Drum roll please…it’s Annual Enrollment Time for Medicare!!(And the crowd goes wild.) Believe me, I know! It’s really hard to contain the excitement when you think about all the new Medicare Commercials, phone solicitations, and mailers you’re about to receive. It’s almost as exciting as the Super Bowl Commercials.

Just a reminder, the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) is a time when you can make a plan change to your Medicare Advantage (MA) Plan or Prescription Drug Plan, change from a Medigap plan to a MA plan, or change from a MA plan to a Medigap plan. This time frame spans from October 15 – December 7.

If you are on a Medigap plan, a plan that pays 2nd to Original Medicare, Medigap plans do not require updating during AEP. However, if you are thinking of changing from the Medigap plan to a MA plan, AEP is the time to do that. Otherwise, if you keep your Medigap plan, AEP is the time that you would review your Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) coverage.

Please take your PDP coverage seriously. There are usually some significant plan changes that take place. If you don’t ask or look into the changes of your plan, you could be stuck paying a lot more in monthly premium for the same plan next year. Reviewing your PDP coverage can save you a lot of money for the following year. Just as a heads up, there is a plan that is more than doubling the premium in 2026 to over $100/mo so please please reach out to your insurance agent for guidance.

The Medicare Advantage (MA) Plans are also going to experience a few changes. One of the changes that will have a big impact on some people is the change in grocery benefits. If you receive a grocery benefit on your current MA plan, that might not be a benefit for you in 2026. Medicare made a rule that only people with certain Chronic Conditions may qualify for the grocery card benefit. If you have a grocery card now without a chronic condition, you will lose your grocery card dollars in 2026.

As always, I am happy to help you with your Medicare questions. Just reach out.