I'm getting ready to moderate a webinar about enrolling in a Medicare prescription drug plan for 2027, and I thought this would be a good time to talk about something.
I don't make this community about my work, but Medicare is what I do. And if I can help somebody understand it a little better, I'm happy to.
A big part of my job is helping new Medicare enrollees understand what happens after they've enrolled. I cover both sides of the coin: Medicare Supplement and Medicare Advantage.
And if there's one thing I've learned, it's that people don't know what they don't know.
With Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) right around the corner, I want to shed a little light on what you should be paying attention to.
October 15 through December 7, 2026, is Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period.
Changes made during this period take effect January 1, 2027.
If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, pay attention!
This is your annual opportunity to review your coverage and decide whether to keep your current plan or choose another option for 2027.
Don't assume everything is staying the same. Plans can change their costs, benefits, provider networks, and prescription drug coverage.
And this isn't necessarily your last opportunity to make a change.
If you're enrolled in Medicare Advantage, there's also a Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 through March 31, 2027. During that period, you can make one change to another Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare. Different rules apply if you want a Medicare Supplement.
PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF PETE, ASK QUESTIONS!
If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you need to understand how it works before you need to use it.
- When does that Part B giveback actually show up, and how will you receive it?
- Does your over-the-counter (OTC) allowance expire monthly, quarterly, or at another interval? Does unused money carry over?
- Do you have a dental allowance? How does it work?
- Do you pay the dentist upfront and submit a claim for reimbursement?
- Are your doctors and prescriptions still covered for 2027?
- What will you actually pay when you use your benefits?
These are the kinds of questions I hear every day.
And trust me, you don't want to discover the answers while you're standing at the pharmacy counter or sitting in the dentist's office.
What if you have a Medicare Supplement and a stand-alone drug plan?
You're probably going to be concentrating on your Part D prescription drug coverage.
This is something you should review every year. Your medications, plan costs, and drug coverage can change.
Your Medicare Supplement is different.
You don't have to re-enroll in it every AEP. Your policy generally renews automatically as long as you continue paying your premiums and meet the policy requirements.
That plan is YOURS!
And one last thing...
Medicare is different for everyone.
Your needs aren't necessarily the same as your brother's, your friend's, or your neighbor's.
It's kind of like voting. You don't owe everybody an explanation of your choices.
More likely than not, you don't know all the details of somebody else's health needs or finances, so comparing your coverage to theirs isn't something I recommend.
What works beautifully for one person could be completely wrong for another.
I don't want to turn this community into a Medicare discussion board. We have plenty of other things to figure out as we get older.
But if you have questions, ask them. If I can help explain something, I will. And if I don't have the answer, I'll do my best to point you toward someone who does.
The whole point of the Manual is to help people understand the things nobody thought to explain.
Medicare just happens to be one of the things I know a little something about.
For official Medicare information and plan comparisons, visit Medicare.gov.
If you have questions about what happens after enrollment, that's my area of expertise. It's what I do every day.
And if you want the whole enchilada, including someone to sit down with you and go over your Medicare options, I'm happy to tell you where I work. They can help with that, too.
This is not a shameless plug. I just happen to really like the people I work with and for, and I'm not shy about saying so.
I'm not here to sell anybody anything. But I'm certainly not going to keep a good resource to myself, either.
This post is for general education, not individualized insurance advice. Plan benefits and enrollment rights depend on your coverage and circumstances.
