Medicare Enrollees Have Until Dec. 7 to Switch
If you have Medicare, your plan's costs or benefits may change next year, so compare options before the deadline.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Senior Health
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Medicare beneficiaries have until Dec. 7 to review and change their coverage for next year. Some insurance plans are changing benefits, raising costs, or discontinuing products, so New York seniors enrolled in Medicare should compare options during open enrollment.
Why it matters
Open enrollment is the main window for beneficiaries to switch between traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage, change Medicare Advantage plans, or review prescription drug coverage. Annual notices of change spell out the adjustments insurers are making for the coming year, so acting before the deadline is how beneficiaries avoid being stuck with a plan that no longer fits their needs.
The information comes from Medicare's annual enrollment guidance and insurer notices of change, which outline benefit, cost, and coverage adjustments for the coming year. The source does not provide aggregate figures on how many New York beneficiaries will be affected or by how much.
The players
Medicare
The federal health insurance program for people 65 and older and certain younger people with disabilities, which runs the open enrollment process and the 1-800-MEDICARE line.
StateWide Senior Action Council
A New York senior advocacy group that offers free, unbiased counseling to help older residents compare Medicare plan options.
New York State Senior Medicare Patrol
A New York program that helps seniors detect and report Medicare fraud and provides assistance with billing and coverage questions.
The details
During open enrollment, beneficiaries can move between traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage, switch Medicare Advantage plans, and review prescription drug coverage. Medicare Advantage plans are offered through private insurers and may be sold by brokers who receive commissions, so beneficiaries should compare options carefully rather than relying on a single recommendation. Medicare does not endorse any one plan over another.
Timeline
Dec. 7: Medicare open enrollment ends for plan changes.
Next year: Coverage changes from insurers take effect.
Health Landscape
Medicare Advantage, created under the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, lets private insurers offer Medicare benefits and has become a major share of senior coverage. The annual open enrollment window is the mechanism that lets beneficiaries respond when those private plans change their benefits and costs each year.
If you are a Medicare beneficiary in New York, review your annual notice of change before Dec. 7 to see whether your plan's benefits, costs, or prescription drug coverage are changing. Worth discussing with your doctor is whether your current medications and preferred providers will still be covered next year.
The takeaway
Open enrollment is the one yearly window to change Medicare coverage, so review your plan's notice of change before Dec. 7. Free, unbiased help is available through the StateWide Senior Action Council, local offices for the aging, or 1-800-MEDICARE.
What happens next
Insurers' coverage changes for next year take effect at the start of the new plan year, after the Dec. 7 open enrollment deadline.
Further reading
For more on keeping coverage in step with your needs as you age, see Senior Health coverage on We are Healthy.
More information
For free help, call the New York State Senior Medicare Patrol assistance line at 800-333-4374.
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