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Medicare Enrollment Dates for 2027 Coverage: What to Do and When

by

Skyler Abilla

Medicare Enrollment Dates for 2027 Coverage: What to Do and When

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.

The Medicare Dates You Need for 2027 Coverage

The Medicare Dates You Need 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.

Dec 7
Annual Enrollment ends
Jan 1
New 2027 coverage begins
Mar 31
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment ends

Annual Enrollment: October 15 to December 7

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.

Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 to March 31

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.

If your plan is leaving your area

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.

Medigap guaranteed issue

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.

What to do now

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.

Talk to a local agent

Skyler Abilla is a licensed Medicare agent in Bluffton. Call (843) 284-6815 or book a free call.

The main deadline is December 7. After that, most people are locked into their plan until next year, unless a special enrollment period applies to them.
How the Windows Overlap, October 15, 2026 to March 4, 2027
Annual Enrollment: Oct 15 to Dec 7 (54 days)
Plan-ending special period: Dec 8 to Feb 28 (83 days)
Medigap guaranteed issue: Nov 1 to Mar 4 (124 days)

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.

A note on this data: Dates reflect standard federal Medicare rules and a third-party summary of 2027 plan-ending data. Special enrollment and guaranteed-issue dates depend on your situation and can change. Confirm your dates with your plan's notice, Medicare.gov, or 1-800-MEDICARE.

This article is for educational purposes only. Abilla Advisors does not offer every plan available in your area. For information on all of your options, contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). This content is not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. Government or the federal Medicare program.

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