Medicare Advantage

Reno Medicare 2027: Key Dates for Washoe County Nevada

People in Reno can choose from 42 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 47 this year. Twelve of this year’s plans are gone, 7 are new to Washoe County, and 23 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 11 of them under a new name.

RENO, Nev. — If you live in Reno and are sorting through Medicare for 2027, the calendar matters as much as the choices themselves. Reno is in Washoe County, where 31 Medicare Advantage plans are on offer for 2027, according to CMS Medicare Plan Finder data. That is still a wide field to sort through — and the enrollment windows that let you pick, switch, or drop a plan only open at set times of the year.

Missing a deadline can leave you locked into a plan for months, or paying a late penalty for years. Here is how the timing works, in plain English.

The main window: Oct. 15 – Dec. 7

This is the Annual Enrollment Period, often called AEP or the fall open enrollment. It is the widest door of the year. During AEP you 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 prescription drug plan.

Anything you choose takes effect January 1, 2027. If you do nothing, in most cases your current plan simply renews — but the plan itself may have changed. Every fall your plan sends an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). Read it. Your copays, network, and covered drugs can shift year to year, even if the plan name looks the same.

With 31 Medicare Advantage plans available in Washoe County from 9 different carriers for 2027, it is worth spending an afternoon on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder before December rolls around.

A second chance: Jan. 1 – March 31

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period is a narrower window that only applies if you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1. During this period you can:

• Switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan.
• Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare (and add a stand-alone Part D plan if you need drug coverage).

You cannot use this window to join a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time if you are in Original Medicare. You also only get one change during this period — so use it carefully.

One local note: CMS data shows no stand-alone Part D plans listed for Washoe County residents for 2027, so most people in Reno get their drug coverage bundled inside a Medicare Advantage plan (an MA-PD). Keep that in mind if you are thinking about dropping MA and going back to Original Medicare in the new year — you will need to look carefully at how to cover prescriptions.

When you first become eligible

Turning 65 (or qualifying through disability) opens your Initial Enrollment Period — a seven-month window that starts three months before the month you turn 65 and ends three months after. This is when most people first sign up for Part A and Part B.

To avoid gaps in coverage, sign up in the three months before your birthday month. That way your coverage starts the first day of your birthday month.

If you are still working past 65 with job-based insurance, you may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period later. Confirm this with Social Security or your local SHIP counselor before dropping employer coverage.

What happens if you miss a deadline

The penalties are the part most people wish they had known about sooner.

• Part B late penalty: For most people who don't sign up when first eligible and don't have qualifying job-based coverage, the monthly Part B premium goes up 10% for each full 12-month period you could have had it. This penalty usually lasts as long as you have Part B.
• Part D late penalty: If you go 63 days or more without creditable drug coverage after you're first eligible, a small monthly amount is added to your Part D premium — permanently.
• Missed AEP: If you miss Oct. 15 – Dec. 7 and don't qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, you may be stuck with your current plan for the year.

Special Enrollment Periods exist for specific life events — moving out of your plan's service area, losing employer coverage, qualifying for Extra Help, and others. If life changed, ask before you assume you're locked in.

A few 2027 program facts worth knowing

These apply nationwide, not to any specific plan:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 for 2026. Once your covered drug spending hits that, you pay $0 for covered drugs for the rest of the year.
• Part D maximum deductible is $615 in 2026 ($700 in 2027).
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") has been eliminated as of 2025; Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs evenly across the calendar year instead of paying big bills up front. It's optional and free to opt in.
• IRMAA — higher Part B and Part D premiums for higher-income enrollees — starts above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

How to decide, without rushing

A simple order of operations for the weeks before Dec. 7:

1. Read the ANOC letter your current plan mailed you in September. 2. Make a list of your current doctors, hospitals, and prescriptions. 3. Go to Medicare.gov and use Plan Finder to compare Washoe County options against that list. 4. If you want a human, call 1-800-MEDICARE (24/7) or contact Nevada's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), called Nevada SHIP, for free unbiased counseling.

Star Ratings, published by CMS each fall, can also help you gauge plan quality. Ratings are one input among many — worth checking on Medicare.gov as you compare Washoe County options for 2027.