Medicare Open Enrollment 2026-27: Medicare’s annual shopping window is arriving with more regulatory change behind the scenes than beneficiaries have seen in years. Medicare Open Enrollment 2026-27, officially the Annual Enrollment Period, runs from October 15 through December 7, 2026, giving the roughly 68 million Americans enrolled in Medicare their once-a-year chance to switch plans, add drug coverage, or move between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage for coverage that starts January 1, 2027. What makes this particular enrollment season different is a sweeping final rule the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued on April 2, 2026, rewriting how Medicare Advantage and Part D plans are rated, marketed, and paid, changes that will show up directly in the plan options beneficiaries see when they start comparing coverage this fall.
The most consequential piece of that final rule strips out roughly a third of the quality measures CMS has historically used to rate Medicare Advantage and Part D plans through its Star Ratings system, while also loosening marketing restrictions that had limited how aggressively insurance agents and brokers could contact beneficiaries. CMS itself projects the Star Ratings overhaul will shift about 18.5 billion dollars toward plan sponsors over the next decade, money that flows from taxpayers to insurers rather than beneficiaries directly, but that indirectly shapes which plans qualify for the bonus payments that fund extra benefits like dental coverage, gym memberships, and reduced cost sharing. We’ll be updating this article monthly as CMS releases additional guidance and as the 2027 Star Ratings are published ahead of open enrollment.
When Is Medicare Open Enrollment 2026-27?
The Annual Enrollment Period is a fixed seven week window that occurs every fall regardless of any policy changes CMS makes in a given year. For the 2026-27 cycle, the dates are locked in as follows.
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Annual Notice of Change letters mailed by plans | By September 30, 2026 |
| Medicare Open Enrollment (AEP) begins | October 15, 2026 |
| Medicare Open Enrollment (AEP) ends | December 7, 2026 |
| Coverage changes take effect | January 1, 2027 |
| Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (separate, MA members only) | January 1 to March 31, 2027 |
Any changes a beneficiary makes during the October 15 to December 7 window, whether that means switching from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, moving from one Medicare Advantage plan to another, adding or dropping Part D prescription drug coverage, or returning to Original Medicare, take effect on the same date, January 1, 2027, regardless of exactly when during the window the change was submitted.
What CMS Just Changed for 2027: The Star Ratings Overhaul
Star Ratings are the five-point quality scoring system CMS assigns to every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan, and they matter to beneficiaries for more than bragging rights. Plans that earn four stars or higher qualify for quality bonus payments from the federal government, extra money that plans typically funnel into supplemental benefits like vision, dental, hearing coverage, or lower out-of-pocket costs. In its Contract Year 2027 final rule, CMS eliminated eleven measures from the Star Ratings system entirely, including several tied to call center performance and appeals handling, measures that insurers had long argued were being applied unfairly.
CMS also reinstated a general reward factor that boosts scores for plans with consistently high overall performance, reversing course on a Biden-era plan to replace that reward with a Health Equity Index measuring how well plans serve beneficiaries with social risk factors. According to CMS’s own regulatory analysis, these combined changes are projected to transfer approximately 18.5 billion dollars to Medicare Advantage and Part D plan sponsors over the next ten years, primarily because removing measures that plans already score well on tends to push overall ratings, and the bonus payments tied to them, higher across the board.
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Star Ratings Changes at a Glance
| Change | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Measures removed from Star Ratings | 11 measures eliminated, including call center and appeals metrics |
| Health Equity Index reward | Removed; replaced with reinstated general reward factor |
| Projected financial impact | Approximately $18.5 billion shifted to plan sponsors over 10 years |
| New measure added | Depression screening and follow-up care tracking, starting with 2027 measurement year |
| First ratings affected | 2027 Star Ratings, published on Medicare Plan Finder before the 2027 AEP |
| Payment impact timing | Fully reflected in plan payments beginning in 2029 |
For beneficiaries browsing plans this fall, the practical effect is that the star rating attached to a plan may look different than it would have under the old scoring system, not necessarily because the plan’s actual quality of care changed, but because the underlying formula measuring that quality did.
Marketing Rules Are Loosening Just as Enrollment Season Begins
The second major shift beneficiaries are likely to notice directly involves how insurance agents, brokers, and third-party marketing organizations can contact them. CMS’s final rule reduces several restrictions that had been placed on beneficiary outreach and third-party marketing during the Biden administration, changes CMS confirmed would take effect October 1, 2026, precisely when marketing activity for the 2027 plan year ramps up ahead of the AEP.
Beneficiaries should expect a noticeably higher volume of phone calls, mailers, and advertisements from insurance agents and Medicare Advantage plans this enrollment season compared to recent years. Consumer advocacy groups, including the Medicare Rights Center, have flagged this loosening as a point of concern, since more aggressive marketing has historically correlated with confusion about plan benefits and beneficiaries switching into plans that do not actually fit their specific medications or preferred doctors.
A New Rule Makes It Easier to Switch Plans Mid-Year
Not every change in the final rule limits beneficiary options. CMS modified the special enrollment period that applies when a beneficiary’s doctor or other provider leaves their Medicare Advantage plan’s network. Previously, that network change had to be classified as significant before it would trigger a special enrollment period allowing the beneficiary to switch plans outside the normal AEP window. The final rule eliminates that significance requirement, meaning any provider network departure can now potentially open a special enrollment period, giving beneficiaries more flexibility to leave a plan mid-year if their doctor stops accepting it, without needing to wait for the next Annual Enrollment Period.
What This Means for Medicare Advantage vs Original Medicare Decisions
For beneficiaries weighing whether to stay in Original Medicare, switch into a Medicare Advantage plan, or move between Medicare Advantage plans this AEP, the underlying 2027 Part B premium and deductible figures remain the starting point for the math. The standard monthly Part B premium for 2026 is 202.90 dollars, up from 185.00 dollars in 2025, with the annual Part B deductible at 283 dollars. CMS has not yet finalized the 2027 premium and deductible figures as of this writing, and those numbers typically arrive in the fall alongside the Social Security COLA announcement, so beneficiaries comparing plans early in the AEP window should watch for that separate CMS announcement before finalizing decisions tied to premium costs.
Beyond premiums, this year’s Star Ratings changes mean beneficiaries should look past the headline star number and dig into the specific categories driving a plan’s score, since a plan that scored lower in the past partly due to now-eliminated call center metrics may show an improved rating this year without having actually changed how it delivers care.
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Steps to Take During Medicare Open Enrollment 2026-27
| Step | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Review your ANOC letter | Check for changes to premiums, drug formularies, and provider networks by late September |
| Compare plans on Medicare Plan Finder | Use updated 2027 Star Ratings once published, not last year’s scores |
| Check your prescription drug list against Part D formularies | Formularies can change annually even if you keep the same plan |
| Confirm your doctors are still in-network | Especially important given loosened marketing and network-change SEP rules this year |
| Be cautious with unsolicited calls and mailers | Marketing volume is expected to rise following the relaxed 2027 marketing rules |
| Submit any change by December 7, 2026 | Changes made after this date will not take effect until the following year |
Official Medicare Resources
| Resource | Purpose | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Medicare Plan Finder | Compare Medicare Advantage and Part D plans, including 2027 Star Ratings | https://www.medicare.gov/plan-compare |
| Medicare.gov Account | Manage your Medicare coverage and enrollment online | https://www.medicare.gov/account |
| CMS Newsroom | Official CMS announcements on premiums, deductibles, and plan rules | https://www.cms.gov/newsroom |
| State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) | Free, unbiased local counseling on Medicare plan choices | https://www.shiphelp.org |
| Medicare Rights Center | Consumer advocacy guidance on Medicare enrollment and rights | https://www.medicarerights.org |
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FAQs
When does Medicare Open Enrollment 2026-27 start and end?
Medicare Open Enrollment 2026-27, the Annual Enrollment Period, runs from October 15, 2026 through December 7, 2026. Any changes made during this window take effect January 1, 2027.
What changed in the CMS 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D final rule?
CMS eliminated eleven Star Ratings quality measures, reinstated a general reward factor in place of the Health Equity Index, loosened marketing restrictions on insurance agents and brokers starting October 1, 2026, and removed the requirement that a provider network change be significant to trigger a special enrollment period.
Will the Star Ratings changes affect which Medicare Advantage plan I should choose?
They could. Some plans may show a higher star rating this year not because their actual care quality improved but because measures they previously scored lower on, such as call center performance, were removed from the scoring formula entirely. It is worth reviewing the specific categories behind a plan’s overall rating rather than the headline number alone.
Can I switch Medicare Advantage plans if my doctor leaves the network outside of open enrollment?
Under the CMS final rule, any provider network departure can now potentially trigger a special enrollment period, removing the previous requirement that the change be classified as significant, giving beneficiaries more flexibility to switch plans mid-year in that situation.
What is the 2027 Medicare Part B premium?
As of this writing, CMS has not finalized the 2027 Part B premium and deductible. The 2026 premium is 202.90 dollars per month with a 283 dollar annual deductible. The 2027 figures are typically announced in the fall alongside the Social Security cost of living adjustment.
Should I expect more marketing calls and mailers this enrollment season?
Yes. The CMS final rule reduces restrictions on beneficiary outreach and third-party marketing organizations effective October 1, 2026, which consumer advocates expect will lead to a noticeable increase in marketing activity during this year’s Annual Enrollment Period.
What happens if I miss the December 7 deadline?
If you do not make a change by December 7, 2026, your current coverage generally continues into 2027 unless you qualify for a separate special enrollment period, such as the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period that runs January 1 through March 31 for those already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan.
Conclusion
This year’s Medicare Open Enrollment period looks familiar on the surface, the same October 15 to December 7 window Medicare beneficiaries have relied on for years, but the plans themselves are being scored, marketed, and structured under meaningfully different rules than in 2026. The Star Ratings overhaul, the loosened marketing restrictions, and the new flexibility around provider network changes all interact with the choices beneficiaries make this fall, even if none of it shows up as an obvious headline on a plan’s marketing materials. Reading past the star rating on the surface and confirming provider networks and drug formularies directly will matter more this year than in most past enrollment seasons. We’ll be updating this article monthly as CMS finalizes the 2027 premium figures and publishes the updated Star Ratings ahead of the AEP deadline.
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