The envelope has been on the counter since September. It’s thick, it carries the plan’s logo, and the front says “Important information about your Medicare plan.” Your mother has moved it twice to wipe the counter. Neither of you has opened it.
That envelope is the Annual Notice of Change, and it’s the reason to read this post. Medicare open enrollment started Thursday, October 15, and runs through December 7. Anything you and your parent decide in that window takes effect on January 1, 2027. Plans change their prices, their drug lists, and their doctor networks every year, and the notice is where they tell you.
If you’re helping a parent choose a Medicare plan for the first time, you may feel like you walked into the middle of a conversation. This guide goes in the order you’ll do things. You don’t have to finish it in one sitting. Most families don’t.
What Is Medicare Open Enrollment?
Every fall, people with Medicare get a few weeks to change their health and drug coverage for the year ahead. The official name is the Annual Enrollment Period. It’s the one stretch of the year when your parent can leave a plan that got worse, or join one that got better, without needing a special reason.
Key Dates: October 15 to December 7
Mark two dates. October 15 was the first day your parent could make a change. December 7 is the last. Whether they switch on day one or day fifty, the new coverage starts January 1, 2027.
The window runs about seven weeks, and the end of it gets crowded. Counselors book up, phone lines get long, and Thanksgiving takes a week out of the middle. Aim to decide by Thanksgiving and treat December 7 as your cushion.
The date to remember. Choose by December 7. New coverage starts January 1, 2027.
What You Can and Can’t Change
During open enrollment, your parent can:
- Move from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, or back again
- Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another
- Join, change, or drop a Part D prescription drug plan
If they make more than one change, the last one counts.
What this window does not do is guarantee a Medigap policy. Medigap is the supplement that fills some of the gaps in Original Medicare. In most states, a Medigap insurer can ask health questions, then turn your parent down or charge more. So if your parent is in a Medicare Advantage plan and thinking about leaving it, find out whether a Medigap company would take them before you cancel anything.
Before You Start: Documents to Gather
Ten minutes of gathering saves an hour on the phone. Pull these together before you open the Plan Finder, the comparison tool on Medicare.gov.
Your Parent’s Annual Notice of Change
Go back to the envelope. The notice lists what is different next year: premiums, deductibles, copays, covered drugs, and which doctors are in the network. Plans mail it by the end of September. If you can’t find it, call the number on the back of the plan card or look in the plan’s online account. A parent with Original Medicare and a separate drug plan gets a notice from the drug plan.
Medication List, Doctors, and Pharmacies
Sit down with your parent and a pen. Write down every medication, with the dose, and the pharmacy that fills it. Include the ones they take now and then, and anything a doctor started recently. Then list every doctor and specialist they see, and the hospital they would want if something went wrong.
This takes the longest and matters the most. The Plan Finder asks for medications and pharmacies, and a comparison is only as good as the list you feed it.
5 Things to Compare in Every Plan
Plans look alike until you set them side by side. Five details do most of the work.
Premiums and Deductibles
The premium is the monthly price. The deductible is what your parent pays before the plan starts sharing costs. Everyone with Part B also pays the Part B premium, which is $202.90 a month in 2026 for most people. The 2027 amount usually comes out in the fall, so watch for it. To see what a plan costs in real life, add its premium to the copays for the care your parent uses in a typical year.
Prescription Drug Coverage
Drug coverage is where plans differ most. For each medication, check three things: is it on the plan’s drug list, which tier is it in, and what will it cost. Part D also has a yearly cap on what a person pays out of pocket for drugs: $2,100 in 2026, rising to $2,400 in 2027. The standard deductible goes up to $700 in 2027, though individual plans can charge less. Check the pharmacy too, since many plans charge less at preferred ones.
Provider Network
Original Medicare covers any doctor who accepts Medicare. Medicare Advantage plans use networks, and a doctor who is in this year may be out next year. Look up each doctor and the hospital in the plan’s directory, then call the office and confirm. Directories lag behind reality.
Out-of-Pocket Maximum
Medicare Advantage plans cap what a member pays in a year for covered services. Original Medicare has no cap, which is why many people who choose it add a supplement. If your parent sees doctors often, this number can matter more than the premium.
Extra Benefits (Dental, Vision, Hearing)
Original Medicare generally does not cover routine dental, vision, or hearing. Many Medicare Advantage plans add some of it. Read the limits, because a dental benefit with a low yearly cap can be gone after one procedure.
Medicare Advantage vs. Original Medicare
This is a major decision in the process, so it helps to see the two side by side.
Original Medicare, Parts A and B, is run by the federal government. Your parent can see any doctor or hospital that takes Medicare, anywhere in the country, and usually does not need approval first. There is no cap on out-of-pocket costs and no drug coverage, so many people add a Part D plan and a Medigap supplement.
Medicare Advantage, also called Part C, is sold by private insurers. It bundles Parts A and B, usually includes drug coverage, often adds extras like dental, and sets a yearly out-of-pocket limit. In exchange, your parent uses the plan’s network and may need approval before some care.
Neither is better for everybody. A parent who winters in Florida, sees specialists in two cities, or has a doctor they would hate to lose may do better with Original Medicare. A parent who watches costs and sees doctors close to home may prefer Advantage. Think hard before leaving Advantage later, since getting a Medigap policy afterward can be difficult.
How to Speak to Medicare on Your Parent’s Behalf
Many caregivers find this out while on hold: Medicare and its plans generally will not discuss your parent’s account with you unless your parent has said it’s okay. There are three common ways to handle that.
Be on the call together. Many plans, and 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), will take your parent’s permission by voice when they are on the line with you. This is the quickest route.
Get written permission. Form CMS-10106, the Authorization to Disclose Personal Health Information, lets 1-800-MEDICARE share information with someone your parent names. Your parent can cancel it at any time.
Use an appointed representative. To act for your parent in a claim or an appeal, you would use Form CMS-1696. If you hold a power of attorney, keep a copy where you can find it. Plans differ in what they accept.
Keep a notebook by the phone with the date, who you spoke with, and what they said.
When to Get Professional Help
You’re allowed to hand part of this to someone else. Three kinds of help, in the order most families should try them:
SHIP Counselors
SHIP is the State Health Insurance Assistance Program. Every state has one, and it offers free, objective Medicare counseling. Call 1-877-839-2675 or search shiphelp.org to find yours. Book early. Appointments fill up as December 7 gets closer.
Licensed Medicare Brokers
A licensed broker can compare plans and enroll your parent at no cost to them, because insurers pay the broker. That also means the broker earns money when your parent enrolls. Ask which companies they represent, and check their advice against the Plan Finder.
Elder Law Attorneys and Medicaid Planning
If your parent may need long-term care soon, an elder law attorney can look at the larger picture. Medicare does not pay for long-term custodial care, and the national median for a semi-private nursing home room is about $9,581 a month (CareScout, 2025). Medicaid helps people who qualify, but in most states it looks back five years at asset transfers, so planning early matters.
Keep Your Parent’s Medicare Records in One Place
Next fall will go faster if this fall’s papers are easy to find. Keep the Medicare card, the plan card, the Annual Notice of Change, the medication list, and a note on why you picked the plan together. CAEVO’s Family Ready Folder is built for this, and it’s part of the free Essentials plan. For a plain-English explanation of how Medicare and Medicaid fit together, see the Aging Well Library.
Final Thoughts: You Don’t Have to Get It Perfect
Plans will keep changing, and no one reads all of the fine print. What helps your parent is that someone opened the envelope, made the lists, and asked questions before December 7. Tell them what you’re doing as you do it. It’s their coverage, and a good plan is one they understand well enough to use.
FAQs
Can I make Medicare plan changes for my parent?
Usually your parent has to make the change, or someone with legal authority to act for them, like a power of attorney. You can do the research, fill out the forms, and be on the call, with your parent’s okay.
What happens if we miss the December 7 deadline?
In most cases, your parent stays in their current coverage for 2027. Exceptions include a special enrollment period after a move or loss of coverage, and the Medicare Advantage window in the last question below.
Do we need to do anything if my parent is happy with their current plan?
You don’t have to, since a plan that is still offered renews automatically. Read the Annual Notice of Change anyway. Prices, drug lists, and networks can change even when the plan’s name stays the same.
Is there another chance to switch plans after Open Enrollment?
If your parent is in a Medicare Advantage plan, they get one change between January 1 and March 31: to a different Advantage plan, or back to Original Medicare with a Part D plan. People in Original Medicare don’t get that window and can only change with a special enrollment period.
