Medicare Supplement

Medicare Open Enrollment 2026: Charlotte's Guide to the Dec. 7 Deadline

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period is open now through Dec. 7, and this year's window carries some of the biggest coverage changes people on Medicare have seen in years. A new $2,100 cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug spending takes effect Jan. 1, 2026, and every Part D and Medicare Advantage plan is sending out an Annual Notice of Change that spells out what will be different next year.

If you're on Medicare in Charlotte — or helping a parent who is — here's a plain-English guide to what you can actually do between Oct. 15 and Dec. 7, and how to think through the decision.

What the Annual Enrollment Period lets you do

The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) runs Oct. 15 through Dec. 7 every year. Any change you make now takes effect Jan. 1, 2026. During this window, 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 stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan.

You don't have to do anything. If you're happy with your current coverage and it isn't being discontinued, it will typically renew automatically. But "doing nothing" is still a choice — and it means you're accepting whatever changes your plan made for 2026.

Why 2026 is worth a closer look

A few program-level changes make this year's review especially worthwhile:

• The $2,100 Part D cap. Once your out-of-pocket spending on covered prescriptions hits $2,100 in 2026, you pay $0 for the rest of the year on those drugs.
• No more donut hole. The old coverage gap was eliminated in 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• Part D deductible ceiling of $615. Plans can charge less, but no Part D plan can charge more than $615 as a deductible in 2026.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. This is an optional program that lets you spread your drug costs out into monthly payments across the year instead of paying a large amount at the pharmacy counter. You have to opt in — it isn't automatic.

None of these changes require you to switch plans. But they do change the math on how much a plan may actually cost you next year, which is why reading your Annual Notice of Change matters.

How to decide: a simple checklist for Charlotte enrollees

Before comparing anything, gather three things:

1. Your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). Your current plan mailed this in late September. It shows what's changing for 2026. 2. Your prescription list. Names, doses, and how often you take each one. 3. Your doctors and preferred pharmacies. Especially important if you're on Medicare Advantage, since networks can shift year to year.

Then ask yourself:

• Are all my medications still covered next year, and in the same tier?
• Are my doctors still in-network?
• Did my premium, deductible, or copays change?
• Would I benefit from smoothing my drug costs monthly under the new payment plan?

Charlotte is in Mecklenburg County, and Medicare plan availability is set at the county level. That means the specific plans available to you depend on your county of residence, not your ZIP code alone. To see the full menu of plans for Mecklenburg County, use the Plan Finder at medicare.gov.

A quick word on higher-income enrollees

If your income is above certain thresholds, you pay an Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) on top of your standard Part B and Part D premiums. For 2026, IRMAA surcharges begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer (higher for joint filers). Social Security bases this on your tax return from two years earlier. If your income has dropped since then — because of retirement, for instance — you can request a reconsideration.

What Star Ratings actually mean

You'll see plans listed with one to five stars on Medicare.gov. Those ratings come from CMS and reflect things like customer service, member complaints, and how well plans manage chronic conditions. They're a useful signal, but they aren't the whole picture — a highly rated plan may not cover your specific drugs or include your specific doctors. Use ratings as one input, not the decision.

If you miss Dec. 7

For most people, Dec. 7 is the deadline. But there are two follow-up windows worth knowing:

• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment (Jan. 1 – March 31, 2026). If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance to switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan or drop back to Original Medicare (with a Part D plan). You cannot use this window to move from Original Medicare into Medicare Advantage.
• Special Enrollment Periods. Certain life events — moving, losing other coverage, qualifying for Extra Help — can open a personal enrollment window outside AEP.