Medicare Annual Enrollment Period 2026: Your Guide to AEP
By Tyler Dalton, PharmD, Licensed Medicare Agent Published Updated
The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7 every year, and changes take effect January 1. During AEP you can switch Medicare Advantage plans, move between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage, and change Part D drug plans. It is the one guaranteed window each year to fix coverage that no longer fits.
Why AEP matters more than most people think
Medicare plans are one-year contracts. Every fall, carriers reset premiums, deductibles, drug formularies, pharmacy networks, and provider networks for the coming year. The plan you liked this year is not automatically the plan you will have next year, even if the name on the card never changes. AEP exists so you can respond.
Alabama has given recent examples of why the annual check matters: carriers have exited the state's Medicare Advantage market, and hospital systems and insurers have had very public contract standoffs. If your plan's network or drug list changes for the new year, the ANOC letter tells you in September, and AEP is your window to act on it.
The fall calendar at a glance
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Late September | Your plan mails the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). Read it; this is next year's plan in summary. |
| October 1 | Next year's plan details can be marketed and compared. Good time to book a review. |
| October 15 | AEP opens. Enrollments and switches can be submitted. |
| December 7 | AEP closes. Your enrollment request must be received by the plan. |
| January 1 | New coverage and all plan changes take effect. |
| January 1 to March 31 | MA Open Enrollment: one corrective switch if you are in a Medicare Advantage plan you regret. |
What AEP is for, and what it is not
During AEP you can: switch Medicare Advantage plans, leave a Medicare Advantage plan for Original Medicare or the reverse, and join, drop, or change a Part D drug plan.
AEP is not the window for Medigap. Supplement plans can be applied for year-round, but outside your one-time 6-month open enrollment window, Alabama carriers can medically underwrite. If your AEP plan involves moving from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare with a Medigap plan, get the Medigap approval first, before you drop the Advantage plan. The order protects you; our Advantage vs Medigap comparison walks through that decision.
The five checks that decide whether you should switch
- Premium and deductibles. Compare next year's numbers from the ANOC, not this year's.
- Your drug list. Run every prescription against next year's formulary and tiers. A single drug moving tiers can outweigh any premium difference. The 2026 Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 and the amount adjusts each year.
- Your doctors and hospital. Confirm they are in next year's network, by calling the office, not just reading the directory. Alabama's recent hospital renames make directories especially unreliable.
- Your pharmacy. Preferred pharmacy networks change, and in a one-pharmacy town that change is the whole ballgame.
- The worst-case number. Compare each plan's maximum out-of-pocket, not just the monthly cost.
How to prepare without the overwhelm
Before October 15: read your ANOC, update your list of doctors and prescriptions, and decide what would have to be true for you to switch. Then compare, either yourself at Medicare.gov, with free counseling from Alabama SHIP at 1-800-243-5463, or with us. A licensed agent review takes about an hour, costs nothing, and ends with a recommendation you can ignore. Start with the enrollment checklist if you are new to Medicare entirely, or the Alabama Medicare guide for what is available in your county. Exact 2027 premiums and plan lineups are published in the fall; we update this page when they land.
Frequently asked questions
- What exactly can I change during AEP?
- You can switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another, move between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage, join or drop a standalone Part D drug plan, or switch Part D plans. Changes made by December 7 take effect January 1.
- Is AEP when I buy or change a Medigap plan?
- No, and this is the most common AEP misunderstanding. Medigap is not tied to AEP; you can apply any time of year. Outside your one-time 6-month open enrollment window, Alabama carriers can ask health questions and can decline you, so changing Medigap is about underwriting, not the calendar.
- What happens if I do nothing during AEP?
- Your current plan renews automatically under its new-year terms. That is exactly why doing nothing can be expensive: the premiums, drug list, and provider network you renew into are next year's version, not the one you enrolled in.
- What is the ANOC letter I get in September?
- The Annual Notice of Change is your plan's legally required summary of what changes January 1: premium, deductibles, copays, drug tiers, and network. Read it before October 15 and you know whether you need to shop at all.
- I missed December 7. Do I have another chance?
- If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, the MA Open Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31 allows one switch to another MA plan or a return to Original Medicare with a drug plan. Certain events, like moving or your plan leaving your area, also create Special Enrollment Periods.
- Does a free plan review commit me to changing anything?
- No. Most reviews we run end with the same plan confirmed for another year. The point is checking next year's version of your plan against your doctors, drugs, and budget while you still have the window to act.
Book your free AEP plan review
Talk through your options with Tyler Dalton, PharmD, Licensed Medicare Agent. Consultations are free, and you keep the final say on every decision.