Medicare Annual Enrollment Period 2027: Dates, Changes & How to Enroll

What AEP is and when it runs

The Annual Enrollment Period is the yearly window when Medicare beneficiaries can make changes to Medicare Advantage plan and Part D prescription drug coverage. AEP for 2027 coverage runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, with any changes made during that window taking effect January 1, 2027. This schedule is set by federal statute and doesn't shift from year to year, even when other parts of the healthcare system change.

During AEP, you can:

• Join a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C)
• Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another, or return to Original Medicare
• Sign up for a Part D prescription drug plan
• Switch from one Part D plan to another
• Drop Part D prescription drug coverage altogether

If you're satisfied with your current coverage, you generally don't need to do anything, your plan renews automatically as long as it's still offered and premiums stay current. That said, it's worth watching for the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) letter from your plan carrier, since networks, formularies, and costs can shift meaningfully even when you take no action. Waiting until after AEP closes to make a change generally means waiting for the next enrollment window, which may not arrive until the following October depending on your specific circumstances.

It's worth treating AEP as an active check-in rather than a passive formality, even in a year when nothing about your health has changed. Insurers routinely adjust provider networks, drug formularies, and cost-sharing structures from one plan year to the next, and a plan that fit perfectly last year can quietly shift underneath you without any action on your part. Setting aside even twenty or thirty minutes to compare your renewed plan against a couple of alternatives is generally enough to catch a meaningful change before it becomes a January surprise.

Who needs to pay attention to AEP

AEP matters because it may be the only guaranteed time of year to make coverage changes without a qualifying life event. Medicare Advantage enrollees do get one additional plan change allowed from January 1 through March 31, called the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, functioning as a safety net if an error occurred during AEP enrollment, but it's a narrower window than AEP itself.

Who can enroll in Medicare

Most people become eligible for Medicare Part A at age 65, though some qualify earlier due to a disability or end-stage renal disease. People who already have coverage through their own job or a family member's job may not need to enroll in Part B right away, and some people qualify for extra help covering monthly premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, or prescription drug costs.

This matters most for people approaching 65 who are still actively employed with employer coverage, since enrolling in Part B unnecessarily can mean paying a premium for coverage that duplicates what an employer plan already provides. A licensed advisor or your employer's benefits department can confirm whether delaying Part B makes sense for your specific situation, since getting this wrong in either direction, enrolling too early or delaying past your window, can carry real financial consequences down the line, including a permanent late-enrollment penalty in some cases.

How to enroll or make changes

There are four main ways to enroll in Original Medicare Parts A and B or make AEP changes:

• Online at Medicare.gov, creating an account and completing an application; Part D coverage requires selecting a specific plan during that process.
• By phone through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), available 24/7; TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048, or dial 711 for relay services.
• In person at a local Social Security office, bringing identification and proof of citizenship or lawful presence.
• Through a licensed insurance agent or broker, who can walk through Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Part D options based on your specific budget and healthcare needs, generally at no direct cost since brokers are paid by carrier commission rather than by CMS or the client.

Original Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage

Original Medicare includes Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance), letting you use any provider that accepts Medicare. It covers roughly 80% of hospital and medical costs with no hard cap on financial exposure, which is why many enrollees pair it with a Medicare Supplement plan to cover the remaining share and limit total exposure, plus a standalone Part D plan for prescriptions, since Original Medicare doesn't cover drug costs on its own.

Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans bundle at least Parts A and B, and usually Part D as well, through private companies contracted with Medicare.

Choosing between the two isn't purely a cost question. Original Medicare paired with a Supplement plan tends to appeal to people who travel frequently or split time between states, since it doesn't rely on a fixed local network the way most Medicare Advantage plans do. Medicare Advantage, by contrast, often bundles in extra benefits like dental, vision, or hearing coverage that Original Medicare doesn't include on its own, which can make it the better overall value for someone who stays local and wants those extras built into a single plan.

What's changing for 2027

A few confirmed updates are worth reviewing before this year's AEP closes. The Part D annual out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 for 2027, up from $2,100 in 2026, continuing the phase-in of the Inflation Reduction Act's prescription drug cost cap. Medicare Advantage carriers are also adjusting benefit structures for 2027, with some changing supplemental offerings like dental or vision allowances, and continued plan consolidation means some enrollees, especially in rural or lower-density markets, may receive a non-renewal notice requiring them to select new coverage before their current plan ends.

A non-renewal notice qualifies as a Special Enrollment Period trigger and shouldn't be ignored, since it can arrive looking like routine correspondence rather than an urgent notice. Standard Part A and Part B costs for 2026 also shifted, and typically continue climbing modestly each year, which is part of why reviewing your Annual Notice of Change letter carefully, rather than assuming last year's plan still fits, matters more in years with active market changes like this one. A quick call to a licensed Medicare advisor can confirm whether a specific plan change affects your particular situation before you assume it doesn't.

Enrolling outside of AEP

Missing AEP doesn't necessarily mean waiting a full year. Several circumstances qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP), including moving to a new state, losing other health coverage, or qualifying for a Low Income Subsidy. A licensed agent or Medicare.gov can confirm whether a specific circumstance qualifies.

Low Income Subsidy (LIS)

Beneficiaries eligible for both Medicare and LIS can shop Medicare Advantage or Part D coverage once per quarter during the first three quarters of the calendar year, an option that matters especially for enrollees on a fixed income, since LIS eligibility can also offset some or all of a plan's premium. Enrollees weighing supplemental coverage like dental or vision plans alongside Medicare can also review those options at any point in the year, since standalone supplemental products generally aren't tied to the AEP calendar the way Medicare Advantage and Part D changes are.

Mistakenly dropped from a plan

If you're mistakenly dropped from your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, or your plan is discontinued and you're forced back to Original Medicare, you typically qualify for a SEP, generally covering roughly 60 days before and 63 days after the date you receive the discontinuation notice.

Where to get more help

A few reliable, non-commercial resources are worth knowing before AEP closes:

• Medicare.gov — general enrollment information, what's new for the plan year, and plan comparison tools.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — available 24/7; TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.
• Your state's SHIP program — free, unbiased one-on-one Medicare counseling from trained volunteers.
• Extra Help — apply online, in person at a Social Security office, or by calling 800-772-1213.
• Medicaid.gov — state-specific Medicaid information, since eligibility and benefits vary by state.

A licensed Apollo Medicare advisor can also help compare Medicare Advantage and Part D options directly, confirming your specific doctors, prescriptions, and eligibility for programs like LIS, generally at no cost to you.

Common questions about Medicare AEP 2027

Have a question that isn't answered below? Our full health insurance FAQ page covers more general coverage questions.