💡 Medicare’s open enrollment period (October 15 to December 7)

[SummerOnTheWay1]

Are YOU going to keep what you have had or shop around?  🤔

Take care,

Nicole (Medicare Forum)

[GailL1 · Accepted solution]

TO ALL ~ 

ALL beneficiaries should make sure that they review their plans for 2026 and pick the best one for their needs.  This is especially true of Traditional Medicare Stand Alone Part D plans as well as Medicare Advantage plans which are the (2) types of plans one can change during this period of Annual Enrollment Period (AEP).

When your current plan sends out the change information for 2026 (MA, MAPD  or Stand Alone Part D plans), MAKE SURE you read it ASAP - so that you have time to determine what you need to do to meet your needs -   Review your premiums, the formularies, tiers, etc - cause plans change and so do premiums especially in these years following major changes to the Part D program like we had in 2025. There was an equalization amount paid to some of the free standing plans in 2025 to somewhat cushion the blow of their increase in cost during 2025.  This stabilization is still going to be in effect for 2026 for those plans that elected to be apart of the stabilization plan but at a lower rate than there was in 2025.  

KFF.org 07/16/2025 - The Uncertain Future of Medicare’s Stand-Alone Prescription Drug Plan Market an... 

KFF.org - Quick Takes - 07/28/2025 - The Trump Administration is Reducing Enhanced Support for the P... 

There is gonna be a lot of changes in insurers and in the plan areas that they participate in and cover in 2026 - for many MAPD plans as well as Stand Alone Part D plans that one must have if they have Traditional Medicare. 

IF your Medicare Advantage plan has decided to leave the marketplace where you live (LEAVE not just change), this opens up a Guaranteed Issue Special Enrollment (GI SEP) period for you where you may be able to go back to Original Medicare and pick an allowable Medigap plan WITHOUT underwriting in these special circumstances IF you so desire - making sure that you know the current rate of premiums for any Medigap plan that you wish to try to join.  Medigap Plan N is not available under these circumstances -  

READ the communication that your insurers send to you and if you need help in finding a new MAPD or Free standing Part D plan that meets your needs, you can use state SHIP offices, a knowledgeable Medicare Plan broker that represents lots of different companies or as Nichole said, sometimes your state’s office on aging.

Also make sure that you read any communications on your state’s Medicaid program if you have dual eligibility with Medicare and Medicaid or if you have some aspect of the Medicare Savings Programs without full Medicaid coverage.  Coverage eligibility parameters of income and assets should not change more than just the normal annual changes but your financial situation could have changed with added income or resources (in states where resources are part of the eligibility determination).  

So just keep up with the various Medicare notices that you may receive during this time of the AEP or what 2026 has in store for Medicare plans.  

[SummerOnTheWay1]

[9/9/25] Well @shamit , not much longer for "decision" time.

As we both said, I hope Wellcare stays the same.

On the other hand, there maybe something "better" out there NEXT month.

I do plan to return to my local LOA as I did LAST year October 2024. I admire you & hubbie signing yourselves up = SMART old folks. Me, lazy I guess with doing my own research. They are free & have done ALL my Medicare paperwork for me.

Take care my friend,

Nicole!

[shamit]

@SummerOnTheWay1   Hi Nicole.  I will be checking the possibilities when October sign-up starts.  I am good with numbers, that is why I was a CPA.  Hubby let's me take care of those things.  He takes care of the fixing things around the house.  He has rebuilt engines, made furniture, electrical things, etc.  His degree is in Engineering Physics, which is a form of mechanical engineering.

We will see how things go.  Mine needs to take into consideration my prescriptions.  His will be the one with the lowest premium since he takes no prescriptions.