We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent a small number of insurance agencies and the plans they carry. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day / 7 days a week, or your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.
We are an independent information and referral resource. We are not connected with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the United States government, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or the federal Medicare program. Calling a number on this page connects you with a licensed insurance agent or a third-party marketing partner.
The dates that matter
- October 1: next year's plan details and drug lists become public, and current members are mailed an Annual Notice of Change.
- October 15: the Annual Election Period opens. You can submit a change.
- December 7: the window closes. Elections must be in by the deadline.
- January 1: new coverage starts and the old plan ends cleanly.
- January 1 to March 31: if you were already in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1, you get one more chance to switch plans or return to Original Medicare.
What you are allowed to do between October 15 and December 7
- Move from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan.
- Move from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare, with or without a stand-alone drug plan.
- Change from one Medicare Advantage plan to another.
- Join, drop or change a stand-alone Part D drug plan.
A four-step preparation checklist
- Read the Annual Notice of Change. It lists what is moving for your plan next year: the monthly amount, the copays, and the drug tiers.
- Write down every medication with the exact strength and dose, then check how each one is covered next year.
- Confirm your doctors. Ask each office which plans they will be in network with for the coming year, and get the answer in writing if you can.
- Compare the yearly out-of-pocket maximum. That number is your worst-case exposure if something unexpected happens.
If you would rather not do this alone, that is exactly what a licensed agent is for, and it does not cost you anything to ask.
Request a plan review
Prefer not to call? Leave your name, phone number and ZIP code and a licensed insurance agent will reach out to compare the plans available where you live against the doctors and prescriptions you use.