Medicare 2026

Indianapolis Medicare 2027: your Oct. 15–Dec. 7 window and what you can change

INDIANAPOLIS — Fall 2026 brings the yearly Medicare reset, and the window to lock in 2027 coverage opens Oct. 15 and closes Dec. 7, 2026. Any change made in that stretch takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. If you do nothing, your current plan simply renews for next year — assuming it is still offered — with whatever updates are spelled out in the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) your plan mailed in late September.

That is the quiet promise of the Annual Enrollment Period: it is a chance, not a chore. But a little review goes a long way, because drug lists, provider networks, and premiums can shift from one year to the next.

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

The Annual Enrollment Period is the one time of year nearly every person with Medicare can make these moves:

• Join a Medicare Advantage plan (with or without drug coverage) for the first time.
• Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another.
• Drop a Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare (Parts A and B).
• Join, switch, or drop a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan.

Whatever you pick before Dec. 7, 2026 takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. If more than one election is made during the window, the last one on file wins.

A separate window — the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period — runs Jan. 1 – March 31, 2027. During that time, people already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan get one chance to switch to a different Advantage plan or drop back to Original Medicare (and add a Part D plan). It is narrower than AEP, so most people use the fall window.

What's new for 2027 — and what is not yet known

CMS has confirmed a handful of 2027 program figures:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027, up from $2,100 in 2026.
• The Part D maximum deductible rises to $700 in 2027, up from $615 in 2026.
• The Part D national base beneficiary premium for 2027 is $41.33. That is a formula input used across the program; it is not what any specific plan charges.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, along with the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, have not been announced yet. CMS usually publishes those figures later in the fall, often in November. Any number you see before then is a projection, not a rule.

The optional Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which lets you spread your drug costs across the calendar year in monthly bills, is available again for 2027. You can opt in through your Part D or Medicare Advantage drug plan.

The Indianapolis snapshot

Indianapolis is in Marion County, where CMS lists 78 Medicare Advantage plans from 11 carriers for 2026, all of them including drug coverage. The mix is 21 HMO, 13 HMO-POS, 43 PPO, and 1 PFFS, with 29 of the 78 designed as Special Needs Plans for people with specific conditions, dual Medicaid eligibility, or institutional needs. The carriers offering plans in the county are Aetna (CVS Health), American Health Advantage of Indiana, Centene (WellCare), Communicare Advantage, Devoted Health, Elevance Health (Anthem), Humana, MyTruAdvantage, Provider Partners Health Plans, UnitedHealthcare, and Zing Health. The table below lists every plan.

For 2027, CMS data show 15 new plans, 14 not returning, and 7 renamed in the area. If your plan is one of the ones leaving, your carrier is required to send a non-renewal notice, and you get a Special Enrollment Period that runs into early 2027 — but it is still simpler to pick a new plan during AEP.

For stand-alone Part D, Marion County's choices are listed separately on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder; Indiana's full set of Part D plans is available to anyone with Original Medicare who wants drug coverage.

How to do a 20-minute review

You do not need to compare 78 plans. You need to compare the plan you have now to a few alternatives based on your own prescriptions and doctors.

1. Read your ANOC. It arrived by late September and shows every change to your current plan for 2027 — premium, deductible, copays, drug tier placement, and network. 2. List your drugs and doctors. Have your pill bottles and your doctor list ready. 3. Use Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. Enter your ZIP code and drugs; it will show your current plan next to others side by side. 4. Check the network. If you use IU Health, Community Health Network, Eskenazi, Franciscan, or Ascension St. Vincent, confirm each is in-network for any Advantage plan you consider. 5. Ask for help if you want it. See the next section.

Where to get free, local help in Indianapolis

Indiana's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) offers free, one-on-one counseling from trained volunteers who do not sell plans and do not earn commissions. In Indianapolis, SHIP is coordinated through the Indiana Department of Insurance; you can reach the statewide line at 1-800-452-4800 or find a local counselor at medicare.in.gov.

Other no-cost options:

• CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions (the Area Agency on Aging for Marion and surrounding counties) connects older adults to SHIP counselors and other benefits help.
• Indianapolis Public Library branches often host Medicare information sessions in October and November.
• Medicare.gov has the official Plan Finder and plan documents.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is open 24/7.

Star Ratings, published by CMS, can help you compare plan quality; they are one input, not a verdict. In the Marion County area, no contracts currently carry an overall rating of 4 stars or higher for the plan year shown — a reminder to weigh ratings alongside your doctors, drugs, and total costs rather than on their own.