Medicare Open Enrollment Checklist for a Parent (Oct 15 to Dec 7)

Medicare Open Enrollment for the 2027 plan year runs from October 15 to December 7, 2026, and any change your parent makes starts January 1. The checklist is short: gather their cards, drug list and plan mail; read the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC); check every prescription, doctor and pharmacy against next year's plans in Medicare Plan Finder; compare the yearly cost estimates; decide; and write down what was done. If nothing needs to change, your parent doesn't have to re-enroll.

This guide is about the decision. For which cards and letters to keep, and for how long, see our guide to Medicare documents to keep for a parent.

Key dates for the 2027 plan year

The dates below come from CMS's state-by-state 2027 Open Enrollment fact sheets (September 28, 2026), Medicare.gov's enrollment pages, and CMS's 2026/2027 guide to consumer mailings.

The September 30 date comes from federal rules that make plans notify members of January changes at least 15 days before Open Enrollment begins. No ANOC by October? Call the plan and ask for one.

What your parent can and can't change this fall

According to Medicare.gov's Open Enrollment page, between October 15 and December 7 your parent can:

• Join, drop or switch Medicare Advantage plans, with or without drug coverage
• Join, drop or switch a stand-alone drug plan if they have Original Medicare
• Move from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage, or back

Medigap, the supplement policy that works alongside Original Medicare, isn't part of Open Enrollment. Medicare.gov's page on switching or dropping Medigap says that in most cases a person can't switch policies outside their 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, except in specific situations when they have a guaranteed issue right. Outside those, an insurer may ask medical questions and charge more, if it sells a policy at all. Some states give extra rights; the State Insurance Department or a SHIP counselor will know yours.

This bites hardest when a parent wants to leave Medicare Advantage for Original Medicare. The move is allowed this fall. A Medigap policy to go with it may not be.

What's different for 2027

Two changes CMS has confirmed affect drug plans.

• The Part D deductible and out-of-pocket cap both go up. In its 2027 Rate Announcement (April 6, 2026), CMS set the 2027 standard deductible and the annual out-of-pocket threshold above the 2026 levels. There's still a yearly cap on what your parent pays for covered drugs; it sits higher.
• A temporary premium program is ending. CMS's July 28, 2026 announcement says the Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration, first used in 2025, ends with 2026.

What either change means for your parent's own costs depends on the plan, and the ANOC will say. If a news story claims something about 2027 that isn't in the plan mail or on Medicare.gov, treat it as a question for the plan or 1-800-MEDICARE.

Helping when your parent is the one who decides

Your parent signs up for the plan. You're the second set of eyes and the one who doesn't wilt on hold.

On the phone with Medicare. Medicare's fact sheet for family helpers, Talking with a Friend's or Family Member's Doctor During an Appointment, says 1-800-MEDICARE can give you your parent's personal information if they give verbal permission while you're on the phone with Medicare, or if they've added you as an authorized representative. For one call at the kitchen table, verbal permission is enough. For the rest of the year, the written route is easier; see our guide to becoming an authorized representative for a parent. From far away, a three-way call works, and the long-distance caregiving checklist has more.

On Medicare.gov. The same fact sheet says your parent must give you permission to log into their Medicare.gov account. Do it with them beside you.

With the plan. Plans are private companies with their own rules. Call member services with your parent on the line and ask what they need to talk with you.

With an agent. Under Medicare.gov's marketing rules, an agent can't steer your parent into a plan, call it "the best," pressure them with lines like "you have to join this plan or you won't have coverage next year," or ask them to sign before they're ready. If there's a meeting, sit in.

The checklist, step by step

Plan on two sittings: one to gather and read, one to compare and decide. Three is fine if your parent tires easily.

Step 1: Gather

• Their red, white and blue Medicare card and every plan card, front and back
• The ANOC and Evidence of Coverage from September
• Any letters from Medicare, Social Security or the plan since August, especially colored ones
• A current medication list with dose, how often, and which pharmacy fills each one
• Every doctor, specialist and hospital they want to keep, with phone numbers
• Any retiree, union, VA or TRICARE coverage letters
• Where their Medicare.gov login is kept (not the password on paper)
• Any second home or long stays out of state

Get the medication list right down to the dose. Plan Finder prices the strength and quantity you enter, and "the blood pressure one" can't be priced.

Step 2: Read the ANOC

The ANOC sets your parent's own plan this year against next year. Read it with a pen and look for:

• The monthly premium and deductible
• Copays or coinsurance for the things your parent actually uses: their specialist, their lab work, physical therapy, an inpatient stay
• Whether each drug is still covered, and whether its tier changed
• New prior authorization, step therapy or quantity limits on their drugs
• Whether their pharmacy stays in network or loses "preferred" status
• For Medicare Advantage: whether their doctors and hospital stay in network, and the yearly out-of-pocket maximum
• Dental, vision or hearing benefits they count on, if any

Circle every change that would hurt. Circles on things your parent never uses may not matter. Circles on their main drug or their cardiologist mean keep going.

Step 3: Check drugs and doctors in Plan Finder

Open Medicare Plan Finder. Medicare.gov's guide to joining a plan says adding every drug taken regularly gives the most accurate cost estimate.

• Enter every drug with the right strength and quantity
• Choose the pharmacies your parent really uses, plus mail order if they'd consider it
• Note each plan's drug coverage restrictions, not just the price
• Look at the current plan's 2027 estimate first, as your baseline

For doctors, Medicare.gov says to ask your doctors and pharmacies whether they're in network with the plan. Ask the office about 2027 and give the exact plan name, since one insurer can sell several plans with different networks. With Original Medicare, the question is just whether the doctor will keep accepting Medicare.

Step 4: Compare

Narrow it to two or three plans, including the one your parent has now. For each, write down:

• Plan Finder's yearly cost estimate
• Whether every drug is covered, and any restrictions
• Whether every must-keep doctor, hospital and pharmacy is in network
• The Star Rating
• For Medicare Advantage: the out-of-pocket maximum and whether referrals are needed
• How it covers care in another state, if they travel

Two warnings from Medicare.gov's joining guide go at the top of the page. With retiree, union or other coverage, talk to that benefits office before changing anything. If your parent lives in another state part of the year, check whether the plan covers them there.

A low premium paired with a high drug estimate, or a plan that leaves out the cardiologist, is no deal.

Step 5: Decide

Staying in the current plan is a real choice. CMS's fact sheet says people who want to keep their current coverage don't need to re-enroll.

To switch, Medicare.gov lists three ways to join: select "Enroll" in Plan Finder, contact the plan, or call 1-800-MEDICARE. A few things trip families up:

• Don't cancel the old drug plan. Medicare.gov's page on switching drug plans says the old drug coverage ends when the new coverage begins, so there's no need to cancel it.
• Medigap doesn't cancel itself. Leaving Medigap for Medicare Advantage means contacting the Medigap insurer to cancel, and Medicare.gov warns that in most cases the policy can't be gotten back. Our Medicare documents guide explains the one-time trial right for someone trying Medicare Advantage for the first time.
• Leave margin. The plan has to receive the request by December 7, and a mailed form takes days to arrive.

Step 6: Document

• Plan name and plan ID of the new plan
• Date and time of enrollment, and how (online, plan, 1-800-MEDICARE)
• Confirmation number and the name of anyone you spoke with
• A printout or screenshot of the Plan Finder comparison
• When the welcome letter and new card arrive, and whether they match

Early in January, fill one prescription on the new card and compare the charge with the Plan Finder estimate. If your parent chose a plan because of inaccurate or misleading information, including from Plan Finder, Medicare.gov's marketing rules page says to call 1-800-MEDICARE and explain.

If your parent gets Extra Help, watch for colored letters

Extra Help pays some Part D costs for people with limited income and resources. Medicare.gov's Extra Help page says people with full Medicaid, help from a Medicare Savings Program, or SSI get it automatically, and a local SHIP can help others apply for free.

CMS's Extra Help notices come on colored paper. From the mailings guide:

• Gray (September): your parent won't automatically get Extra Help next year and should apply.
• Orange (October): Extra Help continues, but copays change in January.
• Tan (early November): your parent picked their own drug plan, its premium is changing, and they'll pay part of it unless they join a plan with no premium by December 7.
• Blue (November): their plan is leaving Medicare or its premium is rising above what Extra Help covers, and they'll be moved to a new plan unless they choose one by December 31.

If a blue letter assigns a new plan, run your parent's drug list through Plan Finder before accepting it. Medicare.gov's special enrollment page says people with Extra Help or Medicaid can change drug coverage once a calendar month, so a poor match can be fixed.

Calls, mailers and "Medicare" salespeople

From Medicare.gov's marketing rules and its fraud page:

• Plans and agents can't call your parent unless they're already a member or gave permission.
• Nobody can come to the house uninvited to sell a plan.
• Plans can't offer cash, or gifts above a small value Medicare sets, to join.
• Medicare itself will never call to sell anything or visit the home.
• Your parent shouldn't join a plan over the phone unless they called and asked for help.

If a cold caller asks for your parent's Medicare Number or bank details, hang up and report it to 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). People in Medicare Advantage or drug plans can also call the I-MEDIC line at 1-877-7SAFERX (1-877-772-3379). Our guide to the grandparent scam has hang-up-and-call-back habits that work here too.

Free help: SHIP

Every state has a State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP, offering free one-on-one Medicare counseling. Counselors can compare costs, check provider networks and review coverage with you, and Medicare.gov notes SHIPs aren't connected to any insurance company. Call in October or early November, before the December rush, and bring everything from Step 1.

Frequently asked questions

Does my parent have to do anything during Open Enrollment?

Not if they're keeping the same plan; there's no need to re-enroll. Still read the ANOC, since the plan itself changes, and watch for a non-renewal or reassignment notice.

Can I make the change for my parent?

Your parent makes the choice; you can help on calls with their verbal permission or as their authorized representative. If someone holds legal authority to act for them, such as a power of attorney, ask the plan or 1-800-MEDICARE what paperwork they need.

What if we miss December 7?

If your parent is already in Medicare Advantage, they get one more change from January 1 to March 31. People in Original Medicare don't. Otherwise, a change generally needs a Special Enrollment Period, such as after a move, losing other coverage, or getting Extra Help.

Can my parent switch Medigap plans during Open Enrollment?

Open Enrollment doesn't cover Medigap. See the Medigap section above, and ask the State Insurance Department or SHIP what applies in your parent's state.

Keeping this year's decision findable

You can do all of this on your own with your parent, a highlighter and Plan Finder. Next October goes faster if this year's notes, the confirmation number and copies of the new card sit in one place. If you'd like help with that part, Emergency Binder Now asks about 25 minutes of guided questions and turns the answers into a printable binder for your parent, including an insurance page with their Medicare, Medigap and Part D details and a list of what's still missing. You can see a sample binder first.

This article is general information, not legal, medical or financial advice. Plan details change every year. Confirm your parent's options with their plan, 1-800-MEDICARE or a SHIP counselor.