Quick answers
- When is Medicare open enrollment for 2027?
- October 15 to December 7, 2026. Coverage you choose starts January 1, 2027.
- What if my plan is ending in 2027?
- You can choose new coverage until February 28, 2027. Choose by December 31, 2026 so there's no gap, and you can buy certain Medigap policies without health questions for 63 days after the plan ends.
- Can I change plans after December 7?
- If you're in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can make one change from January 1 to March 31, 2027. Other changes need a special enrollment period.
- Is Medigap part of open enrollment?
- No. In Oregon, current Medigap policyholders can switch to a policy with the same or lesser benefits from 30 days before to 30 days after their birthday each year.
- What happens if I do nothing?
- If your plan renews, you stay in it with its 2027 changes. If it's ending and you don't choose, you go back to Original Medicare on January 1 without drug coverage.
When is Medicare open enrollment for 2027?
The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), often called open enrollment, runs October 15 to December 7, 2026. Changes take effect January 1, 2027. The dates are the same in every state. You can make more than one change; the last one you make by December 7 counts. Don't wait for the last week: give yourself time to check your doctors and drugs.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| By September 30, 2026 | Your plan mails its Annual Notice of Change for 2027, or a non-renewal notice if the plan is ending. |
| October 15, 2026 | Open enrollment opens. |
| December 7, 2026 | Open enrollment closes. |
| December 31, 2026 | Last day to choose a replacement for a plan that's ending with no gap in coverage. |
| January 1, 2027 | New coverage starts. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period opens. |
| February 28, 2027 | Special enrollment period ends for people whose plan didn't renew. |
| March 31, 2027 | The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period ends. |
What can I change during open enrollment?
- Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, with or without drug coverage.
- Switch from a Medicare Advantage plan back to Original Medicare. Open enrollment doesn't give you a right to buy Medigap, so check that first.
- Change from one Medicare Advantage plan to another.
- Join, switch or drop a Part D drug plan. Going more than 63 days without Part D or other creditable drug coverage can mean a late penalty.
To join a Medicare Advantage plan you must have Part A and Part B and live in the plan's service area. In Oregon, plans are approved county by county. See Medicare Advantage in Oregon and Part D in Oregon.
2027 plan endings in Oregon
If your plan is ending and you do nothing, you go back to Original Medicare on January 1, without drug coverage. According to CMS plan and October 2026 enrollment data, six companies stop selling regular Medicare Advantage plans in some Oregon counties for 2027, and other companies end some plans where they keep others. Together that means more than 115,000 Oregonians must choose new coverage.
- Watch for a non-renewal letter. If your plan is ending, it sends you a notice. Keep it: you'll need it to buy Medigap with guaranteed-issue rights.
- Choose by December 7 during open enrollment, or by December 31 using the non-renewal special enrollment period, so your new coverage starts January 1.
- You have until February 28, 2027 to choose a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, but coverage starts the first of the month after you choose.
- Medigap without health questions: because your plan is ending, you can buy Medigap Plan A, B, D, G, K, L, M or N (or C or F if you were eligible for Medicare before 2020) from any company, applying up to 63 days after your plan coverage ends (OAR 836-052-0142).
Look up your plan and county on Oregon plans ending in 2027, and see what to do if your plan is leaving your county.
How many plans does Oregon have for 2027?
CMS's 2027 Landscape file lists 61 Medicare Advantage plans open to everyone in Oregon from 14 companies, 26 special needs plans, and 8 standalone Part D plans from 4 companies. You can only choose plans sold in your county: Multnomah County has 32 plans open to everyone, Lane County 26, Marion County 22, Jackson County 5 and Deschutes County 3.
Grant, Harney, Lake, Umatilla and Union counties have no Medicare Advantage plan open to everyone for 2027 (only employer group plans), Curry County has only a special needs plan, and Coos County has one plan. Find yours on our counties page.
What changes in Part D for 2027?
- The yearly cap on what you pay out of pocket for covered Part D drugs is $2,400 in 2027, up from $2,100 in 2026. After you reach it, you pay nothing more for covered drugs that year.
- A Part D plan's deductible can be no more than $700 in 2027.
- Covered insulin costs no more than $35 for a month's supply.
- You can still spread drug costs over the year in monthly payments through the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan; ask your plan.
Plans also change their drug lists, pharmacy networks and premiums each year, which is why the Annual Notice of Change matters. CMS publishes the 2027 Part B premium and deductible separately, usually in November. See Medicare costs in 2027.
What should I check in my Annual Notice of Change?
- Find the notice. Your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan mails it by September 30. It lists what changes on January 1.
- Check your drugs. Make sure each prescription is still on the plan's drug list for 2027, and look for any new prior authorization, step therapy or quantity limits.
- Check your doctors and hospitals. Confirm they're in the plan's 2027 network, including any hospital in Portland, Eugene, Medford, Bend or across the state line that you would use. Call the office; don't rely on a directory alone.
- Check your pharmacy. Make sure it's still in network, and whether it's a preferred pharmacy.
- Compare costs. Look at the premium, deductible, copays and the plan's out-of-pocket limit for 2027.
- Look for a non-renewal letter. If the plan is ending or leaving your county, you get a separate notice instead. Keep it.
After December 7: the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period
From January 1 to March 31, 2027, if you're in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can make one change: switch to another Medicare Advantage plan, or drop your plan and return to Original Medicare and join a Part D plan. The change starts the first of the following month. This period isn't for people in Original Medicare who want to join a Medicare Advantage plan or switch standalone Part D plans. See the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period.
Special enrollment periods that run alongside open enrollment
- Moving to a new county or state. See moving to Oregon with Medicare.
- Having or getting OHP, a Medicare Savings Program or Extra Help, which lets you make certain plan changes once a month. See Medicare and OHP together.
- Losing employer or retiree coverage, including PEBB or OEBB coverage. See PEBB and Medicare.
- A declared emergency or disaster, such as a wildfire, that kept you from making a choice. See wildfires and Medicare.
PERS retirees in the PERS Health Insurance Program: PHIP runs its own open enrollment for its Medicare plans, and its Medicare plans include Part D, so joining an outside Part D or Medicare Advantage plan can affect your PHIP coverage. Call PERS Health at 1-800-768-7377 first.
Medigap isn't part of open enrollment
Open enrollment doesn't let you buy or change Medigap without health questions. In Oregon, two other rules do. Your one-time Medigap open enrollment period lasts 6 months from the month your Part B starts (OAR 836-052-0138). After that, Oregon's birthday rule lets current Medigap policyholders switch to a policy with the same or lesser benefits, from the same or another company and without health questions, from 30 days before to 30 days after their birthday each year (OAR 836-052-0143). The birthday rule doesn't help someone in Medicare Advantage move to Medigap. See Medigap in Oregon and Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage in Oregon.
How should I compare plans?
Start with your drugs, doctors and pharmacy, then compare costs for a typical year and a hard one. Medicare's Plan Finder lists plans in your ZIP code. To compare plans from the companies they work with, you can request a call from a licensed insurance agent, at no cost to you, or see plans for your ZIP code. You can also meet licensed insurance agents in Oregon. See how to choose a Medicare plan in Oregon.
Red flags during open enrollment
- Unannounced visits and calls. Agents and plans can't come to your door, call you or text you without your permission.
- Pressure to enroll today. Open enrollment runs through December 7. Take your time.
- Promises not in writing. If a benefit isn't in the plan's Summary of Benefits or Evidence of Coverage, don't count on it.
- Requests for your Medicare number. Medicare won't call you to sell a plan or ask for your number. Don't give it to anyone who contacts you out of the blue.
- Where to report. Suspected Medicare fraud: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048) or the Senior Medicare Patrol Resource Center at 1-877-808-2468. Complaints about an insurance agent licensed in Oregon: the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation at 1-888-877-4894.
Your open enrollment checklist
- Read your Annual Notice of Change. Note any change to drugs, network, costs, or a non-renewal.
- List your prescriptions, doctors and pharmacy. Bring the list when you compare plans.
- Compare plans sold in your county. Use Plan Finder or talk with a licensed insurance agent.
- Decide by December 7, 2026. If your plan is ending, decide by December 31 to avoid a gap.
- Watch for your new plan's welcome letter and ID card. Keep your old card until January 1.
Sources
- Medicare.gov — Joining a health or drug plan (Open Enrollment and Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment)
- Medicare.gov — Your yearly Medicare review (Annual Notice of Change)
- Medicare.gov — Special Enrollment Periods (plan non-renewal, moving, Medicaid and Extra Help, disasters)
- CMS — CY 2027 Rate Announcement (Part D out-of-pocket threshold and deductible)
- CMS — Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape files, contract year 2027 (plan counts)
- CMS — Medicare Advantage/Part D contract and enrollment data, October 2026 (members in ending plans)
- eCFR — 42 CFR 422.62, election of coverage under an MA plan
- eCFR — 42 CFR 422.2264, contact with beneficiaries (unsolicited contact)
- Or. Admin. Code § 836-052-0142, guaranteed issue for eligible persons (via Cornell LII)
- Or. Admin. Code § 836-052-0143, birthday rule (via Cornell LII)
- Or. Admin. Code § 459-035-0070, PERS Health Insurance Program enrollment (via Cornell LII)
- Senior Medicare Patrol Resource Center
- Oregon Division of Financial Regulation — Contact us (consumer advocates)
Every question in this guide
- How do I choose a Medicare plan in Oregon?
- What are the Medicare deadlines in Oregon for 2027?
- What is the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January to March)?
- What should I do if my Medicare Advantage plan is leaving my Oregon county?
- When can I switch Medicare plans in Oregon?
- Which Medicare plans are ending in Oregon in 2027?
Frequently asked questions
When is Medicare open enrollment in Oregon for 2027?
The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 to December 7, 2026, the same dates nationwide. Any change you make takes effect January 1, 2027. If you make more than one change, the last one you make by December 7 is the one that counts.
What can I change during open enrollment?
You can switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, switch from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare, change Medicare Advantage plans, or join, switch or drop a Part D drug plan. Open enrollment doesn't include Medigap policies, which follow their own rules.
My Oregon Medicare Advantage plan is ending in 2027. What should I do?
Choose a new Medicare Advantage plan, or Original Medicare with a Part D plan, by December 31, 2026 so your new coverage starts January 1. A special enrollment period lets you choose until February 28, 2027, but waiting past December means a gap. Because your plan is ending, you can also buy certain Medigap policies without health questions until 63 days after your coverage ends.
What is an Annual Notice of Change?
It's the letter your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan sends by September 30 listing what changes on January 1, such as the drug list, network, premium and copays. Read it before December 7. If your plan is ending, you get a separate non-renewal notice instead; keep it.
Can I switch Medigap policies during open enrollment in Oregon?
Open enrollment doesn't give Medigap rights. Oregon's birthday rule does: if you already have Medigap, you can switch to a policy with the same or lesser benefits, from any company, without health questions, from 30 days before to 30 days after your birthday each year (OAR 836-052-0143).
Medicare in your Oregon county
Plans, local agents and help, county by county: Multnomah · Washington · Clackamas · Lane · Marion · Jackson · Deschutes · Linn · Douglas · Yamhill · Benton · Polk · Josephine · Umatilla · Klamath · Coos · Columbia · Lincoln · Clatsop · Malheur · All 36 counties →
