The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, often called Medicare open enrollment, runs every year from October 15 to December 7. It is your main chance to review your coverage and make changes for coverage starting January 1 of next year.
Plans can change every year, even if you do nothing. Premiums, copays, drug lists, networks, and extras like dental allowances can all move, and some plans end altogether. This checklist helps Florida Medicare members from Miami and Fort Myers to Tampa Bay, Orlando, and Jacksonville decide whether to keep their plan or switch. Instant Health Help is a licensed Florida health insurance agency. We are not Medicare or an insurer, and we do not quote plan names or prices here. Verify dates and plan details on Medicare.gov.
Medicare open enrollment at a glance
| Window | Dates | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Enrollment Period (Medicare open enrollment) | October 15 to December 7 | Change Medicare Advantage or Part D plans, or switch between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage. Coverage starts January 1. |
| Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment | January 1 to March 31 | If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, make one switch to another Advantage plan or go back to Original Medicare (and add a Part D plan). |
| Plan ending (non-renewal) Special Enrollment Period | December 8 to the last day of February | If your plan’s contract is not renewed for next year, you get extra time to choose new coverage. |
| Initial Enrollment Period | 7 months around your 65th birthday | For people new to Medicare. Separate from Annual Enrollment. |
What you can change during Annual Enrollment
- Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, or the other way around
- Change from one Medicare Advantage plan to another, with or without drug coverage
- Join, drop, or switch a Part D prescription drug plan
- Review dental, vision, hearing, and over-the-counter extras that often come with Advantage plans
Your new plan must get your request by December 7. If you make more than one change, the last one you make before the deadline is generally the one that counts.
Medicare Supplement (Medigap) does not follow this October to December calendar. If you already have a Supplement, Annual Enrollment is still a good time to check your Part D plan. Switching Supplement policies is a separate process, and insurers may ask health questions.
Your Annual Notice of Change: read it first
If you are in a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, your plan mails an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) by the end of September. It lists what will be different starting January 1. Look for these lines:
- Monthly premium and any change to a Part B premium reduction, if your plan has one
- Copays and the yearly out-of-pocket maximum for medical care
- Drug list (formulary) changes, drug tiers, and pharmacy network
- Doctor and hospital network changes
- Extra benefits such as dental allowances, vision, hearing, and over-the-counter cards
Step-by-step help: What to do when your Medicare ANOC arrives.
What is changing in many plans for next year
Every year some Medicare Advantage and Part D plans adjust their benefits. Recently many Florida members have been asking about:
- Smaller or changed dental allowances and other extras. Some plans have reduced allowances or changed how you can use them.
- Plans ending or leaving a county. If your plan is not renewing, you will get a letter, and you may be moved into a similar plan or need to pick a new one.
- Network changes that drop a doctor, specialist, or hospital you use.
- Drug coverage changes, including drugs moving tiers or needing prior authorization.
Not every plan changes in the same way. The only way to know is to check your plan’s ANOC and compare it in the Medicare Plan Finder.
If your Medicare Advantage plan is ending
If your plan is not renewing its contract with Medicare, you have choices:
- Pick a new plan during Annual Enrollment, October 15 to December 7, so you have no gap on January 1.
- Use the non-renewal Special Enrollment Period, which runs from December 8 to the last day of February.
- If you do nothing and your plan ends, you go back to Original Medicare. You may also have special rights to buy certain Medigap policies for a limited time.
Do not wait until the last minute. Doctors and pharmacies need time to update your new coverage.
Medicare open enrollment checklist
- Read your ANOC and circle anything that changed.
- List your doctors and hospitals and confirm they are in network for next year.
- List every prescription with the dose, and run them through Medicare’s Plan Finder.
- Add up total costs, not just the premium: copays, deductibles, drug costs, and the out-of-pocket maximum.
- Check the extras you actually use, like dental, vision, and hearing, against next year’s benefits.
- Think about travel. Snowbirds and people who split time out of state should check how each plan works away from home.
- Check for help with costs. Extra Help and Medicare Savings Programs can lower drug and premium costs if you qualify.
- Decide by December 7. Changes made by then start January 1.
Advantage vs Supplement, in one minute
Medicare Advantage (Part C) usually bundles medical coverage, often drug coverage, and extras, with copays and a network. HMO and PPO plans handle networks differently; see Medicare Advantage HMO vs PPO.
A Medicare Supplement works with Original Medicare and helps with deductibles and coinsurance. You usually add a separate Part D plan for drugs. Neither is better for everyone. The right fit depends on your doctors, drugs, travel, and how you want to pay. More here: Original Medicare vs Medicare Advantage.
Part D drug costs: what to check
Part D plans now have a yearly cap on out-of-pocket drug costs, and the amount is set by Medicare each year. Check Medicare.gov for this year’s amount. If big pharmacy bills early in the year are a worry, read about the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, and review your drug list with our Part D drug list guide.
Medicare Annual Enrollment FAQ
When is Medicare open enrollment?
The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 to December 7 every year. Changes you make take effect January 1.
Do I have to do anything if I like my plan?
No. If your plan is renewing, you stay in it automatically. Still read your Annual Notice of Change, because benefits and costs can change even when the plan name stays the same.
What if I miss December 7?
If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can make one change from January 1 to March 31. Otherwise you generally need a Special Enrollment Period, such as moving or your plan ending.
I am turning 65. Is this my enrollment period?
No. People new to Medicare use their 7-month Initial Enrollment Period. See Turning 65 Medicare enrollment, step by step.
Does Annual Enrollment apply to Medicare Supplement plans?
No. Medigap has its own rules. You can apply to change a Supplement at other times, but insurers may review your health.
Prefer Spanish? Read Inscripción anual de Medicare en Florida. Compare all the Medicare windows in Medicare AEP vs OEP.
Get a Florida comparison before December 7
We are licensed agents serving Florida statewide. Guidance is free to you, with no obligation. Bring your ZIP code, your doctor list, your medications, and your Annual Notice of Change. That is enough to compare what is actually available in your county.
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 10 organizations which offer 489 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), or your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.
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Anywhere in Florida, our licensed Medicare agent in Florida can review your Annual Enrollment choices by phone. In Central Florida, you can also meet our Medicare agent in Orlando or Medicare agent in Kissimmee in person.
More Medicare Annual Enrollment questions
What can I change during Medicare Annual Enrollment?
From October 15 to December 7, you can switch from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage or back, move from one Advantage plan to another with or without drug coverage, or join, drop, or switch a Part D plan if you have Original Medicare. The plan must get your request by December 7.
What is the Annual Notice of Change?
If you are in a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, your plan sends an Annual Notice of Change in September. It lists what changes in January, such as premiums, copays, the out-of-pocket maximum, the drug list, and doctor or pharmacy networks. Read it before deciding whether to keep your plan or switch.
What if my Medicare Advantage plan is not renewing?
You can pick new coverage during Annual Enrollment, or use the non-renewal Special Enrollment Period from December 8 through the last day of February. If you do not join another Advantage plan before yours ends, you are enrolled in Original Medicare, and you may have special rights to buy certain Medigap policies.
If I make more than one change before December 7, which one counts?
Generally, the last change you make before the December 7 deadline is the one that takes effect January 1. To avoid confusion, compare carefully first and enroll once. Check your doctors, pharmacies, and full medication list in Medicare Plan Finder before you submit a request to any plan.
Is there a yearly cap on Part D drug costs?
Yes. Part D plans now have a yearly cap on what you pay out of pocket for covered drugs, and Medicare sets the amount each year, so check Medicare.gov for the current figure. The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan can also spread your out-of-pocket drug costs into monthly payments across the year.