Medicare 2026
Memphis Medicare: Your Oct. 15 Window Explained
MEMPHIS — Starting Oct. 15, 2026, people on Medicare in Memphis can review what they have, compare it against what's offered for next year, and lock in any changes before the window closes Dec. 7. Whatever is chosen in that stretch takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.
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This helps match you with options you’re eligible for.
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This affects which Medicare options you can choose.
These listings are provided by licensed insurance partners.
Medicare Advantage plans in your area are changing or leaving for 2027.
One call tells you whether your plan is on the list — before enrollment opens.
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Medicare Advantage plans in your area are changing or leaving for 2027.
Is your plan on the list? One call tells you — before enrollment opens.
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Advertising disclosure: MyMedicarePlans.org may be compensated when you contact a partner or licensed agent. Listings are not ranked or endorsed by us, and we do not recommend specific plans. You can also contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local SHIP.
Speak to a Licensed Insurance Agent
Click to call 855-729-3240Found a plan you like online?
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- Your doctors — confirmed in-network for 2027
- Your prescriptions — checked against the plan's 2027 drug tiers
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Key takeaways
- The Annual Enrollment Period runs Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026, and any change you make takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.
- You can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage plan, join or switch a Part D drug plan, or return to Original Medicare during the window.
- Memphis is in Shelby County, where 73 Medicare Advantage plans from 12 carriers are being offered for 2026 — the 2027 lineup will be visible on Medicare.gov once Plan Finder refreshes for the new plan year.
- Free, unbiased help is available locally through Tennessee's SHIP (SHIP TN) and nationally at 1-800-MEDICARE and Medicare.gov.
This is the Annual Enrollment Period, and it is the main once-a-year chance to adjust Medicare Advantage or Part D drug coverage. If you do nothing, nothing breaks — your current plan simply renews for 2027 if it is still being offered, with any changes spelled out in the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) your plan mailed or emailed in late September.
What you can actually change between Oct. 15 and Dec. 7
The Annual Enrollment Period is wider than many people realize. During the window you can:
- Join a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time (if you have Part A and Part B).
- Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another.
- Drop a Medicare Advantage plan and go back to Original Medicare (Part A and Part B).
- Join a stand-alone Part D drug plan, switch Part D plans, or drop Part D.
Every one of those changes, if submitted by Dec. 7, 2026, starts on Jan. 1, 2027. You do not need to cancel your old plan separately — enrolling in a new one usually does that for you.
A note for Memphis readers: CMS currently shows 0 stand-alone Part D plans listed in the Shelby County landscape file for 2026. That can change year to year, and Medicare.gov's Plan Finder is the place to confirm what Part D options are available for 2027 once the new data posts.
The local picture in Shelby County
Memphis is in Shelby County, where the 2026 Medicare Advantage landscape includes 73 plans from 12 carriers. Of those plans, 29 are HMOs, 19 are HMO-POS, and 25 are PPOs; 29 are Special Needs Plans designed for people with specific conditions, who have both Medicare and Medicaid, or who live in an institutional setting. The full table below lists every plan offered in the county, by carrier.
Shelby County is home to about 136,050 people age 65 and older, so this is a decision many households in and around Memphis will be making this fall.
For 2027, CMS data show 11 plans not returning in the area, 12 new plans entering, and 7 plans with renamed options. If your current plan is one that is leaving, your carrier is required to tell you in writing. The ANOC and the plan's non-renewal notice will walk you through your options.
What's confirmed for 2027 — and what isn't yet
Some 2027 numbers are already set by CMS:
- The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (it is $2,100 in 2026).
- The Part D maximum deductible rises to $700 in 2027 (it is $615 in 2026).
- The Part D national base beneficiary premium is $41.33 for 2027. That is a formula input CMS uses — not the premium any specific plan charges.
A few important 2027 figures are not out yet. CMS normally publishes the Part B standard premium and deductible, plus the IRMAA income brackets and surcharges for higher earners, later in the fall — usually in November. We will update our coverage when those are posted.
The coverage gap (the old "donut hole") has been gone since 2025, so Part D now has three phases: deductible, initial coverage, and catastrophic. Once you hit the yearly out-of-pocket cap, you pay $0 for covered drugs for the rest of the year. The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan — an option to spread your drug costs across the calendar year in monthly payments — is still available if that helps with budgeting.
How to compare, step by step
You don't need to start from scratch. A sensible routine:
1. Read your ANOC. It lists what is changing in your current plan for 2027 — premium, drug tiers, provider network, extras. 2. List your doctors, your pharmacy, and every prescription with its dose. 3. Go to Medicare.gov/plan-compare, enter your ZIP code and your drug list, and look at how plans score on your actual medications and whether your providers are in-network. 4. If anything is unclear, call for help before you enroll.
Where to get free, unbiased help in Memphis
A few places to turn, none of them trying to sell you anything:
- Tennessee SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program): free one-on-one Medicare counseling for Tennessee residents. Call 1-877-801-0044 to reach SHIP TN and ask about counselors serving Memphis and Shelby County.
- 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), 24/7.
- Medicare.gov, where Plan Finder, the handbook ("Medicare & You") and plan documents all live.
- Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 for Part B enrollment questions, IRMAA questions, and Extra Help with drug costs.
By the numbers
Medicare Part B premium, 2006–2026
The standard monthly Part B premium has climbed from $88.50 in 2006 to $202.90 in 2026. Hover any point for that year’s premium.
Source: CMS. Standard premium shown; in some hold-harmless years many existing enrollees paid less. Confirm at Medicare.gov.
By the numbers
How people get Medicare in Shelby County
(MA penetration in Shelby County)
MA penetration from CMS enrollment data; Medigap share is an estimate. U.S. average is about 54% Medicare Advantage. These are area-level figures, not plan-specific.
Key dates
Medicare enrollment periods at a glance
- Around your 65thInitial Enrollment PeriodA 7-month window around the month you turn 65 — your first chance to sign up.
- October 15 – December 7Annual Enrollment PeriodAnyone with Medicare can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.
- January 1 – March 31Medicare Advantage Open EnrollmentIf you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can make one change.
- January 1 – March 31General Enrollment PeriodFor people who missed their first chance to sign up for Part B.
- VariesSpecial Enrollment PeriodTriggered by life events like moving or losing other coverage.
Dates are set by Medicare and apply nationwide. Confirm your personal windows at Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.
Explore
When can you enroll? An interactive year
Enrollment windows are federal and the same nationwide. Confirm your personal dates at Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.
Explore
The parts of Medicare
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I miss the Dec. 7, 2026 deadline?
Can I switch from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare during this window?
Does the Dec. 7 deadline apply to Medigap too?
When exactly does my new coverage start?
- CMS — Medicare enrollment periods (medicare.gov)
- CMS — MA/Part D Landscape & Plan Finder data
For personalized answers, contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local SHIP.
Also for Memphis
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This page was last updated: October 2026.