Medicare’s annual enrollment window is open now and closes December 7. What you can change, and when.

Independent guides to Medicare plans and costs

Medicare Advantage, Part D, Medigap — easy to describe, hard to compare. This site works through them one at a time: what each option actually costs in 2026, when the deadlines fall, and where the expensive mistakes hide.

It’s written for people choosing or changing a plan, and for the family members helping them do it.

See what Medicare Advantage looks like in your state

We counted every 2027 plan in the federal data, state by state. Tap yours to see how many plans are on offer, how many charge no premium, and how high the typical out-of-pocket limit is.

Three questions most people arrive with

The metal roll-down shutter of an American storefront lowered almost to the ground at dusk, with warm light still spilling out through the low gap onto the sidewalk.

When can I change my plan?

October 15 to December 7, and a second window after that for some people. What each one lets you do.

A metal one-way turnstile in the lobby of an American building, seen from behind as someone walks away through the doors.

Advantage or Supplement?

The decision that is hardest to reverse later, and why switching back is not always an option.

Twelve identical sealed white envelopes laid out in a grid on a sunlit wooden table, with an older person's hand setting the last one in place.

What will it cost me?

Every 2026 figure in one place, and then what a real year actually adds up to.

Where to start

If Medicare is new to you, these five read best in this order.

1

What Is Medicare Advantage?

What Part C replaces, what it adds, and what you give up.

2

Medicare Part C vs Part D

The two paths, and why the one you are on decides what you pay.

3

Medicare Enrollment Periods Explained

Seven windows, and the two most people actually use.

4

Medicare Advantage Plan Costs Explained

Premium, deductible, copays and the out-of-pocket maximum, with 2026 figures.

5

Medicare Advantage vs Medicare Supplement

The decision that is hardest to reverse later.

Our own analysis of the CMS data

Some of what you need is not published anywhere as a ready-made answer, so we work it out from the raw CMS plan file ourselves and show the method. The largest of those pieces is Medicare Advantage by state in 2027: every state counted from the 2027 plan file and set beside 2026, showing how many cost nothing a month, how much the median plan caps your spending at, and how they score on stars.

Our editorial methodology sets out exactly how it was built, so you can repeat it.

Browse by topic

Guides & Explainers

Start here if the vocabulary is the problem.

Enrollment, Eligibility & Costs

The dates, the rules and the 2026 numbers.

Plan Comparisons

The options side by side on what actually separates them.

Insurer Reviews

One carrier at a time, counted plan by plan in the CMS file.

Choosing a Plan

The “best plan” questions, answered honestly.

Latest articles

We don’t sell insurance and we aren’t licensed agents or brokers, so nothing here is a recommendation for your situation. What we do is read the official CMS and Medicare.gov documents and set out what they say in plain English, with the figures for the current year. Every figure we publish is linked to the official document that sets it, and where we have analyzed the raw CMS plan data ourselves we say so and show the method. Our editorial methodology explains how that works. For personalized help, 1-800-MEDICARE and your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) are both free.

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