Medicare Open Enrollment Is Open: What to Do First (and What Can Wait)

Medicare open enrollment started today, October 15, and it runs through December 7. That is roughly seven weeks. Not seven days. Not one afternoon.

We say that up front because the mail, the ads, and the phone calls all arrive with a tone of emergency. The actual rules are calmer than the marketing. Here is what genuinely deserves your attention this week, and what can safely wait until November.

It opened today, and nothing expires tonight

During open enrollment (Medicare calls it the Annual Enrollment Period), you can switch Medicare Advantage plans, move between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage, and join, drop, or change a Part D drug plan. Whatever you choose takes effect January 1, 2027.

Here is the mechanic that takes the pressure off, and we verified it on Medicare.gov: you can change your mind as many times as you like before December 7. There is no limit on plan changes during the window, and the last choice you submit is the one that counts. Someone who enrolls today and someone who enrolls December 6 both start their new coverage on the same day, January 1.

So enrolling early buys you nothing except the chance to regret it if a better option turns up in November. What early action does buy you is time to compare, and access to free help before the helpers get busy. That is where this week’s effort should go.

The three things worth doing this week

1. Read your Annual Notice of Change, if you have not already. Every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan had to send this document (the ANOC) by September 30. It lists exactly what your current plan is changing for 2027: premium, deductible, copays, the drug list, and the provider network. Most people never open it. The people who do are the ones who spot a doctor leaving the network or a medication moving to a pricier tier before January surprises them. If you cannot find yours, call your plan and ask for another copy, or check your plan’s online account.

2. Run your actual drug list through the Medicare Plan Finder. Go to Medicare.gov, use the Plan Finder tool, and enter every prescription you take, with doses. The tool has had 2027 plan data loaded since October 1, and it shows your real estimated yearly cost under each plan, not just the premium. This matters more than it used to. The out-of-pocket cap on covered Part D drugs rises to about $2,400 for 2027, and plans have continued to reshuffle their drug tiers underneath it. A plan with a low premium and the wrong formulary can cost you far more than a pricier plan that covers your medications well.

3. Book a SHIP appointment now, even if it is for weeks from now. Every state runs a State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). It offers free, one-on-one Medicare counseling from trained counselors who do not sell insurance and do not earn commissions. The catch is capacity. KFF has reported that roughly a third of all SHIP counseling for the entire year happens during this one enrollment window, and program funding has not kept pace with Medicare’s growth. In plain terms: calendars fill up. Call now and take a November slot, and you will have a knowledgeable, neutral person walk through your options with plenty of runway before the deadline. Find your local program at shiphelp.org or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

The things that genuinely can wait

Actually enrolling. As covered above, your effective date is January 1 no matter when you enroll, and the last choice submitted before December 7 wins. There is no advantage to locking in during week one.

Responding to any mailer, ad, or phone pitch. Insurance marketing peaks right now precisely because the companies know the window just opened. Nothing in your mailbox has a deadline that Medicare itself did not set. The only date that matters is December 7.

Making a decision under pressure. If a comparison feels overwhelming this week, that is fine. Do the three tasks above, then let your SHIP appointment or a family member help you finish the job in November. A decision made November 20 is exactly as good as one made October 15.

One honest caution on the other side: do not let the whole window slip. December 7 is a real deadline, and the plan you are in now will roll over automatically with its new 2027 terms if you do nothing. Which brings us to the next point.

If you like your plan, checking is still smart (the ANOC is why)

“I’m happy with my plan” is a perfectly good conclusion. It is a risky starting assumption.

Your plan next year is not the plan you have now. It is the plan described in that ANOC: possibly a different premium, different copays, a changed drug list, or a thinner network. Some Medicare Advantage plans exit markets entirely, and their members must pick something new. The only way to know whether “keep what I have” is still the right call is to spend twenty minutes confirming that your doctors, your pharmacy, and your prescriptions are still covered on the 2027 version of your plan.

If everything checks out, wonderful. Do nothing, your plan renews, and you have earned your peace of mind instead of assuming it.

A one-paragraph reminder about scam season

Scam calls that impersonate Medicare spike every year during this window, and consumer protection groups are already reporting waves of them, some now using AI-generated voices and spoofed caller IDs. The rule that cuts through all of it: Medicare does not call you out of the blue to sell plans, verify your enrollment, or ask for your Medicare number, Social Security number, or bank details. If a caller claims to be from Medicare, hang up and dial 1-800-MEDICARE yourself. We cover the common scripts and how to report them in our guide to Medicare impersonation scams.

Free help, and where to find it

You do not have to pay anyone, and you do not have to do this alone.

• SHIP (shiphelp.org): free, unbiased, one-on-one counseling in every state, by phone, online, or in person.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227): available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for questions and enrollment help.
• Medicare.gov Plan Finder: the official comparison tool, with 2027 plans loaded now.

One related note from us: if part of your fall review includes shopping for supplemental or other insurance, the insurance category on our perks page lists the offers we have vetted for this audience. That is an editorial pick on our part, not a paid placement, and nothing there replaces the free official help above.

The rest of the series

This article is part of our “Money You’re Leaving on the Table” series, and open enrollment season is when the biggest dollars are decided. Over the next few weeks we will cover Part D Extra Help, Medicare Savings Programs, and the year-end benefits most people forget to use. Subscribe below and we will send each one as it publishes, calmly, with no countdown clocks.

Sources

• Open Enrollment | Medicare.gov
• Medicare Open Enrollment Partner Resources | CMS
• Medicare Open Enrollment Guide | medicareresources.org
• The Role of SHIPs in Helping People with Medicare Navigate Their Coverage | KFF
• State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) | Administration for Community Living
• Get Medicare Help from Your Local SHIP Program | SHIP TA Center
• How to Read Your Medicare ANOC Letter for 2027 Coverage | U.S. News
• An Early Look at Medicare’s 2027 Annual Enrollment Period | Forbes
• Fake Medicare Calls Surge During Open Enrollment | WCNC / Better Business Bureau
• Medicare Fraud and Scams: How to Spot Them | medicareresources.org