Medicare 2026

Merrillville Medicare choices for 2027 Jan 1

MERRILLVILLE, Ind. — The clock is already running on Medicare's biggest decision window of the year. From October 15 through December 7, people with Medicare can change how they get their coverage for 2027 — and any choice made now takes effect January 1.

That two-month stretch, called the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), is the one time each year almost everyone on Medicare can switch plans, drop plans, or move between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage without needing a special reason. For Merrillville residents, this fall's window also lands alongside real program changes, including a Part D out-of-pocket cap that rises to $2,400 in 2027.

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

AEP is broader than most people realize. During this window 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 to a different one, or drop drug coverage entirely.
• Add a Part D plan if you have Original Medicare and don't have drug coverage yet.

Whatever you choose, the new coverage begins January 1, 2027. If you do nothing, your current plan generally rolls over — but that doesn't mean nothing changes. Plans can adjust their premiums, drug lists, provider networks, and cost sharing every year.

Why 2027 is worth a closer look

Even if you've been on the same plan for years, 2027 brings program-level changes worth understanding before you decide to stay put:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap. Once your out-of-pocket spending on covered drugs hits the annual cap — $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027 — you pay nothing for covered prescriptions the rest of the year.
• A ceiling on the Part D deductible. No Part D plan can charge a drug deductible higher than $615 in 2026 or $700 in 2027.
• No more donut hole. The old coverage gap was eliminated in 2025, so Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. This optional program lets you spread your Part D out-of-pocket drug costs across monthly payments instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA thresholds. Higher-income enrollees pay Part B and Part D surcharges; for 2026, those begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer.

Read your Annual Notice of Change

Every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan mails an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) in late September. It spells out exactly what's different about your plan for the coming year — premium, deductible, copays, drug list changes, and network updates.

If you toss it in the recycling, you may not notice a change until you're at the pharmacy or a doctor's office in January. Take 15 minutes to compare your 2026 benefits to what your plan will offer in 2027, especially:

• Your regular prescriptions and whether they're still covered.
• Your doctors, specialists, and preferred hospitals.
• Any planned procedures or ongoing care.

Merrillville and Lake County: the local picture

Merrillville is in Lake County, where Medicare plan availability is set at the county level by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). That means the Medicare Advantage and Part D options you see when you shop are the same across Lake County, whether you live in Merrillville, Hobart, Crown Point, or Gary.

The plan comparison tool at medicare.gov/plan-compare lets you enter your ZIP code and your prescriptions to see every plan available in Lake County for 2027, side by side, without a sales call.

If you miss December 7

Once AEP ends, your choices narrow. From January 1 through March 31, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period lets people already on a Medicare Advantage plan switch to a different Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare (and pick up a Part D plan). But this window is not open to people on Original Medicare who want to move into Advantage for the first time that quarter.

Outside those two windows, you generally need a Special Enrollment Period — triggered by things like moving, losing other coverage, or qualifying for Extra Help.

Where to get unbiased help

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

• medicare.gov — the official site for comparing plans and reviewing benefits.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — 24/7, including TTY.
• Indiana SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) — free, one-on-one counseling from trained volunteers who don't sell insurance. Call 1-800-452-4800 to find help near Merrillville.