By Marc Gilman

Questions? Call (800) 927-9326 or email marc@gilmanagency.com

Key Takeaways

• Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) runs October 15 through December 7 every year. Any change you make takes effect January 1 of the following year.

• AEP is for everyone already on Medicare, not just people turning 65. It's your yearly chance to switch plans, even if nothing about your own health has changed.

• The single biggest mistake is assuming last year's plan still fits. Premiums, drug formularies, and provider networks can all change from one plan year to the next — even when the plan name stays the same.

• Preparation before October 15 matters more than speed during it. The people who get the best outcomes start gathering their information in September, not the week AEP opens.

• This is general guidance about the AEP process and calendar — not a comparison of specific 2027 plans. Plan-specific details for next year become available closer to and during AEP itself.

• If you're in Bedford (03110) or anywhere in Manchester (03101, 03102, 03103, 03104), network and carrier availability can shift year to year even when your zip code stays the same — a detail worth checking locally, not assuming.

What AEP Actually Is

The Annual Enrollment Period is the one guaranteed window every year when anyone on Medicare in Bedford (03110) or Manchester (03101, 03102, 03103, 03104) — or elsewhere in Hillsborough County, NH — can change their coverage — no qualifying event required, no questions asked about why. It runs from October 15 to December 7, and whatever you choose takes effect on January 1 of the following year.

This is different from your Initial Enrollment Period (the one tied to turning 65) and different from a Special Enrollment Period (triggered by specific life events like moving or losing other coverage). AEP is the universal, once-a-year reset button — available to every Medicare beneficiary, every year, automatically.

AEP timing and rules are federal and don't vary by location. What does vary locally is which plans, carriers, and provider networks are actually available where you live, which is exactly why the preparation below matters.

What You Can Actually Change During AEP

• Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, or from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare

• Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to a different one

• Join a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan for the first time

• Switch from one Part D plan to a different one

• Drop your Part D coverage entirely (though this can trigger a late-enrollment penalty later if you go without creditable coverage)

Medicare Supplement (Medigap) changes work differently — you can technically apply for a new Medigap policy any time of year, but outside of specific guaranteed-issue situations, you may face medical underwriting. AEP itself doesn't create a special guaranteed-issue right for Medigap the way it does for Advantage and Part D changes.

Why "If It's Working, Don't Touch It" Is Risky

It's tempting to assume that if you were happy with your plan this year, there's nothing to do. That assumption is exactly what causes people to end up with a mismatched plan without realizing it.

Every year, plans can adjust:

• Premiums — sometimes significantly, even for a plan that stayed otherwise similar

• Drug formularies — a medication that was covered at a low tier last year can move to a higher cost tier, or off the formulary entirely

• Provider networks — a doctor or hospital that was in-network can be dropped, or a carrier can exit a county altogether

• Extra benefits — dental, vision, and other add-ons can be reduced or restructured

None of these changes require your plan's name to change. The safest assumption going into AEP isn't "my plan is probably fine" — it's "I don't know yet, and it's worth checking."

How to Get Ready Before October 15

Make a current medication list. Include dosages and how often you fill each prescription. This is the single most useful piece of information for comparing Part D coverage accurately.

List your doctors and preferred hospitals. If you use specialists, include them too. Network changes are one of the most common — and most disruptive — surprises people run into. Manchester residents in particular should note that the city is served by three separate health systems (Elliot Health System, Catholic Medical Center, and Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Manchester) — confirming which one(s) a plan actually covers is a Manchester-specific step worth taking seriously.

Know your recent income. If your income has changed in the last year or two, it's worth understanding how that might affect any income-related premium adjustments on Part B or Part D.

Decide what matters most to you this year. Lower premium? Broader network access? Specific extra benefits? Predictable out-of-pocket costs? Having this prioritized before you start comparing plans makes the actual decision much faster.

Put October 15 on your calendar now — not as a deadline, but as a start date. The goal isn't to make a fast decision on October 15. It's to have already done the preparation so that whatever AEP brings, you're evaluating it against your own situation instead of starting from scratch.

Questions Worth Asking Yourself Before AEP Opens

• Has anything about my health, medications, or preferred doctors changed since I last reviewed my coverage?

• Do I actually know what my current plan's premium, deductible, and out-of-pocket maximum are for this year?

• Have I heard anything about my current plan's network or formulary changing for next year?

• If my income changed recently, have I checked whether that affects any income-related premium adjustments?

What To Do Next

If you're in Bedford, Manchester, or anywhere in Hillsborough County and want help getting organized before AEP opens on October 15 — pulling together your medication list, checking your network, and understanding what's worth comparing — let's start that conversation now, before the window opens.

Questions? Call (800) 927-9326 or email marc@gilmanagency.com

Prefer we reach out to you instead? Complete our Permission to Contact form and a licensed Gilman Agency agent will follow up.

Sources: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Medicare Annual Enrollment Period guidance; Medicare.gov, plan comparison and enrollment period information.

This article is for general educational purposes and describes the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period process and calendar only. It does not describe, compare, or recommend any specific 2027 plan, carrier, or product. Enrollment rules and deadlines are subject to CMS guidance and should be confirmed at medicare.gov or with a licensed advisor. This is not a recommendation regarding any specific plan.