Medicare 2026

What's Already on the Medicare Calendar for Late 2026 and 2027

If you're trying to get your bearings on Medicare, it helps to know what Congress and federal agencies have already locked in for the next year or so — and what still has to be announced. Here's a plain-English tour of the dates and rules on the books right now.

The enrollment windows you can plan around

Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period for 2027 coverage runs October 15 through December 7, 2026. During that window, anyone with Medicare can switch between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage, join or change a Part D drug plan, or drop a plan. Elections you make take effect January 1, 2027.

If you want to compare Medicare Advantage to Original Medicare (often paired with a stand-alone Part D plan and, for some people, a Medigap policy), there are real trade-offs on both sides. Medicare Advantage plans typically bundle medical and drug coverage and may include extras, but usually use provider networks and prior authorization. Original Medicare lets you see any provider who accepts Medicare nationwide, but it has no annual out-of-pocket limit on its own, which is why many people add Medigap and a Part D plan. Neither path is "better" in the abstract — it depends on your doctors, your medications, your travel habits and your budget.

A note for people with Medicaid or Extra Help

Since 2025, if you qualify for Medicaid or the Extra Help program for prescription drugs, you have a monthly Special Enrollment Period to move to Original Medicare paired with a stand-alone Part D plan, or to switch from one stand-alone Part D plan to another. Full-benefit dual-eligible individuals (people with both Medicare and full Medicaid) can also join an integrated Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) in any month. In short: you aren't locked into waiting for fall.

Part D in 2027: what's already in the law

Two national Part D numbers are already set:

• Annual out-of-pocket cap: $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026). Once your covered out-of-pocket drug costs hit that ceiling, you pay nothing more for covered Part D drugs for the rest of the year.
• Maximum Part D deductible: $700 in 2027. Plans can set a lower deductible — or none — but they cannot charge more than this.
• Base beneficiary premium: $41.33 in 2027. This is a national benchmark used to calculate the Part D late-enrollment penalty for people who go without creditable drug coverage. Your actual monthly plan premium is set by each individual plan.

Part B and IRMAA: not announced yet

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible have not been released. Neither have the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, which determine whether higher-income beneficiaries pay an additional amount for Part B and Part D. CMS typically announces these figures in the fall — often in November — and we'll know them then. Please don't rely on guesses circulating online.

Social Security COLA

The Social Security Administration announced on October 14, 2026 a 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment for benefits payable beginning January 2027. For many people, Medicare's Part B premium is deducted from the Social Security check, so the net change in your deposit will depend on the Part B figure once it's published.

Other 2026-2027 items already in federal law

A few less familiar but important changes are already scheduled:

• Eligibility rules. Under the 2025 budget reconciliation law (Public Law 119-21), Medicare entitlement or enrollment is limited to U.S. citizens and nationals, lawful permanent residents, Cuban and Haitian entrants, and people lawfully residing in the U.S. under a Compact of Free Association. For people already enrolled when the law was signed, the limit takes effect 18 months after enactment; the 2026 Medicare Trustees Report notes that current beneficiaries who don't meet the new criteria will have their coverage end in January 2027.
• Home infusion. Beginning April 1, 2027, Medicare will treat an external infusion pump and its home infusion drug as durable medical equipment even when the drug must be given by or under the supervision of a health professional — provided a qualified home infusion therapy supplier administers or supervises it in the patient's home and the FDA prescribing information calls for infusion at least 12 times a year.
• Telehealth and ambulance payments. The Medicare telehealth flexibilities first granted during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with ground ambulance add-on payments (3 percent for rural, 2 percent for other areas, and 22.6 percent for "super rural" areas), are extended through December 31, 2027.
• Physician payments. A temporary 2.5 percent increase in the Medicare physician fee schedule applies only to services on or after January 1, 2026 and before January 1, 2027. CMS issued its proposed 2027 physician payment rule on July 14, 2026 and must finalize payment amounts before November 1, 2026.
• Hospital and physician-work provisions. The Medicare-Dependent Hospital program, the current low-volume hospital payment criteria, and the 1.00 floor on the geographic index for physician work are authorized through December 31, 2026. The 2026 Medicare Trustees Report says the low-volume criteria revert to their original parameters after that date unless the provision is extended again.
• Federal funding. The Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027 (Public Law 119-103), signed September 2, 2026, funds covered federal activities — including Health and Human Services programs — at fiscal year 2026 rates through December 11, 2026, or until full-year 2027 appropriations are enacted, whichever comes first.

Where to go for personalized answers

For plan comparisons, enrollment, and the latest 2027 figures as they are released, use the official sources: Medicare.gov, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For eligibility and Social Security questions, contact the Social Security Administration.