Medicare's Annual Election Period

Medicare’s Annual Election period, running from October 15 – December 7, 2025, provides an opportunity for people in Original Medicare with a Part D plan, or those in a Medicare Advantage Plan, to review their plan options for 2026 and make any changes to their coverage.  Beneficiaries with Original Medicare can switch Part D plans; those in Medicare Advantage can switch Medicare Advantage Plans; and individuals can switch between Original Medicare with Part D and Medicare Advantage. 

All Medicare beneficiaries should review their coverage at this time of year as plan coverage and options can change from one year to another.  Any plan changes made by December 7, 2025, will take effect on January 1, 2026.  The Medicare.gov Planfinder remains the most complete and objective way to determine how each plan will cover drugs in 2026. 

New Planfinder feature: The Planfinder now includes a “provider search” feature for people who are exploring Medicare Advantage managed care plans to see if their providers are in the plan’s network (though it is still recommended to confirm plan participation directly with the provider). Plan changes can be made online by beneficiaries logging into their medicare.gov accounts or by calling 1-800-Medicare, which is open 24/7. 

Please note that those with retiree benefits should not enroll in any Medicare products on the “open” Medicare market without being in touch with their former employer.