Medicare 2026

Anniston Medicare AEP: What You Can Change Before Dec. 7

Medicare open enrollment 2027: an Anniston guide to the October 15 – December 7…

ANNISTON, Ala. — For a few weeks each fall, people with Medicare get a clean slate. From October 15 through December 7, anyone in Anniston with Medicare can review their coverage, switch plans, or make a change that takes effect January 1, 2027. This yearly window is called the Annual Enrollment Period, or AEP, and it is the main time of year to line up your coverage for the months ahead.

Even if nothing has changed in your health, your plan may look different in 2027. Drug lists, pharmacy networks, and provider networks can shift from year to year. That is why the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) sets aside this window — so you can look before the deadline instead of after.

What you can actually do between October 15 and December 7

The AEP is broader than many people realize. During this window, you can:

• Switch from Original Medicare (Parts A and B) to a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C), or switch back to Original Medicare.
• Change from one Medicare Advantage plan to another.
• Join, drop, or switch a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan.
• Enroll in Part D for the first time if you have Original Medicare and never signed up.

Any change you make during AEP starts on January 1, 2027. If you do nothing, your current plan generally rolls over into next year — but with whatever adjustments your plan is making for 2027.

Why it pays to read your Annual Notice of Change

By late September, your current Medicare Advantage or Part D plan should have sent you an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). It spells out what will be different next year: premiums, the drug formulary, copay tiers, the pharmacy network, and covered extras.

If your prescription list has changed, or a doctor you rely on is no longer in-network, that is worth knowing before December 7 — not in February. Reading the ANOC alongside the plan's Evidence of Coverage is the clearest way to see what 2027 will actually look like on your plan.

What is new for 2027

A few program-level changes take effect on January 1 that apply nationwide, including Anniston:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap of $2,400 in 2027. Once your covered prescription costs reach the annual cap, you pay nothing more for covered Part D drugs the rest of the year (the cap is $2,100 in 2026).
• Maximum Part D deductible of $700 in 2027. Individual plans can set a lower deductible, but not higher (the maximum is $615 in 2026).
• Three-phase Part D benefit. The old “donut hole” coverage gap was eliminated in 2025, so the drug benefit now has just a deductible phase, an initial coverage phase, and a catastrophic phase.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. This optional program lets you spread your out-of-pocket drug costs into monthly payments across the year instead of paying large amounts at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA thresholds. Higher-income surcharges on Part B and Part D begin above $109,000 in yearly income for a single filer in 2026.

Plan availability around Anniston

Anniston is in Calhoun County, and Medicare plan choices — both Medicare Advantage and stand-alone Part D — are set at the county level. That means two neighbors on the same street have the same menu of plans to pick from, but someone across the county line may see a different list. The 2027 lineup is detailed in each plan's ANOC and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder.

You can view the current Calhoun County plans on medicare.gov/plan-compare by entering your ZIP code and, if you want, your prescriptions and preferred pharmacies. That tool shows plan details side by side so you can compare on your own terms.

Watch out for scams during AEP

The weeks before December 7 are also when Medicare-related scam calls, texts, and door knocks tend to pick up. A few reminders:

• Medicare will not call you out of the blue to “verify” your number or offer a new card.
• No legitimate agent can promise a plan is “approved just for you” or pressure you to sign the same day.
• Never give your Medicare number, Social Security number, or bank details to someone who contacted you first.

If something feels off, hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) directly.

Where to get free, unbiased help in Anniston

You do not have to figure this out alone. Two trustworthy starting points:

• Medicare.gov — the official site for comparing plans, checking drug coverage, and reviewing your account.
• Alabama SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) — free, one-on-one counseling from trained volunteers who do not sell insurance. You can reach Alabama SHIP through the Alabama Department of Senior Services.
• 1-800-MEDICARE — available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.