC the same as the Evidence of Coverage?
No. The ANOC summarizes what is changing next year. The Evidence of Coverage is the full rulebook for the plan. Both were due to reach you by September 30. For a quick review, the ANOC is the one to read first.

I found a problem. When is my deadline to switch?
December 7, the end of Open Enrollment. A plan you choose by then starts on January 1, 2027.

Key Takeaway

Your Annual Notice of Change arrived by September 30, and silence is a decision: do nothing and your plan renews on its 2027 terms. Fifteen minutes is enough to check the five things that decide whether it still fits — your premium, your deductible and copays, your medications and their tiers, your doctors and pharmacy, and your extra benefits. If any check raises a red flag, compare total costs on Medicare.gov or sit down with a free SHIP counselor before December 7, while the choice is still yours.

This article was written with the help of generative AI.

For general information only, not medical advice.

Consult a qualified professional for your situation.

Medicare Open Enrollment 2026 Guide: Dates, 2027 Part D Changes, and What to Review

Did a thick envelope from your Medicare plan arrive in the mail this fall — and land, unopened, on the kitchen counter? That envelope, and the seven weeks that follow it, may be the most valuable stack of paper you receive all year. Medicare Open Enrollment is your one annual chance to change your coverage, and this year it comes with new 2027 numbers worth knowing.

Here is what the season is, what you can change, the exact figures for 2027, and a simple four-step way to review your plan before the window closes.

1. The Dates: October 15 to December 7, 2026

Medicare Open Enrollment — also called the Annual Election Period — runs from October 15 to December 7, 2026. Any change you make during this window takes effect on January 1, 2027. Miss the December 7 deadline, and in most cases you keep your current coverage for another full year, whether it still fits you or not.

This period is for people who already have Medicare. It is different from the marketplace open enrollment for people under 65, and different from your personal initial enrollment when you first turned 65.

2. What You Can Change During This Window

• Switch from a Medicare Advantage plan back to Original Medicare — or the other way around
• Change from one Medicare Advantage plan to another
• Join, switch, or drop a Part D prescription drug plan if you have Original Medicare
• Change the Part D coverage built into a Medicare Advantage plan by changing plans

One caution deserves emphasis. If you leave Medicare Advantage and want to add a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy, in most states the Medigap insurer can review your health history and may charge more or decline you, unless you have a guaranteed-issue right or live in a state with stronger protections. Do not cancel anything until you know exactly where you will land.

3. The 2027 Part D Numbers to Know

Prescription drug costs are where 2027 brings real changes. Under the standard Part D benefit set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS):

• The 2027 Part D deductible rises to $700, up from $615 in 2026. (Your plan may charge less, but not more.)
• The 2027 out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400, up from $2,100 in 2026. Once your spending on covered drugs reaches $2,400 for the year, you pay $0 for covered drugs for the rest of the year.
• Covered insulin remains capped at $35 per month.

These figures apply inside Medicare Advantage plans that include drug coverage, too — not only in stand-alone Part D plans. If you take even one expensive medication, the distance between the old cap and the new one is worth real money, and it is one more reason this year's review matters.

4. Step One: Read Your Annual Notice of Change

Every fall, your plan mails an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), which should arrive by the end of September. It lists exactly what is changing in your plan for next year: premium, deductible, copays, drug coverage, and provider networks. Fifteen minutes with this document and a highlighter tells you whether standing pat is safe — or expensive.

5. Step Two: Check Your Medications Against Next Year's Formulary

Every drug plan has a formulary — its list of covered drugs, organized into price tiers. Plans may move a drug to a higher tier, add restrictions such as prior authorization, or drop a drug entirely. A plan that covered your prescriptions beautifully in 2026 can quietly cost you far more in 2027. Take your actual medication list — names and dosages — and check each one against any plan you are considering, including whether your pharmacy is in the plan's network at its best prices.

6. Step Three: Confirm Your Doctors and Hospitals Are Still In Network

If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, networks change. A hospital system or a longtime doctor can leave your plan's network for next year, and the first place you will see it is the ANOC or the plan's provider directory. A few minutes of checking now beats a surprise bill in February.

7. Step Four: Compare Total Yearly Cost — Not Just the Premium

A low premium can hide a high total. For each plan you consider, add together the premium, the deductible, expected drug costs at your pharmacy, and copays for the doctors you actually see. The Plan Finder tool at Medicare.gov lets you enter your medications and pharmacy and compares plans on estimated total yearly cost, which is the number that actually matters. Free, unbiased help is also available from your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP).

8. If You Do Nothing — and One Extra Window Worth Knowing

Doing nothing is also a decision: in most cases your current plan simply renews for 2027, with its new premium and rules attached. That is perfectly fine if you have done the comparison and your plan still fits. It is only a problem when it happens by default, without a look.

One more date helps some readers. If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan and realize in the new year that it does not suit you, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs from January 1 to March 31, when Advantage members can switch Advantage plans or move back to Original Medicare. It is a useful safety net — but it does not apply to stand-alone Part D changes for people on Original Medicare, so December 7 remains the deadline that matters most.

Key Takeaway

Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7, 2026, and the choices you make set your 2027 coverage. Next year brings a $700 Part D deductible and a $2,400 out-of-pocket cap, so checking is worth more than usual: read your Annual Notice of Change, re-check your drugs and doctors, and compare plans on total yearly cost rather than premium alone. If your current plan still wins that comparison, you have earned your peace of mind — and if it does not, you still have time to move.

This article was written with the help of generative AI.

For general information only, not medical advice.

Consult a qualified professional for your situation.