Annual Enrollment opens October 15: an Ohio checklist for 2027

Ten days from now, on October 15, the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period opens. It runs through December 7, and any change you make takes effect January 1, 2027. Over the past six weeks I've written about the changes hitting Ohio's dual-eligible plans, the new rule that ties your Medicare plan to your Medicaid plan, what's ending, and what Medicare costs in 2026. This post ties all of it together into one checklist you can work through at your own pace.

You never have to change plans during Annual Enrollment. But this year, many Ohioans with Medicare and Medicaid will get a letter saying their plan is ending or changing — and doing nothing may not leave you where you expect.

Step 1: Open your mail before you open any ads

By the end of September, every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan should have mailed an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). If your plan is not renewing for 2027, you should also have received a non-renewal letter. Those letters are the most reliable information you will get this fall — far more than television commercials or calls from numbers you don't recognize.

• Find your 2027 Annual Notice of Change and your Evidence of Coverage.
• Look for a non-renewal or "crosswalk" letter — it tells you which plan you'll be moved to, if any.
• Write down your monthly premium, deductible, and maximum out-of-pocket for 2026 and 2027 side by side.
• Check whether your doctors, hospital, and pharmacy are still in network for 2027.

Step 2: Know which group you're in

The 2027 rules treat people differently depending on whether they have Medicaid. If you have Medicare only, your choices look much like past years: Original Medicare with a Medigap plan and a Part D plan, or a Medicare Advantage plan. If you have full Ohio Medicaid as well, your Medicare plan choices are now tied to your Medicaid plan in new ways (more below). If you get help paying your Part B premium through a Medicare Savings Program, you're a "partial dual," and your options sit somewhere in between.

Step 3: If you have Medicare and Medicaid, read this twice

Ohio's Next Generation MyCare program now covers every county. It puts your Medicare, Medicaid, and long-term care benefits into one plan with one care coordinator. Starting with 2027 plans, federal rules require that when a company offers both a D-SNP and a Medicaid plan in the same area, new D-SNP members must also be in that company's Medicaid plan. In plain English: you generally can't keep a Medicare dual plan from one company and a Medicaid plan from another and expect it to work like it used to.

• If your 2026 dual plan is being discontinued, you'll need to choose a new plan or you'll return to Original Medicare on January 1.
• Some members will be automatically moved ("crosswalked") into a fully integrated MyCare plan. Check your letter.
• Full-benefit dual eligibles can use a monthly special enrollment period to join an integrated plan — you don't have to wait for October.

Step 4: Check the drugs, not just the premium

In 2026, out-of-pocket spending on covered Part D drugs is capped at $2,100, and no plan's drug deductible can exceed $615. Those protections help, but your actual cost still depends on which tier each of your medications lands on in the plan you choose. Bring a list of every prescription, dose, and pharmacy to your review.

Step 5: Give yourself a safety net

If you pick a Medicare Advantage plan and it doesn't fit, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31) lets you switch to another Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare once. Free, unbiased help is also available year-round from OSHIIP, Ohio's State Health Insurance Information Program.

My promise: I'll show you the pros and the cons of each option, including the ones that don't pay me anything. If Original Medicare or a plan I don't represent is the better fit, I'll tell you.

Have a question about your own situation? Send me a note from the United Medicare Club home page or call (234) 380-6282. — David