You Have Until December 7 to Change Your Parents' Medicare Plans

1In a hurry? Start here

1. The plan must receive your request by December 7. Your new plan starts January 1, 2027. If you're happy with your current plan and it hasn't notified you that it won't renew next year, you don't have to do anything. Your coverage will continue automatically.

2. Find the Annual Notice of Change the plan sent in late September. Check whether next year's premium, the drugs you take regularly, or the doctors you usually see will change.

3. To compare plans, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) and ask for a Chinese interpreter. It's available 24 hours a day, except on some federal holidays. New York State also offers free Medicare counseling through HIICAP at 1-800-701-0501.

Imagine Mr. Wang is 71, lives in Flushing, and has a Medicare Advantage plan. His daughter helps him sort the mail. In the pile of ads, she finds a thick letter written in English. It's the notice from his plan about what's changing next year.

(Mr. Wang and his family are fictional. The scenes below are hypothetical as well.)

One drug he takes regularly is moving to a different pricing tier next year. His daughter wants to check other plans, but the minute she opens her phone, there are sales pitches, gift card offers, and claims that 「you'll get money back every month if you switch.」 She doesn't know whom to believe.

2What people are asking in the comments

In recent weeks, there have been plenty of Xiaohongshu posts about 2027 Medicare plans. Many are from brokers and insurance agents explaining what extra benefits a particular plan offers. Some posts warn that switching without checking can interrupt an older parent's care or prescriptions. In the comments, people ask whether the doctor their parents usually see takes the plan. Posts about how parents age 65 get Medicare and Medicaid after coming to the U.S. have also been saved and shared hundreds of times.

These are accounts from people posting and reading online. Let's go through what the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Medicare.gov, the Medicare & You 2027 handbook, and the New York State Office for the Aging say.

3What you can do during open enrollment

According to Medicare.gov, there are three things you can do from October 15 to December 7.

• Join, drop, or switch a Medicare Advantage plan, with or without drug coverage.

• Switch from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage, or from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare.

• If you have Original Medicare, join, drop, or switch a prescription drug plan (Part D).

Your plan must receive your request by December 7 for coverage to start January 1. CMS's Chinese-language yearly review flyer says that once you've checked your coverage, you don't need to do anything if you're satisfied. Your coverage will continue automatically.

One thing to know upfront. The flyer says that if you have Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) and join Medicare Advantage, you may need to drop your Medigap policy. If you're going the other way, returning to Original Medicare and looking to buy Medigap, New York is more flexible than many states. The New York State Office for the Aging's HIICAP handbook says that people with Parts A and B can buy Medigap at any time of year, and insurers can't consider their health status or age. An insurer can, however, wait up to 6 months before covering preexisting conditions. If you've had prior coverage, including Medicare Advantage, without a gap of more than 63 days, the waiting period is reduced by the number of days you were covered. You may not have to wait at all.

4Three things to check before you switch

First, the Annual Notice of Change. The Medicare & You 2027 handbook says plans must send the notice by September 30. It describes the changes to coverage and costs starting in January. By October 15, the plan will also send its Evidence of Coverage. Some plans just send a notice telling you how to view it online or request a printed copy by phone. If you've chosen to receive mail electronically, both notices may be in your inbox. Call the plan if you didn't get them.

Second, doctors and prescriptions. Will the doctors your parents see and the pharmacy they go to still be in the plan next year? What tier will their regular drugs be in, and what will they pay? Medicare.gov's Plan Finder can look up these details and estimate total annual out-of-pocket costs. To make sure a doctor is in network, it's best to call the doctor's office as well. The site is available only in English and Spanish. For help in Chinese, call 1-800-MEDICARE.

Third, a few numbers for next year.

• The out-of-pocket limit for prescription drugs is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. The maximum drug deductible is $700 (CMS's 2027 rate announcement).

• Social Security benefits rise 3.6% for 2027, beginning in January. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) increases begin December 31, 2026 (Social Security Administration release).

• As of November 8, the 2027 Part B premium hadn't been announced. The handbook also says it wasn't available at the time of printing. Last year's premium was announced in mid-November. Check CMS and Medicare.gov for the official figure when it comes out, and take numbers circulating online with a grain of salt for now. The 2026 standard premium is $202.90 a month.

• New York State has 227 Medicare Advantage plans in 2027, 9 more than this year. There are 9 stand-alone drug plans, with the least expensive at $37.30 a month (CMS's state-by-state fact sheets).

I'm calling for my father, who has Medicare. Could I have a Mandarin interpreter, please? We'd like to compare 2027 plans and check whether his doctors are in network and his prescriptions are covered.

That means you're calling for your father, asking for a Mandarin interpreter, and looking to compare 2027 plans to see whether his doctors are in network and his prescriptions are covered.

If you speak Cantonese, ask for a Cantonese interpreter. If you're just comparing plans, have the drug names and dosages handy. If you want to ask about your father's personal information, 1-800-MEDICARE requires his written authorization. It's best to make the call with him or fill out the Authorization to Disclose Personal Health Information form ahead of time.

5What you can still do after December 7

If you're already in Medicare Advantage, you can make one change from January 1 to March 31. The handbook says you can switch to another Medicare Advantage plan or drop your plan and go back to Original Medicare. You can also join a stand-alone drug plan when you go back. You can change only once, and the change starts on the 1st of the following month. If you have Original Medicare, you can't change plans during this period.

If you have Medicaid or Extra Help, you can usually change drug coverage once a month. The handbook says your change starts on the 1st of the following month. Medicare.gov's Special Enrollment Periods page says you can use this opportunity to change drug plans, or to leave a Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage and return to Original Medicare with a stand-alone drug plan. People with full Medicaid benefits can also join an integrated Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) once a month.

Other situations: If you move outside your plan's service area, you have two full months to change plans starting when you move. If you lose Medicaid, you have three full months. If your plan isn't renewing next year, you can switch from December 8 through the end of February. Members of New York State's EPIC prescription drug assistance program have one additional opportunity each year to switch drug plans.

6Programs that can help if money is tight

• Extra Help (prescription costs). Medicare.gov gives these 2026 limits: for a single person, $23,940 in annual income and $18,090 in resources. For a married couple, $32,460 in annual income and $36,100 in resources. In 2027, people with Extra Help pay up to $5.80 for each generic drug and $14.40 for each brand-name drug. You can apply through Social Security any time at 1-800-772-1213.

• New York State Medicare Savings Program (help with Part B premiums and other costs). The state Department of Health lists 2026 monthly income limits for QMB at $1,836 for one person and $2,489 for a couple. For QI, which covers only the Part B premium, the monthly limits are $2,474 for one person and $3,355 for a couple. The same table lists the amounts with the $20 income disregard: $1,856 and $2,509 for QMB, and $2,494 and $3,375 for QI. The HIICAP handbook's Medicare Savings Programs chapter says neither program has an asset test, and enrollees get Extra Help automatically. Apply using form DOH-4328. HIICAP can help.

• EPIC (New York State prescription drug assistance). The state Department of Health's eligibility page says New York State residents age 65 or older can join any time of year if they have or can get Part D, don't have full Medicaid benefits, and have annual income up to $75,000 if single or $100,000 if married. Call 1-800-332-3742.

7Where to get free help and how to spot a scam

Where to get free help:

• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is available 24 hours a day, except some federal holidays. You can ask for a Chinese interpreter. Medicare & You 2027 is available in Traditional Chinese.

• New York State HIICAP: 1-800-701-0501, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (New York State Office for the Aging). Follow the prompts to say your county or enter your ZIP code, and you'll be connected to a local counselor (HIICAP page). For help in another language, you can also call the New York State Office for the Aging at (844) 697-6321 and ask for help in Chinese (Language Access page).

• NYC Aging: Call 212-244-6469 (212-AGING-NYC) and ask for health insurance counseling. It's free and confidential, and they can help with applications (NYC Aging).

A few things to remember about scams. Medicare.gov's marketing rules say plans and brokers can't come to your home to sell you a plan without an invitation. They can't call or text unless you're already a member or gave permission. They can't offer cash, gifts worth more than $15, or free meals to get you to join. They can't ask you to pay over the phone or online.

Medicare.gov's fraud page also says Medicare never calls to sell you anything and doesn't come to your home. A Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alert says that calls promising a 「new Medicare card」 and asking for your Medicare number, bank card number, or a fee are scams. The card is automatically mailed for free. Call 1-800-MEDICARE to report it. New York State's Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), run by the nonprofit StateWide Senior Action Council, is at 1-800-333-4374 (HIICAP handbook).

8Two common “but what if” questions

「But the broker says I'll get a gift card and money back every month if I switch to the plan they recommend?」

Don't rush to sign. The rules say plans and brokers can't offer cash or gifts worth more than $15 to get you to enroll. Some plans do offer extra benefits, but those will be in the Annual Notice of Change and Evidence of Coverage. The three most important questions are whether your doctors are in the plan, whether it covers your prescriptions, and how much you'll pay over the year. If you're unsure, call HIICAP. They don't sell insurance.

「But if my parents have both Medicare and Medicaid, can they switch any time?」

They can make some changes. If they have Medicaid or Extra Help, they can change drug coverage every month or leave a Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage for Original Medicare and a drug plan. People with full Medicaid benefits can also join an integrated Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan once a month. These are the options listed on Medicare.gov. If the plan has identified them as 「at-risk」 under a drug management program, they can't use this monthly opportunity. To make other changes, such as switching between two regular Medicare Advantage plans, they generally have to wait for open enrollment. Those already in Medicare Advantage have one additional chance from January through March. There are separate Special Enrollment Periods for situations like moving or losing Medicaid.

9One last thing

Medicare plans change every year. A plan that works well this year might not work as well next year.

Before December 7, set aside an afternoon to go through that change notice with your parents. Make a list of their regular prescriptions and doctors, and make a call.

Have you helped your parents change Medicare plans? Which step was the biggest headache? Share it in the comments.