Medicare Open Enrollment Checklist: Dates, What You Can Change, and Deadlines

Medicare Open Enrollment: Dates, What You Can Change, and a Fall Checklist

Why this page exists (and how it differs from our enrollment overview)

You are reading the Open Enrollment (fall) checklist page. For first-time Part A/B windows (Initial Enrollment Period), Special Enrollment Periods after work coverage ends, and the January–March General Enrollment Period, start with Medicare enrollment. That page links here for the fall window.

Right now (fall 2026): Medicare.gov states Open Enrollment runs October 15 – December 7. Changes take effect January 1 of the next year. The plan must get your enrollment request by December 7.[1][2]

We do not sell, rank, or recommend insurance plans or companies.

Key takeaways

• Open Enrollment is the yearly window when most people can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage plan and/or a Part D drug plan, or move between Advantage and Original Medicare.[1][2]
• Coverage from an Open Enrollment change starts January 1 (for requests the plan receives by December 7).[1][2]
• If you already have Medicare Advantage, a separate Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 – March 31 (one change; different rules).[2]
• Medigap (Medicare Supplement) has its own timing rules. Leaving Advantage for Original Medicare + Medigap is not automatic—see Advantage vs. Medigap.[3]
• Free, unbiased help: find your local SHIP (or SHIBA in Washington) via How to find SHIP/SHIBA.[4]

Official dates (confirm on Medicare.gov each year)

Sources opened this review: Medicare.gov Open Enrollment page and Joining a plan page.[1][2]

What you can do during Open Enrollment (Oct 15 – Dec 7)

According to Medicare.gov, during Open Enrollment you can (depending on your current coverage):[1][2]

• Join, drop, or switch to another Medicare Advantage Plan (with or without drug coverage), or add/drop drug coverage in that path
• Switch from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage, or from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare
• If you are in Original Medicare, join, drop, or switch a separate Medicare drug plan (Part D)

If you switch to Original Medicare, Medicare.gov notes you may need a separate drug plan and may want Medigap—and there are limits on when you can buy Medigap.[1][3]

What Open Enrollment is not: It is not the same as Marketplace open enrollment, and it is not your one-time Medigap Open Enrollment Period (that starts when you are 65+ and first have Part B).[3]

Fall checklist (print or save)

Use this original checklist with Medicare.gov/plan-compare and, if you can, a SHIP appointment before December 7.[2][4]

1. Read your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) and Evidence of Coverage for next year. Note premium, deductible, copays, and network or formulary changes.
2. List every prescription (name, dose, how often) and preferred pharmacy.
3. List your doctors, specialists, hospital, and labs. Ask: “Will you be in-network for this plan next year?”
4. Compare at Medicare.gov/plan-compare. Enter all drugs for a more accurate cost estimate.[2]
5. Check Part D details—yearly out-of-pocket cap, deductible, and Extra Help—on Medicare Part D.
6. If you are choosing between Advantage and Original Medicare + Medigap + Part D, use our side-by-side page: Medicare Advantage vs. Medigap.
7. Confirm travel or snowbird coverage if you live part of the year in another state.[2]
8. Book SHIP help early—call volume rises late in the window.[4]
9. Enroll so the plan receives your request by December 7 (Medicare.gov/plan-compare, the plan, or 1-800-MEDICARE).[1][2]
10. Keep confirmation numbers and a paper copy of what you submitted.

Learn step by step:

Not sure what help you may qualify for (Extra Help, Medicaid, Medicare Savings Programs)? Try

.

After December 7: the January–March Advantage window

If you are already in a Medicare Advantage Plan, Medicare.gov describes a Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31. You can make one change: switch to another Advantage plan (with or without drugs), or drop Advantage and return to Original Medicare (and you can join a separate drug plan). Coverage usually starts the first of the month after the plan gets your request—not January 1 of a future year.[2]

This window is not a second full Open Enrollment for everyone. People on Original Medicare generally use the fall window (or a qualifying Special Enrollment Period) for drug-plan changes.[2]

Watch for scams during Open Enrollment

Medicare will not cold-call you to sell a plan. See Medicare scams and try

if a call, text, or email feels off.

Where to get free help

• SHIP / SHIBA: How to find SHIP/SHIBA — start at shiphelp.org. [4]
• Medicare: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY 1-877-486-2048.[2]
• Related: Medicare enrollment (IEP & other windows) · Part D · Advantage vs. Medigap · Part B premium · Annual Wellness Visit

FAQ

Do I have to change plans every Open Enrollment?

No. If you like your coverage after comparing next-year costs and networks, you can keep it. Medicare.gov notes that if you do nothing, your coverage generally continues—though benefits and costs can still change on January 1.[1]

Can I buy Medigap during Open Enrollment just because it is fall?

Not automatically. Medigap has separate rules (including a one-time Medigap Open Enrollment Period and limited guaranteed-issue situations). See Advantage vs. Medigap.[3]

Is Open Enrollment the same as the Marketplace deadline?

No. Medicare’s Open Enrollment is separate from Health Insurance Marketplace enrollment.[1]

Sources

1. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Open Enrollment. Medicare.gov. https://www.medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/open-enrollment. Accessed October 30, 2026.
2. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Joining a plan. Medicare.gov. https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/get-more-coverage/joining-a-plan. Accessed October 30, 2026.
3. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Learn How Medigap Works. Medicare.gov. https://www.medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/medigap/basics/how-medigap-works. Accessed October 30, 2026.
4. SHIP National Technical Assistance Center. Get Medicare help from your local SHIP. https://www.shiphelp.org/. Accessed October 30, 2026.

Disclaimer

This article is for general education only and is not medical, legal, or financial advice. We do not sell, endorse, or recommend any insurance plan or company. Talk to your doctor, a licensed attorney, or a SHIP counselor (Medicare) about your situation. In an emergency, call 911.

Attribution

Portions of this page are adapted from "HowToLiveBetter" (高性价比人生指南) by eternity4719, https://github.com/eternity4719/HowToLiveBetter, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Changes: adapted and rewritten for the U.S. context (not a direct translation), and re-sourced to U.S. research and official guidance. China’s insurance chapter was not used; Medicare Open Enrollment content is written from U.S. official sources.