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58m ago

Medicare Open Enrollment Opens as Millions Face Plan Terminations and 2027 Cost Changes

The enrollment window starts today and forces many beneficiaries to pick new coverage before negotiated drug prices and higher Part D costs take effect next year.

FILE - A Medicare Advantage PPO card rests on top of a Medicare card in Portland, Ore., June 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
Ron Oliveira gets his blood pressure taken by dietician and exercise physiologist Nikky Dhawan at St. David's Medical Center. Make sure you have all types of healthcare covered including in-patient and out-patient therapies when picking a Medicare plan.
People participate in a rally on the 61st Anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, across from Bellevue Hospital in New York City in July.
Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, speaks in Washington, DC, in September.

Overview

  • Open Enrollment runs Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, and changes made in this period take effect Jan. 1 for 2027 coverage.
  • About 2.9 million people in roughly 680 Medicare Advantage plans received termination notices that end coverage Dec. 31, creating a special enrollment window to choose new plans or return to Original Medicare.
  • Major 2027 policy shifts include negotiated prices for select high-cost drugs (including several GLP-1s), a higher Part D out-of-pocket cap of $2,400 and a higher standard Part D deductible, plus the end of a temporary Part D premium subsidy.
  • Federal protections allow people who lose an Advantage plan to buy Medigap without medical underwriting during a limited guaranteed-issue period, and CMS has updated the Plan Finder while SHIP counselors and 1-800-MEDICARE can help with comparisons.
  • Officials warn of heavy scam activity during enrollment and advise beneficiaries to verify contacts through official channels; the administration is also issuing a one-time $90 Part B rebate in October to about 20 million eligible enrollees but many Advantage enrollees are excluded.