The dates, the rules and the numbers. Who qualifies for Medicare Advantage and when, which enrollment window applies to you, what a plan costs in 2026, and what happens to your premium if you miss a deadline.
CMS says the average premium falls to $12.00 for 2027. We counted both plan files ourselves: the median out-of-pocket limit rose from $6,500 to $7,100, and the ungated choice in the median county fell from 26 plans to 23.
A typical county offers 24 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, and its $0-premium plans alone are $5,350 apart on the out-of-pocket limit. The order you check things in matters more than the brand.
Every 2026 figure in one place — premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, the drug cap and the income surcharges — and then the part nobody does for you: what a real year actually adds up to.
The Part B penalty never goes away. What each year of delay adds to your premium, and what you can do if you’ve already missed it.
Premium, deductible, copays, out-of-pocket maximum. What each actually costs in 2026, and why the fourth one matters most.
Turning 65 is one of four routes into Medicare Advantage. The other three have their own waiting periods and their own rules.
Seven windows, and only two that most people ever use. A plain table of what each one lets you do and when it opens.
October 15 to December 7. What you can change, what you can’t, and what to have ready before the window opens.
