Medicare 2026

Houston Medicare in 2027: Part D Caps at $2,400

HOUSTON — The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period opens October 15, 2026 and closes December 7, 2026. Any change you make in that window takes effect January 1, 2027. If you do nothing, your current plan simply renews for 2027 — as long as it is still being offered — with whatever changes your insurer spelled out in the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) that arrived in your mailbox in late September.

That ANOC is the single most useful piece of paper you will get this fall. It tells you what is different about your plan next year, so you can decide whether to stay put or switch.

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

The Annual Enrollment Period is the one time of year most people can make almost any Medicare coverage change. During the window you may:

• Join a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time, if you have Parts A and B.
• Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another.
• Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and go back to Original Medicare (Part A and Part B).
• Join a stand-alone Part D drug plan, switch to a different one, or drop drug coverage.

Whichever change you make, it starts January 1, 2027. You do not need to cancel your old plan separately — enrolling in a new Medicare Advantage or Part D plan does that automatically.

A quick note on Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policies: those are not part of the Annual Enrollment Period. Medigap has its own rules in Texas, and if you are moving from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare, it is worth asking a counselor about your Medigap rights before you make the switch.

What the local lineup looks like

Houston is in Harris County, where CMS lists 114 Medicare Advantage plans from 15 carriers for 2026, and every one of those plans includes drug coverage. Carriers in the county include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC), Centene (WellCare), Community Health Choice, Devoted Health, Elevance Health (Anthem), Humana, Memorial Hermann Health Plan, Molina Healthcare of Texas, ProCare Advantage, Provider Partners Health Plans, SCAN Health Plan, Texas Independence Health Plan, UnitedHealthcare and Verda Health Plan of Texas.

The table on this page lists every plan available in the county, by carrier.

For 2027, 37 plans in the area are not returning, 22 new plans are joining, and 17 are being renamed. If your plan is on the "not returning" list, your insurer must notify you — and you have a special right to pick something else. If your plan is simply being renamed or restructured, the ANOC will walk you through what changed.

What is confirmed for 2027 — and what is not

Here is what CMS has already set for next year:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (from $2,100 in 2026). Once your out-of-pocket drug spending hits that cap, you pay $0 for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $700 in 2027 (from $615 in 2026). Plans can set a lower deductible, but not higher.
• The Part D national base beneficiary premium is $41.33 for 2027. That is a formula input Medicare uses — it is not what any particular plan charges.
• The coverage gap (the old "donut hole") is gone; Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan remains available in 2027, letting you spread your drug costs over monthly payments instead of paying at the pharmacy counter.

A few 2027 numbers have not been published yet. The standard Part B premium and deductible for 2027, and the IRMAA income brackets that decide whether higher earners pay a surcharge, are typically released by CMS in the fall — usually November. Be cautious of anyone quoting projected figures before CMS announces them.

How to decide: a short, calm checklist

You do not need a spreadsheet. You do need about an hour and a few documents.

1. Pull out your ANOC. Read the "changes for next year" page carefully — premium, deductible, drug tiers, provider network, and any extra benefits. 2. List your doctors and the pharmacy you actually use. If you are considering a new plan, check whether they are in that plan's 2027 network. 3. List your prescriptions, including doses. Drug formularies change every year, and this is where surprises hide. 4. Think about how you use care. Do you travel? Do you prefer a narrower HMO with coordinated care, or a broader PPO? Houston's lineup includes 59 HMO, 24 HMO-POS, 29 PPO and 2 PFFS plans, plus 45 Special Needs Plans (SNPs) for people with Medicaid, chronic conditions, or who live in a nursing home. 5. Compare total expected cost — not just premium. Add premium, deductible, likely copays and drug costs together.

Medicare's Plan Finder at medicare.gov is the official tool and lets you plug in your drugs and pharmacy to see what each plan would cost you.

Where to get unbiased local help

In Texas, free one-on-one Medicare counseling is available through the Health Information, Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) — the state's SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program). Counselors do not sell plans and do not earn commissions. You can reach HICAP at 1-800-252-9240.

You can also:

• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Visit medicare.gov to compare plans and read your coverage choices.
• Contact your local Area Agency on Aging — the Harris County Area Agency on Aging serves Houston residents.

If a plan is not returning in 2027, you also qualify for a Special Enrollment Period that gives you a little extra time past December 7 — but it is still cleaner to make your choice during the regular window.

A reminder about the January 1 – March 31 window

If January comes and your new Medicare Advantage plan is not what you expected, you are not stuck. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 – March 31, 2027. During that window, if you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan one time, or drop it and return to Original Medicare (and pick up a stand-alone Part D plan). It is a safety net — not a do-over for people in Original Medicare.