Medicare 2026

Missed December 7? Here's Your Next Move in McKinney

In McKinney, the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period is open now and runs through December 7, 2026 — the once-a-year window when almost every Medicare beneficiary can change how their coverage will work in 2027. This year the stakes feel a little different, because the Part D out-of-pocket cap on prescription drug costs rises to $2,400 on January 1, 2027, and it is worth checking that your plan still fits before the door closes.

What you can actually do between now and December 7

The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) is the widest set of choices most people get all year. 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, drop one, or switch to a different one.
• Add drug coverage if you have Original Medicare and don't have it yet.

Whatever you choose now takes effect January 1, 2027. If you do nothing, your current plan generally rolls into next year — but the plan itself may be changing, which is why the next step matters.

Read the letter you got in September

By late September, your current Medicare Advantage or Part D plan mailed you an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). It spells out what will be different in 2027 — premium, deductible, drug list (formulary), pharmacy network, and provider network.

If you tossed it, most plans post it online, or you can call the number on your member ID card. Reading this one document is the single most useful thing you can do before comparing options.

What's new for 2027

A few program-level changes are worth knowing about as you compare:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap. Once your out-of-pocket spending on covered prescriptions hits the annual cap — $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027 — you pay $0 for the rest of the calendar year on those drugs.
• Coverage gap is gone. The old "donut hole" was eliminated in 2025. Part D now has three phases: deductible, initial coverage, and catastrophic (where the cap kicks in).
• Part D deductible ceiling. No Part D plan can charge a deductible higher than $615 in 2026, rising to $700 in 2027.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. This is an optional program that lets you spread your drug costs into level monthly payments across the year instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter. You have to opt in.
• IRMAA thresholds. Higher-income beneficiaries pay an added amount on Part B and Part D premiums. For 2026, the first surcharge tier starts above $109,000 in income for a single filer (higher for joint filers).

McKinney is in Collin County — here's why that matters

Medicare Advantage and Part D plan availability is set at the county level, not the city level. McKinney sits in Collin County, so when you use the Plan Finder at medicare.gov, you'll enter your ZIP code and see the plans offered to Collin County residents. Two neighbors on opposite sides of the county line can see different plan menus, which is normal.

How to compare without getting overwhelmed

A simple order of operations that works for most people:

1. List your drugs, exact names and doses, plus your preferred pharmacy. 2. List your doctors and any hospital you want to keep using. 3. Go to medicare.gov/plan-compare, enter your ZIP code, and let the tool check each plan's formulary and network against your list. 4. Look at total estimated yearly cost, not just the monthly premium — deductibles and drug tiers can matter more. 5. If a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) switch is on your mind, know that Medigap has different rules and medical underwriting may apply outside your initial windows.

If December 7 comes and goes

Missing the deadline is not the end of the world, but your options narrow:

• If you're in a Medicare Advantage plan, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31, 2027) lets you switch to another Advantage plan or drop back to Original Medicare with a Part D plan. You get one change during this window.
• Certain life events — moving, losing other coverage, qualifying for Extra Help — can trigger a Special Enrollment Period.
• Otherwise, you'll generally wait until next year's AEP.

Where to get unbiased help in McKinney

• Medicare.gov — the official Plan Finder and rulebook.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), 24/7.
• Texas SHIP — the state's free counseling program, known here as the Health Information, Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP). Counselors don't sell anything. Call 1-800-252-9240.