Local Guides
Annual Enrollment, the January to March window, and the special period for people whose plan is ending. Here are the Medicare dates that matter for 2027 coverage.
Open enrollment is the one window where most people can change plans freely. Here is what happens when, and what to do if your plan is leaving.
This is the main window. You can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage plan or a Part D drug plan. Whatever you choose by December 7 starts on January 1.
If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get a second chance early in the year. You can switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare. You can make one change in this period.
When a plan leaves your county, you get a special enrollment period. For BlueCross Total PPO members in Beaufort County, a tracker of 2027 plan-ending data reports a special period from December 8, 2026 to February 28, 2027. Requests made December 8 to 31 take effect January 1. Your non-renewal letter will list your exact dates.
If your Medicare Advantage plan ends and you want Original Medicare with a Medicare Supplement, you may have guaranteed issue rights. That means companies cannot turn you down for health reasons. The same tracker reports this window as November 1, 2026 to March 4, 2027 for this plan ending. Confirm the dates for your situation.
Do not wait for the last day. List your doctors and prescriptions, then compare plans available in your ZIP code. An agent can run that comparison for you and costs you nothing.
Skyler Abilla is a licensed Medicare agent in Bluffton. Call (843) 284-6815 or book a free call.
Source: Medicare annual enrollment dates; special enrollment and guaranteed-issue windows as reported by GetFastRates for BlueCross SC plan endings, 2027. Day counts calculated by Abilla Advisors. Bar lengths are drawn to scale across the 141 days shown.
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