Medicare Advantage

Oct 15 to Dec 7: Medicare AEP window for North Charleston

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — The clock is ticking on Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period, the once-a-year window when people with Medicare can review and change their coverage for the coming year. The window opened October 15 and closes December 7. Any choice you make during this window takes effect January 1, 2027.

This fall's review is worth a careful look. Several Part D drug coverage rules are changing again for 2027, and the plan landscape in the Charleston area has shifted from last year. Here's what North Charleston residents can actually do before the deadline — and where to get unbiased help.

What you can change during AEP

Between now and December 7, 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 a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan, drop one, or switch to a different one.

If you do nothing, your current plan generally rolls into 2027 — but often with changes to premiums, drug lists, or provider networks. That's why the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) your plan mailed in September matters. It spells out exactly what's different next year.

What's new for 2027

Two Part D numbers are worth memorizing:

• $2,400 — the out-of-pocket cap on covered prescription drugs in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026). Once you hit it, you pay nothing more for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• $700 — the maximum Part D deductible a plan can charge in 2027 (it was $615 in 2026).

The old "donut hole" coverage gap is gone as of 2025, so Part D now has three phases instead of four. And the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan — a free option that lets you spread your yearly drug costs across monthly bills instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter — continues in 2027. You have to opt in through your drug plan.

Higher-income beneficiaries should also note the 2026 IRMAA threshold: Part B and Part D surcharges kick in above $109,000 in income for a single filer (based on your 2024 tax return).

Plan availability in Charleston County

North Charleston sits in Charleston County, where Medicare plan availability is set. Medicare Advantage and Part D plans are sold at the county level, so two neighbors on the same street see the same menu — but someone across the county line in Berkeley or Dorchester County may see a different one.

To see the exact plans available at your address for 2027, use the Plan Finder at medicare.gov/plan-compare. It lets you enter your ZIP code, add your prescriptions and pharmacies, and compare total estimated yearly costs — not just premiums.

How to actually decide

A useful checklist before December 7:

1. Read the ANOC from your current plan. Look for changes to the premium, deductible, drug tiers, and provider network. 2. List your prescriptions with dosages. Even one drug moving to a higher tier can change your yearly cost significantly. 3. Check your doctors and preferred pharmacy against the 2027 network — networks change every year. 4. Consider the whole picture: monthly premium, deductible, copays, out-of-pocket max, and whether your specialists are in-network. 5. Think about travel. Original Medicare works nationwide; most Medicare Advantage plans use local networks.

Where to get free, unbiased help

You do not have to figure this out alone, and you do not have to talk to an agent to get answers.

• Medicare.gov — the official Plan Finder and coverage rules.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — 24/7, including holidays.
• South Carolina SHIP — the State Health Insurance Assistance Program offers free, one-on-one Medicare counseling. In the Lowcountry, SHIP counselors work through local Councils on Aging and can be reached at 1-800-868-9095. They don't sell anything.

What if you miss December 7?

If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get a second chance during the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, January 1 – March 31, 2027. During that window you can switch to a different Advantage plan or drop back to Original Medicare (and add a Part D plan). It does not, however, let people in Original Medicare newly join an Advantage plan.

Outside those windows, you generally need a Special Enrollment Period — triggered by things like moving, losing other coverage, or qualifying for Extra Help.