Medicare 2026

Dallas Medicare choices for 2027: your Oct. 15–Dec. 7 window, explained

DALLAS — Fall 2026. The yearly window to change your Medicare coverage for 2027 is open from October 15 through December 7, 2026. Any switch you make during these weeks takes effect January 1, 2027. If you do nothing, your current plan simply rolls into next year — assuming it is still offered — with the updates spelled out in the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) your insurer mailed in September.

For people on Medicare in Dallas, this is the main chance all year to join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D drug plan, or move back to Original Medicare. Here is what you can actually change, when it kicks in, and where to get free, unbiased help in town.

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

The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) is broad. During these dates you can:

• Join a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C) if you have Parts A and B.
• Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another.
• Drop your 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, the new coverage begins January 1, 2027. You can change your mind as many times as you like until Dec. 7 — only your last choice counts.

One note for Dallas residents already on a Medicare Advantage plan: there is also a separate Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from Jan. 1 – March 31, 2027. That is a one-time cleanup window, not a second AEP, and it has narrower rules.

What is new for 2027

A few program-level numbers are already confirmed by CMS for 2027:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026).
• The Part D maximum deductible is $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026).
• The Part D national base beneficiary premium is $41.33 for 2027 — this is a formula input Medicare uses, not what any single plan charges.

The coverage gap (the old "donut hole") remains eliminated, so Part D has three phases: deductible, initial coverage, and catastrophic — with the cap above as the ceiling on what you pay out of pocket for covered drugs.

Not yet announced: the 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets. CMS usually publishes these in November. Watch medicare.gov for the official figures rather than any estimate.

The Dallas lineup: more plans, with some turnover

Dallas is in Dallas County, where 93 Medicare Advantage plans from 12 carriers are available for the 2026 plan year, according to CMS Landscape data. That is a lot to sort through — the carriers range from Aetna (CVS Health) and Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC) to Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Humana, UnitedHealthcare, and smaller names such as ProCare Advantage and Verda Health Plan of Texas. The full roster, with plan types, appears in the table below this article.

A few things worth knowing before you compare:

• Of the 93 Advantage plans in the county, 35 are Special Needs Plans (SNPs) — these are limited to people with specific conditions, Medicaid eligibility, or who live in nursing facilities.
• Plan types in the county split into HMO (36), HMO-POS (20), PPO (35), and PFFS (2). The type controls how you use doctors and whether out-of-network care is covered.
• For 2027, CMS data shows 29 plans are not returning, 20 are new, and 9 have been renamed in the area. If your plan is on the "not returning" list, your carrier is required to notify you — and you will need to make an active choice during AEP to avoid a gap in Part D coverage.

Stand-alone Part D plans are a separate decision for people who stay on Original Medicare. They are sold at the state level, not the county level, so compare them on medicare.gov's Plan Finder.

How to decide — without the pressure

There is no single "right" path. The honest work is matching the coverage to your doctors, your prescriptions, and your travel habits. A short checklist:

1. Read your ANOC. It lists the specific changes to your current plan for 2027 — premium, deductible, drug tiers, and provider network. 2. List your doctors and your drugs (name, dose, frequency). Plan Finder on medicare.gov checks both against each plan in Dallas County. 3. Decide the structure first. Original Medicare + a Part D plan (and maybe a Medigap policy) works differently from a Medicare Advantage plan that bundles everything. Neither is universally better. 4. Then compare costs across the whole year, not just the monthly premium. Deductibles, drug tiers and out-of-pocket maximums matter more for most people. 5. If you take expensive drugs, ask about the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which lets you spread Part D costs across the year in monthly installments.

Star ratings exist to describe plan quality, but they are one input among several — not a shortcut to a decision.

Where to get free, local help in Dallas

You do not have to figure this out alone, and you should not pay anyone for basic Medicare counseling.

• Texas HICAP (the state's SHIP program) gives free, unbiased, one-on-one Medicare counseling. Call 1-800-252-9240 to reach the Texas Health Information, Counseling and Advocacy Program and ask for the Dallas-area counselor nearest you.
• The Senior Source in Dallas hosts SHIP-trained volunteers who help with plan comparisons during AEP.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is open 24/7 for enrollment questions and to make changes directly.
• Medicare.gov/plan-compare lets you enter your ZIP code and prescriptions and see every Dallas County plan side-by-side.

Insurance agents can also help, but they are paid by carriers and typically only sell a subset of plans. SHIP counselors are not paid on commission and can walk through every plan in the market.