Medicare Advantage

Part B and Part D deadlines that matter in Jackson, Mississippi

JACKSON, Miss. — Medicare gives you a lot of choices. Hinds County alone has 71 Medicare Advantage plans available for 2026, offered by 10 different carriers; the 2027 lineup is in each plan's Annual Notice of Change and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. But before you can weigh any of that, you have to clear a smaller, quieter hurdle: the deadlines. Miss the wrong one, and the penalty can follow you for the rest of your life.

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Marking a calendar date in Jackson — illustrating this Medicare guide — Photo: insung yoon Photo by insung yoon on Unsplash

By The Medicare Desk · Medicare Education Desk

Published 2026-09-17·Updated 2026-10-08·9 min read·✓ Reviewed·● Jackson, MS

Key takeaways

Your 7-month Initial Enrollment Period is built around your 65th birthday — miss it without other coverage, and Part B and Part D penalties can last as long as you have Medicare.
Fall Open Enrollment runs Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, and Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment runs Jan. 1 – March 31; each window lets you do different things.
Hinds County had 71 Medicare Advantage plans from 10 carriers for 2026, so knowing your window matters more than fearing the list; the 2027 lineup is in each plan's ANOC and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder.
For free, unbiased help in Jackson, call Mississippi's SHIP or 1-800-MEDICARE before you sign anything.

The first deadline: your Initial Enrollment Period

Your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) is a seven-month window built around your 65th birthday — the three months before, your birthday month, and the three months after.

This is when most people first sign up for Part A (hospital) and Part B (medical). If you're already getting Social Security, you'll usually be enrolled automatically. If not, it's on you to act.

Skip this window without other qualifying coverage, and two things can happen:

Part B late penalty. Your premium can rise 10% for each full 12-month period you were eligible but didn't enroll. That higher premium sticks for as long as you have Part B.
Part D late penalty. If you go 63 days or more without creditable drug coverage, a small monthly amount gets added to your Part D premium — permanently.

"Permanent" is the word that surprises people. These aren't one-time fees.

The fall window: Oct. 15 – Dec. 7

The Annual Enrollment Period, or AEP, is the one most Jackson-area readers hear about. From Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, anyone already on Medicare can:

Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, or the other way around.
Change from one Medicare Advantage plan to another.
Join, drop, or switch a Part D drug plan.

Changes made during AEP take effect Jan. 1. This is the window to use if your current plan is changing, your doctors are changing networks, or your prescriptions have shifted.

Worth noting for Hinds County: there were 71 Medicare Advantage plans (most of which include drug coverage) for 2026, and Mississippi has 10 stand-alone Part D plans for 2026, sold statewide. The 2027 lineup is in each plan's ANOC and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. If you stay on Original Medicare and want drug coverage, that's a detail to raise with a counselor before Dec. 7.

The second-chance window: Jan. 1 – March 31

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs Jan. 1 through March 31. It's narrower than AEP and often misunderstood.

If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan on Jan. 1, you get one chance during this window to:

Switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan, or
Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and go back to Original Medicare (and pick up a Part D plan if one is available to you).

You cannot use this window to join a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time from Original Medicare. That's the piece people trip on.

Special Enrollment Periods

Life doesn't wait for October. Special Enrollment Periods (SEPs) exist for events like moving out of your plan's service area, losing employer coverage, qualifying for Medicaid or Extra Help, or your plan leaving Medicare.

SEPs are usually short — often 60 days from the event — so if something changes, act quickly. Documentation matters.

How the dates interact

Here's the practical order most Jackson readers experience:

1. Turning 65: use your 7-month IEP. This is the one where missing it creates lifetime penalties. 2. Already enrolled: use AEP each fall (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7) to review your plan for the coming year. 3. In a Medicare Advantage plan and second-guessing: use MA Open Enrollment (Jan. 1 – March 31) for one adjustment. 4. Life event: ask whether an SEP applies — don't assume you have to wait.

The dates aren't interchangeable. Each one unlocks different actions.

Where to get unbiased help in Jackson

With 71 Medicare Advantage plans and 10 carriers listed in Hinds County for 2026 (the 2027 lineup is in each plan's ANOC and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder), no one should feel embarrassed to ask for help sorting the calendar from the choices. Free, unbiased resources include:

Medicare.gov — the official Plan Finder and enrollment site.
1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — 24/7.
Mississippi's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), which offers free one-on-one counseling to people on Medicare and their families.

None of these will try to sell you anything.

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 Hinds County

55% are on Medicare Advantage
(MA penetration in Hinds County)

55%

45%

Medicare Advantage Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Original Medicare only

U.S. average

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.

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Medicare Advantage companies in Hinds County

By local enrollment size · informational, not a ranking

Company	Local enrollment	Plans offered	Local agents
HumanaNational	40%of MA enrollment	—	Yes
UnitedHealthcareNational	26%of MA enrollment	—	Yes
Centene (WellCare)National	19%of MA enrollment	—	Yes
Devoted Health IncRegional	7%of MA enrollment	—	Yes
Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC)Regional	5%of MA enrollment	—	Yes
Aetna (CVS Health)National	3%of MA enrollment	—	Yes

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Enrollment data: CMS Medicare Advantage enrollment by company (county level). Figures shown are illustrative sample data pending the current CMS file. Listed by enrollment size, largest first — this is not a ranking, recommendation, or endorsement of any company or plan.

Provided by licensed insurance partners; MyMedicarePlans.org may be compensated. Not a ranking or endorsement of any plan.

Explore

When can you enroll? An interactive year

JFMAMJJASOND

October 15 – December 7 — anyone with Medicare can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. Changes take effect January 1.

Enrollment windows are federal and the same nationwide. Confirm your personal dates at Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.

Explore

The parts of Medicare

Part A covers inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing facility care, hospice, and some home health care. Most people pay no premium for Part A.

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

What happens if I miss my Initial Enrollment Period?

If you don't have other qualifying coverage, you may face a late enrollment penalty on Part B and/or Part D that lasts for as long as you're enrolled. You may also have to wait until the General Enrollment Period (Jan. 1 – March 31) to sign up for Part B, with coverage starting the month after you enroll.

Can I switch Medicare Advantage plans after Dec. 7?

Yes, if you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan on Jan. 1, you have one change available during Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment (Jan. 1 – March 31). You can switch to another MA plan or return to Original Medicare. You can't use this window to join an MA plan for the first time.

Do I have to do anything if I'm happy with my current plan?

Not to keep it, in most cases — plans usually renew automatically. But plans can change their costs, drug lists, and provider networks each year. Reviewing your plan's Annual Notice of Change during AEP is still a smart habit.

How does the Part D out-of-pocket cap fit into all this?

Out-of-pocket spending on covered Part D drugs is capped at $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. The Part D maximum deductible is $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027. These are program-wide rules, so they apply regardless of which enrollment window you use — but you still have to be enrolled in a Part D or MA-PD plan to benefit.

Sources & further reading

CMS — MA/Part D Landscape & Plan Finder data

For personalized answers, contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local SHIP.

Also for Jackson

Medicare Supplement in Jackson Medicare Part D in Mississippi

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This page was last updated: October 8, 2026.