Medicare Advantage
Medicare Late Penalties in 2026: How to Avoid Them
For 2027, Salt Lake County is looking at 37 Medicare Advantage plans from 8 carriers: 4 new, 6 gone since 2026, and 13 continuing plans changed something in their terms, with 9 renamed. Below, how the lineup shifted in Salt Lake County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.
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SALT LAKE CITY — Missing your Medicare sign-up window can cost you for the rest of your life. That's the hard truth behind Medicare's late-enrollment penalties, and it's one of the most common — and most preventable — mistakes new beneficiaries make.
Key takeaways
- Your Initial Enrollment Period for Part B lasts seven months: three months before your 65th birthday month, your birthday month, and three months after.
- Missing that window without other qualifying coverage adds a permanent Part B penalty of 10% of the standard premium for each full 12-month period you went without enrolling.
- Going 63 or more days without creditable drug coverage after your Initial Enrollment Period triggers a permanent Part D penalty of 1% of the national base beneficiary premium for each month you were uncovered.
- Coverage from an employer, a union, the VA, or TRICARE can count as creditable, so keep the yearly letter confirming this in case you need it later.
If you live in Salt Lake City or anywhere else in Salt Lake County, the rules are the same as they are nationwide. Here's how the penalties work, when they apply, and the simple steps you can take to sidestep them.
Why Medicare has late-enrollment penalties
Medicare is designed to keep the risk pool healthy. If people could wait until they got sick to sign up, premiums would climb for everyone. To keep enrollment steady and fair, Medicare adds a permanent surcharge to your monthly premium if you delay signing up for Part B (medical insurance) or Part D (prescription drug coverage) without having other qualifying coverage in place.
The key word there is permanent. In most cases, once a penalty is added to your premium, it stays for as long as you have that coverage.
The Part B late-enrollment penalty
Your Initial Enrollment Period for Part B is a seven-month window: the three months before your 65th birthday month, your birthday month, and the three months after.
If you don't sign up during that window — and you don't have other creditable coverage, like a current employer's group health plan — the Part B penalty is 10% of the standard Part B premium for every full 12-month period you were eligible but not enrolled. That amount is added to your monthly premium and generally stays there for as long as you have Part B.
How to avoid it:
- Sign up during your Initial Enrollment Period if you're not covered by an employer plan.
- If you're still working past 65 and have employer coverage, ask HR whether it's considered "creditable" for Medicare purposes.
- When you leave that coverage, use your Special Enrollment Period — typically eight months after your job or job-based coverage ends — to sign up penalty-free.
The Part D late-enrollment penalty
Part D covers prescription drugs, and it has its own separate penalty. If you go 63 or more days in a row without creditable drug coverage after your Initial Enrollment Period, you'll pay a penalty when you finally join a Part D plan.
The Part D penalty is calculated as 1% of the "national base beneficiary premium" for each full month you went without coverage, added to your monthly premium for as long as you have Part D.
Creditable drug coverage can come from an employer, a union, the VA, or TRICARE, among others. If you have one of these, keep the letter your plan sends each year confirming it's creditable — you may need it later.
What's new for Part D in 2027
Even if you don't take expensive medications today, Part D matters more than ever. A few 2027 figures worth knowing:
- $2,400 out-of-pocket cap on covered Part D drugs in 2027.
- $700 maximum deductible any Part D plan can charge in 2027.
- The old coverage gap (the "donut hole") is gone as of 2025 — Part D now has three phases instead of four.
- The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your yearly drug costs into monthly installments at no extra charge.
- IRMAA — an income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D premiums — kicks in above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.
These are national program figures set by CMS, not plan-specific numbers.
What Salt Lake City residents should know locally
Salt Lake City is in Salt Lake County, where Medicare beneficiaries choose from a range of stand-alone Part D drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans that include drug coverage. Availability and plan counts are set at the county level, so two neighbors on the same block in Salt Lake City generally see the same menu of options — but someone in a different Utah county may see a different list.
For a personalized look at what's available in your ZIP code, the Plan Finder at medicare.gov is the official source.
Key dates to circle
- Initial Enrollment Period: the 7-month window around your 65th birthday.
- Special Enrollment Period: typically 8 months after employer coverage ends (for Part B).
- Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7 each year, when you can join, drop, or change a Part D or Medicare Advantage plan.
- Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31, when people already in a Medicare Advantage plan can switch once.
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 Salt Lake County
(MA penetration in Salt Lake County)
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.
Prescription coverage
How Medicare Part D works in 2027
The old coverage gap (“donut hole”) is eliminated as of 2025 (three phases now). In 2027, there's a hard yearly cap of $2,400 on what you pay out of pocket for covered drugs, and you can spread those costs across the year with the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan.
Explore
When can you enroll? An interactive year
Enrollment windows are federal and the same nationwide. Confirm your personal dates at Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.
Explore
The parts of Medicare
What changes next year
Medicare Advantage plans leaving or changing in Salt Lake County for 2027
Salt Lake City is in Salt Lake County. Comparing CMS’s 2026 and 2027 Landscape files for the county:
Plans not offered in Salt Lake County for 2027
| Plan | Carrier | Type |
|---|---|---|
| HealthSpring Premier (HMO-POS) | Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC) | HMO-POS |
| HealthSpring True Choice (PPO) | Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC) | PPO |
| Humana Value Choice H5216-456 (PPO) | Humana | PPO |
| Molina Medicare Complete Care Select (HMO D-SNP) | Molina Healthcare of Utah & Idaho | HMO D-SNP |
| Regence Valiance (PPO) | Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah | PPO |
| Select Health Medicare + Kroger (HMO) | Select Health | HMO |
Plans new to Salt Lake County for 2027
| Plan | Carrier | Type |
|---|---|---|
| DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE GIVEBACK EXTRAS 011 UT (PPO C-SNP) | Devoted Health | PPO C-SNP |
| DEVOTED CHOICE GIVEBACK EXTRAS 014 UT (PPO) | Devoted Health | PPO |
| Humana Value Choice (PPO) | Humana | PPO |
| HumanaChoice - Diabetes and Heart (PPO C-SNP) | Humana | PPO C-SNP |
Plans continuing under a new name
| Plan | Carrier | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Aetna Medicare Signature (PPO) (was Aetna Medicare Signature Extra (PPO)) | Aetna (CVS Health) | PPO |
| DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE ENHANCED 003 UT (PPO C-SNP) (was DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE PREMIUM 003 UT (PPO C-SNP)) | Devoted Health | PPO C-SNP |
| Humana Essentials Plus Giveback (PPO) (was Humana Essentials Plus Giveback H5216-430 (PPO)) | Humana | PPO |
| Humana Full Access (PPO) (was Humana Full Access H7617-025 (PPO)) | Humana | PPO |
| Humana Total Complete (HMO) (was Humana Total Complete H2486-003 (HMO)) | Humana | HMO |
| Humana Value Choice (PPO) (was Humana Value Choice H7617-032 (PPO)) | Humana | PPO |
| Select Health Medicare Veterans (HMO) (was Select Health Medicare NoRx (HMO)) | Select Health | HMO |
| UHC Dual Advantage UT-V1 (PPO D-SNP) (was UHC Dual Complete UT-V001 (PPO D-SNP)) | UnitedHealthcare | PPO D-SNP |
| UHC Dual Complete UT-Q1 (PPO D-SNP) (was UHC Dual Complete UT-S001 (PPO D-SNP)) | UnitedHealthcare | PPO D-SNP |
Carriers with no plans in Salt Lake County for 2027: Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC)
“Changing” means the plan's 2027 record differs from 2026 on premium, drug deductible, plan type or name; the details are in the Annual Notice of Change your plan mails by September 30. If your plan is not offered for 2027, you can choose another during the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 to December 7, 2026) and you also get a Special Enrollment Period that runs through the end of February 2027. Source: CMS MA Landscape Source Files. No plan is ranked or recommended.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
I'm 66 and still working with good health insurance. Do I need to sign up for Medicare now?
I take no prescription drugs. Can I skip Part D?
Do late-enrollment penalties ever go away?
- CMS — MA/Part D Landscape & Plan Finder data
For personalized answers, contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local SHIP.