Medicare Open Enrollment Ends December 7: The Part D Changes Coming in 2027

The envelope from the insurance company is easy to leave on the counter. It looks like a brochure, it is thick, and it arrives at a busy time of year. Most of us, if we are honest, glance at it and assume it says what it said last year.

For Medicare, that assumption is the expensive one. Open enrollment runs from October 15 to December 7, which means there are five weeks left. The Part D rules are shifting again for 2027, and a plan that suited you this year can quietly stop suiting you in January. This is a walk through what is changing, how to check your own situation, and a checklist that should take about half an hour.

One note before the numbers. I am explaining how the program works, not telling you which plan to choose. Your drugs, your pharmacy, and your doctors decide that, and they are different from everyone else's.

What changes in Part D for 2027

Here are the figures that matter, which I checked against Medicare's own consumer pages before including them:

• Out-of-pocket cap: rises to $2,400 in 2027, up from $2,100 in 2026. This is the most you pay for covered drugs in the year; after that, catastrophic coverage means no further cost-sharing.
• Standard deductible: rises to $700, up from $615. Individual plans may set a lower deductible, and some have none, but none can exceed this amount.
• A temporary premium subsidy ends. A short-term program that helped hold down Part D premiums is scheduled to wind down, so do not assume your premium will look like this year's.
• Negotiated prices reach a second group of drugs. Fifteen additional drugs selected for Medicare price negotiation take effect in 2027. If you take one of them, your cost may change, though how much depends on your plan's design.
• Some Medicare Advantage plans are trimming benefits. Extras such as dental, vision, over-the-counter allowances, or networks can shrink from one year to the next.

The 2027 Part B premium had not been officially announced when I researched this, so I am not going to quote a projection. Look it up on medicare.gov when it is final, and check how it affects your monthly Social Security payment if the premium is taken from it.

Why "my plan didn't change" is a risky assumption

The plan name stays the same. The inside does not. Each fall, plans can change premiums, deductibles, copays, the list of covered drugs (the formulary), which tier a drug sits on, and which pharmacies and doctors are in the network. The name on the card is the least informative part.

The sneaky version is a drug you take every month moving to a higher tier, or needing a prior authorization it did not need before. Nothing changes on your end until the pharmacy counter in January. By then, if you are past December 7, the easy fix is gone.

Another hidden change: a lower-cost plan this year may not be the lowest next year. Insurers reprice every autumn, and the plan you chose three years ago has no special claim on being the best one now.

How to read the Annual Notice of Change

Plans are required to send an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) in the fall, before open enrollment starts. It is the single most useful document in the pile, and it is usually the one left unopened. Read it with a pen. You are looking for four things:

1. Premium: what you pay monthly, this year versus next.
2. Deductible and drug tiers: whether the deductible changed and where your regular drugs sit.
3. Formulary and pharmacy changes: any drug you use that is dropped, moved, or restricted, and whether your pharmacy is still preferred.
4. Benefits and network: for Medicare Advantage, any change to doctors, hospitals, or extras you rely on.

If the notice is long and confusing, that is not a sign you are bad at this. It is a sign the document is hard to read. Move on to the tools below.

Using Medicare Plan Finder

Medicare Plan Finder, on medicare.gov, is the most reliable comparison tool because it is built on the official plan data. The trick is to enter your actual drug list, with doses and your pharmacy, rather than browsing in general. Then compare the estimated total yearly cost, not just the monthly premium. A plan with a low premium and a high deductible can cost far more across a year than one with a higher premium.

Before you commit, check these with the plan itself or on its website: that your doctors are in network, that your pharmacy is covered at the price shown, and any prior authorization for your medications. The tool is good, but it is an estimate, so use it to narrow the field and verify the finalists.

Free SHIP counseling

Every state has a State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP. It offers free, one-on-one Medicare counseling, and the counselors do not sell plans. If your situation is anything other than simple, such as multiple medications, a spouse on a different plan, or a move to another state, a conversation with a SHIP counselor is among the best uses of an hour. Appointments fill up near the deadline, so call early. You can find your state's program through medicare.gov or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.

If you are an adult child helping a parent

This is a conversation many families put off, because it touches money, memory, and independence at once. A few things help.

• Ask permission and keep the decision with your parent. You are there to read and organize, not to take over.
• Gather the paperwork together: the ANOC, the current plan card, and a list of every medication with dose and pharmacy.
• Sit down for the review together, rather than doing it for them behind the scenes. Their medication list is the most important input, and they know it best.
• If your parent wants you involved in calls with the plan, they may need to give permission to the plan or Medicare directly.

Doing this well takes patience more than expertise. The goal is a clear list on a kitchen table, not a perfect plan.

A 30-minute open-enrollment review checklist

1. Minutes 1 to 5: Gather the ANOC, your current plan card, and a list of all your medications with dose, plus your pharmacy and doctors.
2. Minutes 5 to 12: Read the ANOC. Mark any change to premium, deductible, your drugs' tiers, and your pharmacy or network.
3. Minutes 12 to 22: Enter your drugs and pharmacy into Medicare Plan Finder. Note your current plan's 2027 estimated total cost and the two cheapest alternatives.
4. Minutes 22 to 27: Verify your doctors and pharmacy with the finalists, and check for prior authorization on your key medications.
5. Minutes 27 to 30: Decide: stay, switch, or ask for help. If you are unsure, book a SHIP appointment this week.

Write down the date you decide, and put December 7 on the calendar as a firm deadline.

FAQ

When does Medicare open enrollment end?

December 7. It begins October 15 each year. Changes you make during that window start on January 1.

What is the 2027 Part D out-of-pocket cap?

$2,400, up from $2,100 in 2026. After you reach it, you pay nothing more for covered drugs for the rest of the year.

Do I have to do anything if I'm happy with my plan?

Review it anyway. Even if you stay, the premium, deductible, formulary, and network may differ in 2027. If you do nothing, you are typically renewed into the same plan under its new terms.

Is the 2027 Part B premium final?

It was not official when this was written. Do not rely on projections. Check medicare.gov for the confirmed amount.

Where can I get free help?

Your state's SHIP program offers free, unbiased counseling. Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE are also good starting points.

A few dull envelopes decide a lot of next year's budget. Opening them while there is still time to act is most of the work.