Its Time to Shop Medicare, and This Year, Its Extra Important

It’s always a good idea to do a checkup on your Medicare coverage this time of year.But it’s especially important this year, during the annual fall enrollment period that got underway Thursday.Changes in Part D prescription drug and Medicare Advantage plans will make for greater-than-usual disruption for 2027.Premiums and other costs for Part D plans will rise sharply for some people.

The number of Medicare Advantage plans is falling in some parts of the country, and some will increase cost-sharing and reduce supplemental benefits such as dental care.And expanding coverage of GLP-1 drugs will come with complications that may be difficult to navigate.“The stakes this year may be higher for people who don’t compare plans during the open enrollment period,” says Juliette Cubanski, vice president and director of the program on Medicare policy at KFF, the health care research nonprofit.

“You could definitely be leaving more money on the table.”If you are enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B, there is no need to revisit that coverage during the annual enrollment period that runs from Oct.15 through Dec.

7.For the checkup, start by reviewing any changes in your current coverage.Part D and Advantage plan providers are required to send an Annual Notice of Change document each fall.

You’ll learn if the monthly premium, annual deductible and coverage of drugs will change for the coming year.Medicare Advantage plans that include drug coverage also must notify you of changes, along with revisions to their provider networks.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

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