Medicare Annual Enrollment: A Fall Checklist
October 19, 2026 ยท 4 min read
Each year, Medicare's annual enrollment period runs from October 15 to December 7. During this time people with Medicare can review and change their coverage for the following year. Changes generally take effect on January 1.
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Plans can change their premiums, deductibles, drug coverage, provider networks and benefits from one year to the next. Your health needs can change too. A plan that fit last year may not fit next year, so it is worth reading the notice your plan sends in the fall.
Read your plan's annual notice of change. Check whether your medications are still covered, and at what cost tier. Check that your doctors and hospitals are still in the network. Look at the total yearly cost, including premiums, deductibles, copays and the out-of-pocket maximum. Review any extra benefits you actually use, such as dental, vision or hearing.
Make a list of your prescriptions, doses and pharmacies before you compare. It is the single most helpful thing to bring to any plan comparison.
Original Medicare pays for many hospital and medical costs, and people often add a separate drug plan and supplemental coverage. Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private insurers and bundle benefits, with networks and rules of their own. The right choice depends on your doctors, your medications, your budget and how you prefer to receive care.
Medicare plans are sold by agents with specific training and carrier appointments. Which Medicare products we can offer depends on those appointments, and we will tell you plainly what is and is not available. Free, unbiased help is also available through New York's State Health Insurance Assistance Program, known as HIICAP, and through Medicare itself.
Do I have to change plans every year?
No. If your plan still suits you, you can stay where you are. The point of the review is to confirm that it does.
What if I miss the period?
Most changes have to wait until the next annual enrollment period unless a special enrollment situation applies. Medicare Advantage members have an additional window early in the year for limited changes.
By Ardi Shita, New York licensed agent and broker (NPN 22062424), The Rothswell Agency LLC. Published October 19, 2026. General information, not advice. Laws, programs and deadlines change, so confirm current details before you act.
We work in your best interest. At or before the time of application we will tell you whether we are acting as your broker or as the insurer's agent, and whether we receive compensation from the insurer. You can ask for details of our compensation at any time (New York Regulation 194).
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