Medicare 2026

Stamford Medicare checklist: what you can change before the Dec. 7 deadline

STAMFORD, Conn. — The fall window that lets people on Medicare rework their coverage for next year is open now and closes Sunday, Dec. 7. Between Oct. 15 and that date, anyone with Medicare can switch, join, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D drug plan for 2027 — and a few program-wide changes make this fall worth a fresh look, even if last year's plan still feels fine.

The Annual Enrollment Period, often called AEP, is the one stretch each year when almost every kind of change is on the table at once. Miss Dec. 7 and, outside of special circumstances, you generally wait until next fall.

What you can actually do between Oct. 15 and Dec. 7

This is the widest enrollment window of the year. During AEP you can:

• Switch from Original Medicare (Parts A and B) to a Medicare Advantage plan, or the other way around.
• Change from one Medicare Advantage plan to another.
• Join a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan, switch plans, or drop drug coverage.
• Sign up for Part D for the first time if you delayed it (a late-enrollment penalty may apply).

Whatever you pick takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. If you make more than one change before Dec. 7, the last one on file is what sticks.

One thing AEP does not automatically do: change your Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy. Medigap has its own rules and, outside your first six months on Part B, insurers in Connecticut can use medical underwriting in many situations. If you're thinking about adding or switching a Medigap plan, that's a separate conversation.

Why 2027 is worth a second look

Two program-level changes matter for almost everyone with drug coverage:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your covered drug spending hits that number, you pay nothing for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027. Individual plans can set a lower deductible, but not a higher one.

The old "donut hole" coverage gap is gone as of 2025, so Part D now has three phases instead of four. There's also the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, an optional program that lets you spread your drug costs across the calendar year in monthly payments instead of paying a big bill at the pharmacy counter. It doesn't lower what you owe — it just smooths it out. You have to opt in through your plan.

Higher-income beneficiaries should also check IRMAA, the income-related surcharge added to Part B and Part D premiums. For 2026, IRMAA begins above $109,000 in income for a single filer (higher for joint filers), based on your 2024 tax return.

Common mistakes to avoid

A few slip-ups come up every year:

• Assuming nothing changed. Plans send an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) each September. Formularies, pharmacy networks, and provider networks can all shift on Jan. 1 — even if the plan name looks the same.
• Only looking at the premium. A low monthly premium can pair with a higher deductible or a drug list that doesn't include your prescriptions. Look at the whole picture.
• Forgetting to check your doctors and hospitals. In Stamford, that means confirming Stamford Health, your primary care doctor, and any specialists are in-network for the specific plan you're considering for 2027.
• Waiting until the last week. Phone lines and enrollment help get crowded near Dec. 7. Earlier is calmer.

Where Stamford fits in

Medicare Advantage and Part D plan availability is set at the county level, not the city level. Stamford is in Fairfield County, so the plans offered to a Stamford resident are the same ones offered anywhere else in the county. When you use Medicare's Plan Finder, enter your Stamford ZIP code and you'll see the Fairfield County lineup.

If you're new to Medicare and just aged in earlier this year, AEP is your first chance to fine-tune choices you made when you first signed up.

Where to get unbiased help

You don't have to figure this out alone, and you don't have to talk to an agent to get answers.

• Medicare.gov has the official Plan Finder, where you can enter your drugs and pharmacy and compare 2027 options side by side.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is staffed 24/7.
• CHOICES, Connecticut's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), offers free one-on-one counseling. Fairfield County residents can reach a local CHOICES counselor through the Southwestern Connecticut Agency on Aging or by calling the state at 1-800-994-9422.