Every year from October 15 to December 7, people with Medicare can change how they get their coverage for the following year. Whatever you choose takes effect on January 1.
What you can do in the window
- Move from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan
- Move from a Medicare Advantage plan back to Original Medicare
- Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another
- Join, switch or drop a Part D drug plan
You can change your mind during the window: the last change you make by December 7 is the one that counts.
What this window isn't for
- Signing up for Part A or Part B for the first time — that happens in your Initial Enrollment Period around your 65th birthday, or in the General Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31.
- Medigap policies — they follow their own rules and aren't tied to this window.
A second chance, for some. If you're in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1, you can make one change between January 1 and March 31: switch to another Medicare Advantage plan, or return to Original Medicare and join a drug plan.
How to prepare in an hour
- Find your Annual Notice of Change. If you're in a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, it should have arrived by September 30. It lists next year's changes.
- Write down your prescriptions, with doses.
- List your doctors, specialists and pharmacy.
- Check each one against next year's plan details. Drugs on the list? At what tier? Doctors still in network?
- Decide whether anything changed enough to act on. If not, and your plan continues, you don't need to do anything — you'll stay in it.
Where to get help
Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) offers free, one-on-one counseling. You can also compare plans at Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048).
The Medicare cheat sheet
Parts A, B, C and D on a single page, plus the dates that matter this fall. The email version is coming soon.