Medicare open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. You can change Advantage and Part D plans, and you should check next year's changes in the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), which arrives by Sept. 30. For 2026, the Part B premium is $202.90, the deductible is $283, the Part A inpatient deductible is $1,736, and the Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100. The 2027 Part B amounts will be released in November. Also covered: the seven-month enrollment window around age 65, the 10% lifetime penalty added for every 12 months of delay, the five-year residency requirement for green card holders, the end of eligibility for refugees and TPS holders under the 2025 law change, and New York's year-round Medigap enrollment…
Medicare is not a one-time decision. Every year from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 you can change plans, and if you miss that window you are locked in for the year. This year, the 2025 law change has altered immigrant eligibility and the structure of Part D will change in 2027, so notices deserve a closer read. This guide was compiled as of Sept. 15, 2026, from official materials of the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Medicare, the Social Security Administration, and the New York and New Jersey state governments. Figures not yet announced, such as the 2027 Part B premium, are marked as such.
Schedule: Notices by Sept. 30, New Plans Posted Oct. 1, Enrollment Starts Oct. 15
Advantage (Part C) and Part D plans must send members an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) by Sept. 30. It spells out how next year's premiums, deductibles, copays, drug lists and network hospitals will change, so do not throw the envelope away. Starting Oct. 1, you can preview 2027 plans at medicare.gov/plan-compare, and enrollment begins Oct. 15. Your application must reach the plan by Dec. 7, and the new coverage starts Jan. 1, 2027. During this period you can switch between Advantage and Original Medicare, change from one Advantage plan to another, and join, change or drop Part D. Advantage members get one more chance from Jan. 1 to March 31 to move to a different Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare (plus Part D), but cannot newly move from Original Medicare to Advantage. CMS plans to announce the number of 2027 Advantage and Part D plans and average premiums in mid-to-late September; as of the 15th, they had not yet been released.
First-Time Enrollment: The Seven-Month Window and the 10% Penalty
The Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) is seven months: the three months before your 65th birthday month, the birthday month itself, and the three months after. If you or your spouse paid Medicare taxes for 40 quarters (10 years), Part A is free; if not, the 2026 premium is $311 per month (30–39 quarters) or $565. If you enroll late in Part B without a valid reason, 10% of the standard premium is added for life for every 12 months you missed. If you or your spouse has coverage through current employment, you can delay without penalty and enroll through a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) within eight months after the employment or coverage ends. If you miss every window, you can sign up during the General Enrollment Period (GEP) from Jan. 1 to March 31, with coverage starting the first day of the month after you apply. You can apply online at ssa.gov/medicare, by calling 1-800-772-1213, or at a Social Security office; if you already receive Social Security retirement benefits, you are enrolled automatically. For Part D as well, a penalty applies if you go more than 63 days without prescription drug coverage after becoming eligible.
Immigrants: Five Years for Green Card Holders, and the 2025 Law Change
Green card holders without a work record must live in the U.S. for five consecutive years after receiving permanent residency before they can buy Part A and enroll in Part B. Under the federal law change of July 2025 (OBBBA), Medicare eligibility is limited to U.S. citizens, green card holders, Cuban and Haitian entrants, and migrants from Compact of Free Association (COFA) countries. Refugees, asylees, TPS holders and others can no longer newly enroll, and the coverage of those already enrolled ends by January 2027 at the latest. If this applies to you, ask about other insurance options by calling 1-800-MEDICARE or a state counseling program before open enrollment.
Advantage or Medigap: New York and New Jersey Differ
Nationwide, 67% of Advantage plans have a $0 premium, and $0 plans are available anywhere in New York and New Jersey. They offer extras such as dental, vision, hearing aids and OTC cards, but you must use in-network hospitals and doctors, and prior authorization is common for tests and hospital stays. The key is to use the ANOC and Plan Finder to check whether your doctor and hospital will stay in the network next year and whether your medications are on the drug list. Adding Medigap (supplemental insurance) to Original Medicare lets you go to any hospital that accepts Medicare with almost no out-of-pocket costs, but it comes with a premium. In New York, under New York State Department of Financial Services rules, Medigap can be bought or changed at any time without medical underwriting, at the same premium regardless of age, sex or health (community rating), making it easy to try Advantage and return. In exchange, premiums at age 65 are higher than in other states. In New Jersey, guaranteed issue without underwriting applies only for six months after Part B begins; after that you may face health screening, and premiums mostly rise with age, so the first choice matters more. Healthfirst has a community office in Flushing, and Korean is among the languages it supports for members. Other insurers often have Korean-speaking representatives in the Flushing and Fort Lee areas, so ask whether Korean-language counseling is available before you enroll.
Drug Costs: The Part D Cap and Monthly Payments
The 2026 Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100, and reports say it will rise to $2,400 in 2027 (based on the CMS April rate announcement; final confirmation needed). If some months bring large drug bills, you can sign up for the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, so that instead of paying at the pharmacy, your plan bills you monthly through December. It is not automatic: you must opt in with your plan by phone or online, and the total amount does not go down. Because CMS is ending its Part D premium stabilization demonstration at the end of 2026, stand-alone Part D premiums may rise in 2027, so be sure to check the premium section of your ANOC.
Scams: Medicare Does Not Call to Ask for Your Number
During enrollment season, calls increase claiming that "a new chip card has been issued, so please confirm your Medicare number" or that "your benefits will be cut off if you don't change plans." Medicare cards are mailed automatically at no cost, and Medicare and CMS do not call to ask for or confirm your Medicare number or bank information. Caller ID numbers can be faked. If you are suspicious, hang up, verify or report by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), and notify the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or the Senior Medicare Patrol (New Jersey: 732-777-1940, ext. 1117). Help is available in Korean. 1-800-MEDICARE connects callers to interpreters 24 hours a day, and a Korean-language "Medicare & You" handbook is available. New York's HIICAP (1-800-701-0501) and New Jersey's SHIP (1-800-792-8820) offer free, impartial counseling, and Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York (KCS) (718-939-6137) also provides health insurance counseling. This guide is based on official materials from CMS, medicare.gov, ssa.gov, the New York State Department of Health and the New Jersey Department of Human Services, and will be updated with the 2027 Part B premium, IRMAA and plan counts as they are announced.