Medicare Open Enrollment Ends December 7: Check Your 2027 Drug Costs

Every fall, Medicare gives you a short window to look at next year’s drug coverage and change it if you want to. This year, that window closes on December 7.

You don’t have to become an insurance expert to use it well. You mostly need one thing: a clear list of the medicines you take and what they cost. This guide walks you through it in plain English. It’s for learning only. We don’t recommend plans, and we don’t give medical advice.

When does Medicare open enrollment end?

Medicare open enrollment runs from October 15 to December 7 every year. Your plan must get your request by December 7, and the change starts on January 1 of the next year. So for 2027 coverage, the last day is December 7, 2026.

During open enrollment you can join, switch or drop a Medicare drug plan (Part D, the part of Medicare that helps pay for prescription drugs) or a Medicare Advantage plan. If you’re happy with what you have, you don’t have to do anything.

Why check your drug costs every year?

Because plans can change. Each fall, your plan sends you an Annual Notice of Change, a letter that lists changes to your coverage and costs that start in January. If you keep your plan, those changes start on January 1 too.

A drug that costs little this year could land in a higher-cost group next year, or drop off your plan’s drug list (its formulary, the list of drugs a plan covers). Checking your own medicines is the simplest way to spot a surprise before it reaches the pharmacy counter.

What is the Part D out-of-pocket cap in 2027?

In 2027, once your out-of-pocket spending on covered Part D drugs reaches $2,400, you pay nothing more for covered Part D drugs for the rest of that year. In 2026 the cap is $2,100. Medicare calls the stage after the cap “catastrophic coverage.”

The deductible (what you pay before your plan starts sharing the cost) is going up too. In Medicare’s standard Part D benefit, it’s $700 in 2027, up from $615 in 2026. Your plan’s deductible may be lower, so check it in Plan Finder.

Two things to keep in mind. First, the cap counts covered Part D drugs, meaning drugs on your plan’s list. If you’re thinking about paying for a medicine outside your plan, ask your plan or a SHIP counselor first whether it would count toward the cap. Second, Medicare also offers the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which spreads your out-of-pocket drug costs across the year. Medicare says plainly that it can help with monthly budgeting, but it doesn’t lower your drug costs.

How do I check what my medicines will cost in 2027?

Make a list first, then compare plans with it. Here’s a simple order that works:

1. Gather what you have. Your pill bottles or pharmacy printout, your Medicare card, and your plan’s Annual Notice of Change if you got one.
2. Make your drug cost list. Our free Medicare Drug Cost Check lets you add up to 10 medicines and gives you one card for each, with the lowest prices we checked (each with the date we checked it) and the help programs that usually fit how you pay. You can print it or save it as a PDF. You don’t need an account, and we don’t save your list.
3. Compare 2027 plans in Medicare’s Plan Finder. Enter the same medicines at Medicare.gov/plan-compare to see estimated costs for the 2027 plans in your area. Add each drug’s strength and how often you take it, and pick the pharmacies you use, because costs can be lower at a plan’s preferred pharmacies. Look at the estimated total for the year, not just the monthly premium.
4. Get free help if you want it. Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) offers free, one-on-one counseling from a trusted, unbiased source. Bring your list. You can find your local SHIP at shiphelp.org or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048).
5. Decide by December 7. If you choose to change plans, your new plan must get your request by December 7. If you keep your plan, there’s nothing to send.

What does the free Medicare Drug Cost Check do, and not do?

It makes your medicine list and puts real, dated prices next to each drug, so you walk into Plan Finder or a SHIP appointment prepared. Each card shows the lowest U.S. online pharmacy price and the lowest price abroad from the pharmacies we compare, the U.S. list price when we have it, and whether a generic is sold in the U.S. Packs from abroad are not FDA-approved, and each card says so.

What it doesn’t do: it isn’t a plan finder, it doesn’t know your plan’s prices, and it never tells you which plan to pick. That choice is yours, with Medicare’s tools and your SHIP counselor. And please don’t stop, start or switch a medicine because of a price. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist first.

What if I can’t afford my Part D costs?

Look into Extra Help first. Extra Help is a Medicare program that helps people with limited income and resources lower or cut Part D costs like deductibles and copays. You can apply through Social Security any time, before or after you join a Part D plan, at ssa.gov or by calling 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). If you have Medicaid, a Medicare Savings Program or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicare says you automatically qualify.

Drug makers and states also run help programs that many people miss. Our guide to help paying for prescriptions explains them in plain words.

A note from Cary

Open enrollment can feel like homework nobody asked for. But an hour with a good list can save a lot of worry in January. We built the Medicare Drug Cost Check so that list is free and easy to make. Take it to Plan Finder or your SHIP counselor, and make the choice that’s right for you.

Cary Byrd, Founder, eDrugSearch

Frequently asked questions

When does Medicare open enrollment end for 2027 coverage?

December 7, 2026. Open enrollment runs October 15 to December 7, your plan must get your request by December 7, and changes start January 1, 2027.

What is the Medicare Part D out-of-pocket maximum for 2027?

$2,400. Once your out-of-pocket spending on covered Part D drugs reaches $2,400 in 2027, you pay nothing more for covered Part D drugs for the rest of the year. The 2026 cap is $2,100.

Is the Medicare Drug Cost Check free?

Yes. The list, every price and date on it, and every help program are free. You don’t need an account, and we don’t save your list. It doesn’t recommend plans; it helps you get ready for Medicare’s Plan Finder or a SHIP counselor.

Where can I get free help choosing a Medicare drug plan?

Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) offers free, one-on-one counseling from a trusted, unbiased source. Find yours at shiphelp.org, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048).

How can I lower my Medicare drug costs if money is tight?

Apply for Extra Help through Social Security at ssa.gov or 1-800-772-1213. It helps people with limited income and resources lower or cut Part D costs, and you can apply any time. The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan spreads costs across the year but doesn’t lower them.

What if I miss the December 7 deadline?

If you’re in a Medicare Advantage plan, Medicare gives you one more chance: once between January 1 and March 31, you can switch to another Medicare Advantage plan, or switch to Original Medicare and join a separate drug plan. Otherwise, call 1-800-MEDICARE or your SHIP to ask whether another enrollment period applies to you.

Start your list

Make your free list with the Medicare Drug Cost Check, or look up any medicine in our drug list to compare prices side by side. Have a question? Email us at support@edrugsearch.com.

eDrugSearch doesn’t give medical advice and doesn’t recommend Medicare plans.