Medicare 2026

Enrollment windows shape Medicare choices in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS — For people here weighing Original Medicare with a Medigap policy against a Medicare Advantage plan, the choice often comes down less to the plans themselves than to the calendar. Miss the right window, and the door to one path can quietly close — or reopen only with strings attached.

That timing matters even more heading into 2027, with the Annual Enrollment Period running Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2026, and the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period following Jan. 1 through March 31, 2027.

Two paths, one calendar

Original Medicare (Parts A and B) is the federal program. Many people pair it with a stand-alone Part D drug plan and a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy sold by a private insurer to help cover deductibles and coinsurance.

Medicare Advantage (Part C) is different. A private plan, approved by Medicare, bundles your Part A, Part B, and usually Part D into one package with its own network and rules.

You can move between these paths — but only during specific windows, and the fine print isn't the same in each direction.

The windows that open at 65

When you first become eligible, two clocks start ticking at once.

Your Initial Enrollment Period for Medicare is a seven-month window around your 65th birthday month. That's when you sign up for Part A and Part B, and when you can first join a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.

At the same time, your Medigap Open Enrollment Period begins the month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. It lasts six months. During that window, any Medigap insurer selling in Indiana must sell you a policy at their standard rate, regardless of your health history.

This is the single most important date many Indianapolis readers overlook. Once that six-month Medigap window closes, insurers in most cases can use medical underwriting — meaning they can charge more or decline coverage — unless you qualify for a limited federal guaranteed-issue right.

The fall window: Oct. 15 – Dec. 7

The Annual Enrollment Period is when most changes happen. During these dates you can:

• Join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage plan.
• Join, switch, or drop a Part D drug plan.
• Move from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage, or the other way around.

Changes made now take effect Jan. 1. This is the window to review any plan documents you receive in the fall, because plan details — networks, drug lists, costs — can change year to year.

Note what AEP does not do: it does not give you a fresh guaranteed right to buy Medigap. Someone leaving Medicare Advantage in December to return to Original Medicare may find that Medigap insurers can still ask health questions.

The Advantage-only window: Jan. 1 – March 31

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period is narrower. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan on Jan. 1, you get one chance during these three months to:

• Switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan, or
• Drop Medicare Advantage and return to Original Medicare (and add a Part D plan).

You can't use this window to move from Original Medicare into Medicare Advantage. And again, dropping a Medicare Advantage plan here doesn't automatically hand you Medigap on friendly terms.

What happens if you miss a window

Missing a Medicare deadline is rarely fatal, but it usually costs something.

• No Part B when first eligible, without other creditable coverage: a lifelong late-enrollment penalty added to your Part B premium.
• No Part D when first eligible, without creditable drug coverage: a lifelong Part D late-enrollment penalty.
• Missing your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment window: insurers may use medical underwriting outside of limited guaranteed-issue situations.

Special Enrollment Periods can help in specific life events — moving, losing employer coverage, qualifying for Extra Help. If one of those applies, don't guess. Confirm the rules directly with Medicare.

The drug-cost backdrop for 2027

Whichever path you're on, Part D rules apply the same way: in 2026, a maximum deductible of $615 and a hard $2,100 out-of-pocket cap on covered drugs; in 2027, a maximum deductible of $700 and a $2,400 out-of-pocket cap. The old coverage gap — the "donut hole" — was eliminated in 2025, leaving three phases. The optional Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly payments instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy.

Higher-income enrollees should also know that IRMAA surcharges on Part B and Part D begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Availability in Marion County

Indianapolis sits in Marion County, where plan availability is set. The number of Medicare Advantage and Part D plans offered here changes each year, and you can see the current count for your ZIP code using the Plan Finder at medicare.gov. That tool also shows Medigap policies available in Indiana.

Where to get unbiased help

Before making a switch, talk to someone who doesn't sell insurance:

• Medicare: medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), 24/7.
• SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program): in Indiana, SHIP is called SHIP — the State Health Insurance Assistance Program — and offers free, one-on-one counseling. Reach them at 1-800-452-4800.
• Social Security: ssa.gov or 1-800-772-1213 for enrollment and IRMAA questions.