Claire Hardy
Another Medicare Annual Enrollment Period is here!
Register For One of Our Live AEP Webinars
Want to learn more about AEP for 2027?
Click below to register for one of our live webinars.
What you need to know about the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP)
Late September – Watch for your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) from your Part C or D plan provider.
October 1st – 2027 Parts C and D plan information becomes available.
October 15th – AEP begins (2027 enrollments may be submitted).
November 25th to November 30th – Thanksgiving holiday.
December 7th – Final deadline for all enrollment submissions.
January 1st – Plans selected during AEP begin.
What is the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP)?
The Annual Enrollment Period is the one time of the year that allows all Medicare enrollees to change their existing Medicare coverage. This enrollment period runs annually from October 15th – December 7th.
Changes you can make during AEP include:
✓ Change from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan
✓ Switch from a Medicare Advantage plan to Original Medicare
✓ Switch from a Medicare Advantage plan to another Medicare Advantage plan
✓ Enroll in a Part D prescription drug plan
✓ Switch your Part D prescription drug plan
✓ Drop your Part D prescription drug plan
What is an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC)?
If you are currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage (Part C) or a stand-alone Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Part D), every September you will receive your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), which outlines any changes to your benefits for the upcoming year. You will receive this notification either by mail or email, depending on how you’ve agreed to receive plan communications.
Potential changes to your benefits can include:
✓ Change in your plan’s premiums, deductibles, copays and coinsurance
✓ Changes in network providers
✓ Changes in services areas
✓ Changes in Part D formulary, tier and cost-sharing
Part D Educational Video
To help you confidently evaluate your prescription drug coverage for 2027, we’ve created this step-by-step video to guide you through the process of reviewing and comparing your Part D plan options.
For your convenience, I’ve also provided a printable PDF with written instructions that you can use as a reference while completing the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
All current Medicare Advantage (Part C) and stand-alone prescription drug (Part D) plan members should watch closely for the Annual Notice of Change, or ANOC, document from their current plan provider. Carefully review any changes to your current plan for the year ahead, watching for changes in costs (e.g., premiums, deductibles, cost-sharing amounts and annual maximums), as well as for changes to covered medications and participating providers. If you find that you may be impacted by changes to your plan, or if your health and prescription needs have changed, a new plan can be selected directly on medicare.gov.
This enrollment period does not apply to Medicare Supplement (‘Medigap’) plans; we can discuss these plans with you throughout the year.
If you find that your current plan will continue to work well for you in the year ahead, then no action is needed – you will automatically remain in that plan for 2027 if you do not make a change.
If you find that you’d like to make a change to your coverage after 12/7, unfortunately you will have to wait; you will remain enrolled in your 2026 coverage in 2027, and you will not be able to make any changes until the next appropriate enrollment period arrives.
During AEP you’re likely to see a large increase in Medicare marketing efforts, to include many phone calls from plan providers seeking your enrollment. While you will never actually receive a call from Medicare itself, you will likely receive many from callers representing Medicare plans, and they may catch and keep your attention with appealing features for which you may or may not be eligible. The best rule of thumb for handling these calls is to keep in mind that ‘if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,’ and we’d be happy to clarify whatever we can, with the goal that any changes you might make are thoroughly understood and intended.
