Medicare Advantage

Medicare Part B and Part D surcharges in Kansas City

Jackson County has 65 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 11 plans are not coming back, 12 are new, and 36 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 16 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Kansas City, not which plan to pick.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Medicare gives you a lot of choices, but it also gives you a lot of clocks. Miss the wrong one, and the penalty can follow you for the rest of your life. If you live in Kansas City and are approaching 65 — or helping a parent who is — the single most useful thing you can learn this fall is which deadlines matter and what happens if one slips by.

There is no shortage of options to sort through. Kansas City sits in Jackson County, where 49 Medicare Advantage plans and 8 carriers offering MA-PD coverage are available for 2027, according to CMS Plan Finder data. That is a lot to compare — and it is exactly why knowing your enrollment windows in advance saves you from rushed decisions.

The deadline most people don't know they're on

Your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) is a seven-month window: the three months before the month you turn 65, your birthday month, and the three months after. This is when most people first sign up for Part A and Part B.

If you skip Part B during this window and don't have qualifying coverage from a current job, you can face a Part B late enrollment penalty of 10% added to your premium for every 12 months you were eligible but didn't sign up — and that surcharge sticks for as long as you have Part B. That is the "cost you for life" part.

The same idea applies to Part D drug coverage. Go 63 days or more without creditable drug coverage after you're first eligible, and Medicare adds a small monthly amount to your Part D premium — permanently.

If you miss your IEP: the General Enrollment Period

Missed your IEP and don't qualify for a Special Enrollment Period? You can still sign up for Part B during the General Enrollment Period, Jan. 1 through March 31 each year, with coverage starting the month after you enroll. The late penalty may still apply, but at least you are not locked out.

The fall window everyone talks about: Oct. 15 – Dec. 7

The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) is the one you'll see advertised every autumn. During AEP you can:

• Join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage plan.
• Join, switch, or drop a stand-alone Part D drug plan.
• Move between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage.

Changes made during AEP take effect Jan. 1. If you do nothing, your current plan generally rolls over — but its costs, drug list, and provider network can change, which is why it's worth reading the Annual Notice of Change your plan mails each September.

One local note worth flagging: Missouri has 10 stand-alone Part D plans for 2026, sold statewide, so anyone in Jackson County with Original Medicare can join one of them. If you use Original Medicare and want drug coverage, confirm your options at medicare.gov or with a local counselor before the Dec. 7 cutoff.

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

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA OEP) is a do-over — but only for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan on Jan. 1. During this window you can switch to a different Advantage plan, or drop Advantage and return to Original Medicare (and pick up a Part D plan at the same time).

You get one change during this period. It is not a window to join Medicare Advantage for the first time if you were on Original Medicare on Jan. 1.

Special Enrollment Periods: the deadlines tied to life events

Some deadlines aren't on the calendar — they're triggered by what happens to you. Moving out of your plan's service area, losing employer coverage, qualifying for Medicaid or Extra Help, or your plan leaving Medicare can all open a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). Most SEPs last 60 days from the event, though the rules vary.

If you're still working past 65 and covered by an employer health plan with 20 or more employees, you generally get an 8-month SEP to sign up for Part B after that coverage ends — and using it correctly is how you avoid the lifetime penalty.

How the dates interact — a Kansas City example

Say you turn 65 in June. Your IEP runs March through September. You take Part A but delay Part B because you're still working with strong employer coverage. When you retire the following March, your 8-month SEP begins — that's the window to enroll in Part B without penalty. Once you have Part B, you can add a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.

If instead you retire in November, AEP is already running, and the choices you make by Dec. 7 will shape your coverage starting Jan. 1. With 49 Advantage plans and 8 MA-PD carriers available in Jackson County for 2027, that comparison takes real time — don't start it on Dec. 6.

Where to get unbiased help

For plan-specific questions, use medicare.gov's Plan Finder, call 1-800-MEDICARE (24/7), or contact Missouri's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), called CLAIM, at 800-390-3330. SHIP counseling is free, one-on-one, and not tied to any insurance company.