If your plan works fine, doing nothing is allowed: your coverage renews automatically. But “doing nothing” should be a deliberate choice, not a default. Plans change their premiums, drug lists, and doctor networks every year — and 2027 brings several rule changes worth knowing. Here’s exactly what the window lets you do, what it doesn’t, and how to use it well.
What you CAN change during Annual Enrollment (Oct 15–Dec 7)
During these seven weeks, anyone already enrolled in Medicare can make these moves with no penalty and no questions asked:
- Switch from Original Medicare (Parts A & B) to a Medicare Advantage plan — Advantage plans often bundle drug coverage plus extras like dental, vision, and hearing.
- Switch from a Medicare Advantage plan back to Original Medicare — if you do, you can also add a stand-alone Part D drug plan. Note the Medigap catch below.
- Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another — including moving between plans with and without drug coverage.
- Join, switch, or drop a Part D prescription drug plan — including enrolling for the first time if you skipped it when you were first eligible. Heads-up: if you go without drug coverage and don’t have other creditable drug coverage (like from an employer), a late enrollment penalty may apply when you sign up later.
- Do nothing — your current coverage renews as-is.
What you CAN’T do during this window
- Sign up for Medicare Parts A and B for the first time. Annual Enrollment is only for people already enrolled. First-time sign-ups go through the General Enrollment Period (January 1–March 31) via the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213.
- Freely switch Medigap (Medicare Supplement) plans. Leaving a Medicare Advantage plan for Original Medicare sounds simple, but buying a Medigap policy to fill the gaps in Original Medicare may require medical underwriting in Texas — meaning insurers can ask health questions and turn you down or charge more. Think carefully before giving up an Advantage plan.
What’s actually new for 2027 (from the CMS final rule)
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services published the Contract Year 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Final Rule in the Federal Register on April 7, 2026, effective June 1, 2026. Here’s what touches real people:
- Prescription drug math: CMS set the 2027 Part D base beneficiary premium at $41.33 — but that’s the starting figure for plan calculations, not a price tag. The standard drug deductible ceiling rises to $700 (from $615), and the annual out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 (from $2,100). The temporary federal program that had been holding stand-alone drug-plan premiums down ends December 31, 2026.
- Part B is still a projection: the 2026 Medicare Trustees Report projects the standard Part B premium at $209.50/month for 2027 (up from $202.90) and the Part B deductible around $292 — but CMS won’t confirm the final numbers until November. Treat $209.50 as a planning estimate, not a fact.
- Medicare Advantage premiums look calmer: CMS projects the average MA premium at about $12 a month for 2027 (down from $14.37), with roughly 8 in 10 enrollees expected to keep their plan at the same or a lower premium.
- Expect more sales calls. The marketing provisions of the final rule took effect October 1, 2026 — including the removal of the 48-hour waiting period between signing a Scope of Appointment and a sales appointment. Legitimate agents still need your permission first, and Medicare itself never cold-calls. Anyone claiming to be “from Medicare” on an unsolicited call is a scammer — hang up.
- Star ratings mean something different now. CMS overhauled the Star Ratings methodology for 2027 — removing 11 measures it considered administrative or low-variation, and adding a depression screening and follow-up measure. A higher star rating this year may reflect the new scoring formula, not better care. Read ratings with that in mind.
Your second chance: January 1–March 31, 2027
If you’re in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one more window: the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, January 1 through March 31. During it you can switch to a different Advantage plan or drop back to Original Medicare and join a Part D plan. It doesn’t help if you’re on Original Medicare already — but it’s a real safety net if your 2027 plan turns out to be a bad fit.
How to compare plans in San Antonio (step by step)
- Read your Annual Notice of Change. Your plan was required to mail this by September 30. It shows your exact 2027 premium, drug list, and doctor network — the most personal document in this whole process.
- List your prescriptions and your doctors. Check that every drug is still on your plan’s formulary (and at what tier), and that your doctors and hospital are in-network for 2027 specifically — networks change.
- Compare at medicare.gov. The official Medicare Plan Finder is free and shows your real total costs side by side — premium plus drugs plus expected medical costs. Compare total cost, not just the monthly premium.
- Get free, unbiased help. Texas’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program (called HICAP in Texas) offers free one-on-one Medicare counseling from trained counselors who don’t sell insurance and can’t hold insurance licenses — so there’s no sales agenda. Call 800-252-9240, find your local counselor through the office directory at hhs.texas.gov/services/health/medicare, or use the national locator at shiphelp.org.
The one mistake to avoid
Don’t switch plans because of a single number — a $0 premium, a dental allowance, a grocery card. The right comparison is your total expected cost for 2027: premium + drug costs + what you’ll pay when you actually see a doctor. And if you’re leaving a Medicare Advantage plan for Original Medicare, settle the Medigap question before you switch, not after.
Related guides
- Free Medicare Help in San Antonio: Open Enrollment Oct 15-Dec 7 (2027 Plans) — the 2027 cost changes and free counseling in one overview
- Medicare Part D Changes for 2027 — a deeper look at what’s shifting with drug coverage
Money tight beyond Medicare? Take our free quiz to see which San Antonio programs you may qualify for — we’ll match you with potential matches in minutes, from help paying Part B premiums to food and utility assistance.
Check what you may qualify for
♥ NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS
This guide was free. If it helped your family, $3 a month keeps this running for the next family. $3 a month helps pay for the hosting and the checking that keeps this help free and up to date: $3 a month — chip in.
Gifts are not tax-deductible.
Frequently asked questions
When is Medicare Annual Enrollment for 2027 plans?
October 15 through December 7, 2026. Changes take effect January 1, 2027.
Can I switch from a Medicare Advantage plan back to Original Medicare?
Yes — that’s one of the changes Annual Enrollment allows. But buying a Medigap supplement to go with Original Medicare may require medical underwriting in Texas, so check that before you switch.
What is the Part B premium for 2027?
Not final yet. The 2026 Medicare Trustees Report projects $209.50/month (up from $202.90), but CMS confirms the official figure in November. Don’t treat the projection as a fact.
Where can I get free, unbiased Medicare help in San Antonio?
Texas HICAP (the state’s SHIP program) offers free one-on-one counseling from people who don’t sell insurance: call 800-252-9240 or find a local counselor at shiphelp.org.
Helpful links & phone numbers
- Medicare.gov — the official Medicare site: coverage, costs, and how enrollment works.
- Medicare Plan Compare — compare 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plans side by side, check your doctors and prescriptions, and enroll.
- 1-800-MEDICARE — free plan help by phone, 24 hours a day (except some holidays): 1-800-633-4227 (TTY: 1-877-486-2048).
- SHIP counselor locator (shiphelp.org) — find free, unbiased Medicare counseling near you. Counselors don’t sell plans.
- Texas HICAP (through Texas Health and Human Services) — free, local Medicare counseling for Texans — plan comparisons, billing problems, and appeals. Call the Texas Medicare Help Line: 1-800-252-9240.
- Social Security (ssa.gov) — Medicare enrollment questions and applying for Extra Help with drug costs: 1-800-772-1213.
Free food, free rides, free clothes, free furniture and more — all in one place.
