During the 2026 OEP, you can still join, change, or drop your Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage plan coverage.
After December 7th, most people will only have a limited opportunity to change their 2026 Medicare prescription drug plan coverage before next year’s 2027 Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plan AEP.
For an overview of all 2026 Medicare Part D plans or Medicare Advantage plans available in your area, you can use our Medicare Part D prescription drug plan finder (PDP-Finder) or Medicare Advantage plan finder (MA-Finder) tools. For example, here is our PDP-Finder showing all Medicare Part D plans available in Texas (you can change the state to see plans in your area): PDP-Finder.com/TX.
Here is an example of our MA-Finder showing Medicare Advantage plans available in ZIP code 15205, Allegheny County, PA (you can change the ZIP code to see plans in your area): MA-Finder.com/15205.
A few highlights of the new 2026 Medicare plan coverage:
- All Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plans will offer insulin coverage for a fixed $35 or less copay
- Cost-sharing in the Catastrophic Coverage phase will be eliminated for all Part D formulary drugs.
- More Medicare Advantage plans will offer some Medicare Part B premium rebate or "giveback"
- Some Medicare Advantage plans will offer enhanced non-health-related Supplement Benefits
- Medicare Part D plans will have no more than three phases with the Coverage Gap (Donut Hole) eliminated. You will move from the Initial Deductible (if any) to the Initial Coverage phase to Catastrophic Coverage.
- The maximum out-of-pocket spending limit (RxMOOP) for Part D formulary drugs is $2,100 - and in some cases, you may personally pay less than $2,100 and still reach your out-of-pocket spending limit.
Remember that Medicare plans can change designs each year so your 2025 Medicare plan probably will have some changes in 2026 (new premium, new deductible, new drug coverage, new copayments, different pharmacies, different doctors, different supplemental benefits) – so please be sure that you understand these changes – and be sure your Medicare plan is still being offered in 2026.
You can use our online 2025/2026 Medicare Part D plan compare tool (PDP-Compare) or 2025/2026 Medicare Advantage plan comparison tool (MA-Compare) to provide you with a quick overview of how any 2025 Medicare Part D plan or Medicare Advantage plan is changing in 2026.
Need someone to speak with about your Medicare plan options?
If you find yourself overwhelmed with all your 2026 Medicare plan choices, you can always telephone Medicare at 1-800-633-4227 and choose to speak with a Medicare representative. Once connected, ask the representative to help you evaluate the Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plans that are available in your area.
Should you decide to change Medicare plans, a Medicare representative can also enroll you in any Medicare Advantage plan or Medicare prescription drug plan directly over the telephone. The enrollment process only takes a few minutes and includes an enrollment confirmation number (that you should write down to record your proof of enrollment).
Staying with the same Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage plan into 2026?
No action is needed. If you wish to stay in your current Medicare plan, you do not need to do anything during the 2026 annual Open Enrollment Period and you will be automatically re-enrolled into your existing Medicare plan for another year, along with any changes that your current 2025 Medicare plan may have made for 2026.
What should I do if I still have not received membership information from my new 2026 Medicare plan?
(1) Contact your 2026 Medicare plan. Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plans usually need about 10 business days to process your enrollment application and send either a confirmation letter or your new member information packet (“Welcome Kit”). If you have not received any enrollment confirmation documents, then telephone your chosen plan’s Member Services department for more information on the status of your enrollment. Learn more about the steps you can take.
(2) Contact Medicare. If you cannot find your 2026 Medicare plan’s contact or enrollment information, telephone Medicare at 1-800-633-4227 and ask a Medicare representative to check on your 2026 enrollment status. Please refer to the approximate enrollment date or any information you received during the enrollment process.
Important: If you cannot find any information on your 2026 enrollment, consider asking the Medicare representative to help you enroll in the 2026 Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage plan that most economically covers your health and prescription needs.
What happens if my 2025 Medicare plan is no longer offered in 2026?
Important: About 7 million people are currently enrolled in a 2025 Medicare Advantage plan that is being discontinued in 2026. If your Medicare plan is non-renewing or being discontinued in 2026 (and not consolidated or merged into another Medicare plan), and you do not join another Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage plan during the AEP, you could be without prescription coverage for all of 2025.
However, if your plan is being discontinued, you will be granted a Special Enrollment Period starting December 8, 2025 through February 28, 2026 during which you can join any available 2026 Medicare Part D plan or Medicare Advantage plan.
Remember, if you use this Service Area Reduction Special Enrollment Period (or SAR-SEP), your Medicare plan coverage begins on the first day of the month following your enrollment. So if your 2025 plan is no longer offered in 2026, and you want coverage starting January 1st, you will need to submit an enrollment application on or before December 31st.
What can I do if I missed the 2026 annual Open Enrollment Period?
(1) You may be able to use a Special Enrollment Period to change your 2026 plan coverage outside of the AEP.
As noted above, if you are enrolled in a discontinued Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage plan, you can use the SAR SEP to join a 2026 Medicare plan.
If you were affected by a hurricane or fire or other natural disaster, you may be able to use the Natural Disaster Special Enrollment Period that will allow you more time beyond December 7th to choose a 2026 Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage plan. Please note - to use the Natural Disaster SEP, you must enroll through a Medicare representative by calling 1-800-Medicare (1-800-633-4227).
You can click here to read more about Special Enrollment Periods -- with other situations allowing you to change Medicare plans outside of the OEP (or on this site).
(2) The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA-OEP) begins on January 1 and continues through March 31st.
During the MA-OEP, you will be granted another opportunity beyond the OEP to (1) switch Medicare Advantage plans or (2) drop your Medicare Advantage plan and return to original Medicare Part A and Part B, combined with a stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan (PDP).
Already looking toward 2027?
Sign up for our 2027 Medicare Part D Reminder Service. If you would like us to update you as information becomes available on the 2027 Medicare Part D program, please click here to sign-up for our free 2027 email Reminder Service. And you can also click here if you would like to receive our periodic Medicare Part D Newsletter. As always, your email information will not be shared with any third parties and there is no cost for our Reminder email or Newsletter.
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