Five Mistakes to Avoid During Medicare Open Enrollment

Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, giving you an opportunity to review your Medicare Advantage or prescription drug coverage for 2027. As I remind my clients, choosing a plan begins with understanding your individual needs. Here are five mistakes to avoid.

1. Assuming your current plan will stay the same. Review your Annual Notice of Change sent from your insurance company. Premiums, copayments, prescription coverage, and benefits can change year over year, even when your plan’s name stays the same. Very important to review this information.

2. Choosing a plan based only on its premium. A $0 premium does not mean $0 healthcare costs. Consider deductibles, specialist visits, hospital costs, and your potential max out-of-pocket expenses. Extra benefits should never overshadow the coverage you need.

3. Forgetting to check your doctors and prescriptions. Will your doctors participate in the plan next year? Are your medications covered, and at what cost? Check your preferred pharmacy, too. These details can affect your care and budget. If your doctors won't take your plan in 2027 or your drugs are not covered, you will need a different plan to meet your needs.

4. Choosing what works for someone else. Your neighbor’s plan may be excellent for them, but your doctors, medications, finances, and healthcare needs may be different. A recommendation from a friend should begin a conversation, rather than determine your decision. If someone lives in a different county than you, then they can experience different results from a plan than you. Find a plan that works for your specific needs and where you live.

5. Waiting until the last minute. Give yourself time to ask questions and compare options. An annual review does not always mean changing plans; it means confirming your coverage still fits. You deserve to know what is changing and how those changes will impact you. An annual review will answer that question for you.

At MR Insurance Solutions, my goal is to create a culture of Medicare beneficiaries who are educated on their rights and entitlements and can confidently make decisions that fit their individual needs. Schedule your free annual review at MRInsuranceSolutions.com. Let’s put the “ME” back in Medicare.