Medicare Open Enrollment: What to Check Before December 7

Once a year you can review and change your Medicare coverage. Here is a simple checklist to make sure your plan still fits.

By the Senior Dime editorial team · Updated October 2026

Dottie’s take: I check my plan every fall the same way I check my pantry. Something has always expired.

Every fall, people with Medicare get a chance to look at their coverage and make changes for the next year. This is called the Medicare Open Enrollment Period (some people call it the Annual Enrollment Period). Plans can change their costs and benefits every year, so a quick review can save you money and headaches.

What you can do during Open Enrollment

• Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, or the other way around.
• Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another.
• Join, switch or drop a Medicare drug plan (Part D).

Step 1: Read your “Annual Notice of Change”

If you have a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, your plan mails an Annual Notice of Change each fall. It explains what is changing next year — premiums, copays, covered drugs and which doctors are in the network. Read it carefully.

Step 2: Check your doctors and pharmacies

Make a list of your doctors, specialists, hospitals and pharmacy. Confirm they will still be in your plan’s network next year.

Step 3: Check your prescriptions

Make a list of every medicine you take, with the dose. Drug plans can change which drugs they cover and how much they cost. Medicare’s online Plan Finder lets you enter your drugs and compare your total yearly cost across plans.

Step 4: Look at total cost, not just the premium

A plan with a $0 premium is not always the cheapest. Add up premiums, deductibles, copays and the yearly out-of-pocket maximum to see what you might really pay.

Step 5: Get free, unbiased help

You do not have to do this alone:

• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Medicare.gov Plan Finder — compare plans side by side online.
• Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) — free one-on-one counseling from trained local volunteers.

Missed the deadline?

If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, there is a second window from January 1 to March 31 when you can switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan or go back to Original Medicare. Some life events, like moving, can also open a Special Enrollment Period.

This guide is for general information only. Program rules, dates and amounts can change and may vary by state. Please confirm details with the official program or a trusted advisor.