In short
- 2027 plan details can be compared starting October 1, 2026. Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7, 2026, for coverage starting January 1, 2027.
- Your plan must send its Annual Notice of Change by September 30. Read it before you decide anything.
- Bill calls his clients himself and asks what changed: medications, doctors, budget.
- Every client gets one of three answers: stay put, switch plans with the same company, or switch companies.
- If your current plan still fits, staying is a fine decision. Its 2027 changes take effect January 1 either way.
It's the last week of September, and this is the quiet before my busiest stretch of the year. By tomorrow, your plan is supposed to have sent your Annual Notice of Change. On Thursday, October 1, the 2027 plans show up on Medicare.gov. Two weeks after that, Open Enrollment opens.
Here's what those two weeks look like from my side of the table.
Why do I only get 14 days?
Because we don't know what the plans are till October 1st. So we basically, we get 14 days to sit down and go, okay, which clients do I need to talk to first?
I've been doing this since 2020, and I still catch myself saying the dates backwards. So here they are, written down where I can't mix them up:
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| By September 30, 2026 | Your plan sends its Annual Notice of Change for 2027 |
| October 1, 2026 | You can start comparing 2027 plans on Medicare.gov |
| By October 15, 2026 | Your plan sends a notice or copy of its 2027 Evidence of Coverage |
| October 15 to December 7, 2026 | Open Enrollment. Your plan must get any change by December 7 |
| January 1, 2027 | New coverage starts, and so do any changes to the plan you kept |
| January 1 to March 31, 2027 | If you're in Medicare Advantage, you get one more change |
When CMS posted the 2027 numbers on September 28, Nebraska went from 50 Medicare Advantage plans to 48. Several companies also changed which counties they'll serve, including some changes right here in Lancaster County. That's why nobody gets skipped this year.
How do I decide which clients to call first?
The order isn't fancy. Whoever's plan changed the most, in a way that touches their medications or doctors, gets a call first. Then anybody whose plan is leaving their county. Then anybody who told me during the year that something changed, like a new prescription or a new specialist. Then everybody else.
Everybody gets a call. Some calls are just shorter than others.
My guess, and it's only a guess, is that a lot of people in this area will end up changing plans for 2027, mostly because of changes on the prescription side.
What do I check for every client?
I put each client's information into the new plans and look at the same five things every time:
| What I check | What I'm looking for |
|---|---|
| Medications | Is each one still covered, on what tier, and does the deductible apply? The highest allowed Part D deductible is $700 in 2027, up from $615. |
| Doctors | Are your doctors and your hospital still in the network? |
| Hospital and emergency costs | What happens if you end up in the ambulance or the emergency room? |
| The yearly maximums | Covered Part D drug costs are capped at $2,400 out of pocket in 2027. What's the plan's limit on medical costs? |
| Your budget | Can the monthly budget and the annual budget handle the worst case? |
The medication piece gets the most attention, for reasons I explain in why every review starts with your medications.
Why do I call clients myself instead of booking everyone in?
Some agents have their calendars booked solid before the end of September. I don't. I will call my client and say, hey, what's changed? You have to change doctors? Have your medications changed?
That phone call tells me what to look at. Without it, I'd be guessing for the first half of the meeting. And when we do sit down, I take the time. I do half an hour, 45 minutes, sometimes an hour. A couple takes at least an hour. I'm not going to run you through a 15-minute appointment and hand you a card.
What are the three answers I call back with?
Once I've run the numbers, every client hears one of three things:
- You're in a good spot, and here's why.
- The new medication you told me about throws things off, so we move to a different plan with the same company.
- We need to go with a different company altogether.
The third one is the hard one. I work with a generation that held one job for 40 or 50 years. They know their 800 number. They know that when they call it, they need to push three. Okay, we can't call Sidney anymore. We got to call Barbara at this other company, and hopefully, when we call up, the phone tree isn't complicated. Part of my job is helping people get used to the new Barbara. (Sidney and Barbara are made up, by the way. Any real Sidneys out there, you're doing great.)
Why do I leave people in a good plan alone?
If they're in a good spot, leave them there. Switching for the sake of switching costs you something: a new card, new phone numbers, maybe a new pharmacy or a new set of rules to learn.
Staying is a decision, too. If your plan is still offered, its 2027 changes start January 1 whether you look at them or not. So staying is fine. Staying without checking is the part I don't like.
And either way, it's not my decision. I can't say, we're gonna put you on this plan here, Bob. I show you the options and the math, and you choose. If you call me in six months and ask why we picked this plan again, I'm going to do my best to remember.
What should you do before I call?
A few minutes now saves us both time later:
- Open your Annual Notice of Change. Circle anything about your medications, your doctors, your premium and your out-of-pocket costs.
- Write down what changed this year: new medications, stopped medications, new doctors.
- Don't let the TV ads rush you. Open Enrollment runs through December 7, and 2027 Star Ratings are expected on Medicare.gov on or around October 8. Here's how Star Ratings work.
- Bring the right paperwork when we sit down. My review checklist has the full list.
Plan availability, premiums, networks and benefits vary by county and change every year. If you're not my client and want to look on your own, Medicare.gov's plan finder, 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; TTY 1-877-486-2048) and Nebraska SHIP (formerly SHIIP) at 1-800-234-7119 are all good places to start, and how to switch Medicare plans walks through the steps. The bigger picture for this season is in my annual enrollment review page. And if you'd like me to be the one calling you next fall, talk to me.
Frequently asked questions
You can start comparing 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D plans on Medicare.gov's plan finder starting October 1, 2026, two weeks before Open Enrollment begins. Your current plan must also send its Annual Notice of Change by September 30, showing what changes for 2027. Plan availability, premiums, networks and benefits vary by county and change every year, so compare using your own medications, doctors and ZIP code.
Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage runs from October 15 to December 7, 2026. During it you can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage plan or a Medicare drug plan, or move between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage. Your plan must get your enrollment request by December 7, and the new coverage starts January 1, 2027.
The Annual Notice of Change is a letter or electronic notice from your Medicare Advantage or drug plan that lists changes to your coverage, costs, provider network and service area for the next year. Plans must send it by September 30. Look for changes to your medications, your doctors, your premium and your out-of-pocket costs. If you didn't get one, call your plan.
If your plan is still offered in your area, you generally stay in it, and any changes to its costs or benefits for 2027 take effect on January 1, 2027. Staying put is a fine choice if the plan still fits your medications, doctors and budget. The risk is staying without checking, because a plan that worked in 2026 may cover your medications differently in 2027.
Sometimes. If you're in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1, you can make one change between January 1 and March 31, 2027: switch to another Medicare Advantage plan or go back to Original Medicare and add a drug plan. You can't use that window to move from Original Medicare into Medicare Advantage. Certain life events, like moving, can also open a Special Enrollment Period.
Open Enrollment isn't a special window for Medicare Supplement plans. Outside your one-time, six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, there's no federal guarantee a company will sell you a policy, and it may cost more because of health problems. Certain situations, like your Medicare Advantage plan leaving your area, can give you a guaranteed issue right. Check before you drop any coverage.
Sources
- Medicare.gov: Medicare & You 2027 handbook (key dates, Annual Notice of Change, Evidence of Coverage) (opens in a new tab)
- Medicare.gov: Open Enrollment (opens in a new tab)
- CMS: 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D landscape, state-by-state fact sheets (opens in a new tab)
- Medicare.gov: Choosing a Medigap Policy (guaranteed issue rights) (opens in a new tab)
- Medicare.gov: When can I buy Medigap (opens in a new tab)
- Medicare.gov: Part D costs (2027 cap and deductible) (opens in a new tab)
