GrossWise

2027 Medicare Open Enrollment: A Self-Check for Switching Plans

Information only, not insurance or financial advice. This page collects no personal information.

Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and the coverage you pick starts January 1, 2027. This year's market is unusually churny: plans are pulling out of whole counties, and drug-plan pricing is being reset. Answering the five questions below takes about three minutes and tells you whether your current plan deserves a second look — it does not tell you which plan to pick.

What's actually changing for 2027

181 U.S. counties will have no Medicare Advantage plan at all in 2027, up from 67 in 2026 (Modern Healthcare analysis, via AARP, Oct 2026). Analyses differ slightly by methodology, but the direction is clear: the zero-plan list nearly tripled.

At least 3.8 million Medicare Advantage enrollees are expected to need new coverage for 2027 because their plan is leaving their local market — a program record (Modern Healthcare, via AARP, Oct 2026).

Part D is being repriced. The average stand-alone Part D premium is projected at about $36/month in 2027, up from $35.09 in 2026 — a small move on average, but averages hide the spread (CMS, Sept 2026). The out-of-pocket cap for covered Part D drugs rises to $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100), and the maximum standard deductible rises to $700 (up from $615) (CMS, Sept 2026). There will be no zero-premium stand-alone Part D plans in 2027 for people who don't receive the low-income subsidy Extra Help; the roughly 4 million enrollees who had one in 2026 will all pay more, whether they stay or switch (KFF, via AARP, Sept 2026).

Medicare Advantage premiums, meanwhile, are projected down — the weighted average across all MA plans is expected to fall from $14.37/month in 2026 to $12/month in 2027 (CMS, Sept 2026). About 8 in 10 MA enrollees will be able to stay in their current plan at the same or a lower premium.

The 5-question self-check

1. Is your plan still being offered in 2027? Insurers had to send an Annual Notice of Change by September 30, 2026. If your plan is terminated or leaving your county, you are not automatically assigned a replacement in most cases — you need to pick. This matters most in the 181 zero-plan counties: there is no MA plan to fall back to, so the comparison is Original Medicare plus a stand-alone Part D plan versus nothing.

2. Did your premium move? This is the year to read the number, not the logo. A plan that was $0 in 2026 can be $30+ in 2027 with the same insurer's name on it — KFF found the 2027 market has no zero-premium stand-alone Part D plans for non-Extra-Help enrollees, and some enrollees face increases of $50/month or more if they don't switch. Compare your 2027 premium on the notice, not last year's bill.

3. Did your drug coverage change? Formularies change every January: a drug your plan covered in 2026 may have moved to a higher tier, require prior authorization, or be dropped for 2027. If you take any brand-name or specialty drug, match each medication to your plan's 2027 formulary. Against the $2,400 out-of-pocket cap, total your expected 2027 drug spend under your current plan versus one alternative — that single comparison decides most switch cases.

4. Are your doctors and pharmacy still in the plan's network? Networks and pharmacy lists are renegotiated annually. An out-of-network specialist or a preferred pharmacy that dropped out can cost more than a premium increase. Check your plan's 2027 provider directory and pharmacy list, not last year's.

5. Are you paying for things you don't use — or missing things you need? The flip side: about 8 in 10 MA enrollees can stay put at the same or lower premium (CMS, Sept 2026), and supplemental benefits (dental, vision, hearing) are expected to remain stable. If your answers to questions 1–4 are all "no change," inertia is a defensible answer. If even one is "changed," run your drugs and doctors through the Medicare Plan Finder before December 7.

If you're doing nothing

Doing nothing means auto-renewal into your current plan at its 2027 terms — new premium, new formulary, new cost-sharing. For roughly 25 million stand-alone Part D enrollees, that renewal now happens without the federal premium subsidy that cushioned 2025 and 2026. Nothing about "do nothing" is neutral this year.

FAQ

When exactly is the enrollment window? October 15 through December 7, 2026. Coverage you choose starts January 1, 2027. (People already in Medicare Advantage get a separate window, January 1 – March 31, 2027, to switch MA plans or drop to Original Medicare.)

I live in a rural county. How do I check whether I still have any MA plan? Use the Medicare Plan Finder with your ZIP code, or call 1-800-MEDICARE. The 181 zero-plan counties are mostly rural, but county lists vary by analysis — check your own address rather than a headline list.

Does the $2,400 cap mean my drug spending can't exceed $2,400? The cap covers your out-of-pocket spending on covered Part D drugs — premiums, non-covered drugs, and drugs paid under Part B don't count toward it. Once you hit $2,400 on covered drugs in 2027, you pay $0 for covered drugs the rest of the year.

I'm on Extra Help (the low-income subsidy). Do these changes hit me the same way? Largely no: Extra Help caps your 2027 drug copays at $5.80 per generic and $14.40 per brand-name drug (CMS, Sept 2026), and the zero-premium-plan disappearance doesn't apply to subsidy recipients the same way. Still worth confirming your plan's 2027 formulary covers your drugs.

Where's the official fine print? Your plan's Annual Notice of Change (mailed by Sept 30, 2026) is the binding document for your specific plan. National averages describe the market, not your price.

Data sources

  • CMS press release, Sept 28, 2026: "Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Programs Expected to Remain Stable in 2027" — MA average premium $14.37 → $12; stand-alone Part D average premium $35.09 → ~$36; 8 in 10 MA enrollees can stay at same or lower premium; ~5,532 MA plans nationally.
  • CMS, 2027 Part D standard benefit parameters (final): out-of-pocket cap $2,400 (from $2,100), maximum standard deductible $700 (from $615), base beneficiary premium $41.33 (from $38.99).
  • AARP, Oct 2026: "Medicare Open Enrollment: Compare Plans and Changes" — citing Modern Healthcare analysis: 181 counties with no MA plan in 2027 (up from 67 in 2026); at least 3.8 million MA enrollees need new coverage.
  • KFF, Sept 2026 (via AARP): no zero-premium stand-alone Part D plans in 2027 for non-Extra-Help beneficiaries; ~4 million 2026 zero-premium enrollees face higher premiums; some face $50+/month increases if they don't switch.
  • CMS: Medicare open enrollment runs October 15 – December 7 for coverage starting January 1.

Estimates only, not insurance or tax advice. Figures are 2027 plan-year national numbers unless noted — your plan's price is in its Annual Notice of Change.