Medicare Open Enrollment 2027: A Plain-English Prescription Checklist
· 5 min read
Medicare Open Enrollment runs Oct 15 to Dec 7, 2026. A general-info checklist for looking at prescriptions when you compare 2027 drug plans.
Every fall, a thick envelope shows up, and a lot of people do the reasonable thing: put it on the counter and promise to read it later. This year it's worth opening. Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and changes you make take effect January 1, 2027 (Medicare.gov).
This post is general information, not advice about which plan to choose. For help with your own situation, use the Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov or talk with your State Health Insurance Assistance Program, which offers no-cost local counseling. If you're reading this for a parent or someone you care for, the same checklist applies. (Want the short version first? Our explainer page on plan-year resets covers the basics.)
What's different for 2027
A few headline changes from public sources:
- The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,400 in 2027. Once you reach that amount in covered drug costs, you pay nothing more for covered Part D drugs for the rest of the year (Medicare.gov).
- The maximum standard Part D deductible is $700. Individual plans can set a lower deductible or none (Medicare.gov).
- Average stand-alone drug plan premiums are projected to rise slightly, from about $35.09 to $36 a month, according to CMS (CMS).
- Averages hide a lot. KFF's analysis finds fewer stand-alone drug plans per person for the fourth year in a row, no zero-premium stand-alone plans for people who don't get Extra Help, and some enrollees facing premium increases of $50 or more a month if they stay put (KFF).
The takeaway isn't "switch" or "stay." It's that next year's plan may not match this year's, even if you change nothing.
The prescription checklist
Grab your current medication list (or the bottles), your plan's Annual Notice of Change, and twenty quiet minutes.
1. List every prescription, exactly as it's written
Write down each medication with its strength, how often you fill it, and the quantity. "The blue one in the morning" won't work in a plan search tool. If you keep a one-page medication list, this step is already done. Our post on keeping a one-page medication list has a template.
2. Check each one against next year's drug list
Every Part D plan has a formulary, the list of drugs it covers, and drugs sit on different "tiers" with different cost sharing. Formularies can change from year to year. In Plan Finder, enter your medications and see how each plan treats each one for 2027.
3. Look at the deductible, then the premium
The monthly premium is the number people notice. The deductible decides what January through spring can feel like. A low premium with a high deductible can mean bigger totals early in the year. Write down both for each plan you're comparing.
4. Check your pharmacies
Plans have pharmacy networks, and some have "preferred" pharmacies with different cost sharing. Confirm the pharmacies you actually use are in network for 2027, not just this year.
5. Watch for rules on specific drugs
Some drugs need prior authorization, step therapy, or quantity limits. Plan Finder and the plan's documents will show these. If something on your list has a rule attached, it's worth a call to the plan.
6. Estimate the year, not the month
Plan Finder can estimate total yearly costs (premiums plus drug costs) for your list. That yearly number, with the $2,400 cap in mind, tells you more than any single monthly figure.
7. Write down what you decided, and why
Future-you, next October, will be grateful. One line per plan: premium, deductible, which of your drugs had rules, which pharmacies are in network.
Questions people ask during Open Enrollment
"I'm happy with my plan. Do I need to do anything?" If you do nothing, you'll generally stay in your current plan, but its costs and drug list can change. Reading the Annual Notice of Change is the low-effort way to know what's different.
"Where do I compare plans?" Medicare.gov's Plan Finder is the official tool. For one-on-one help, your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program offers counseling at no cost.
"Is there anything outside Medicare that helps with prescription costs?" Some people look at cash-price options for certain prescriptions. That's a separate decision from choosing a Medicare plan, and it doesn't replace one. Rules about how cash-pay fills interact with Medicare are specific, so ask your plan or a State Health Insurance Assistance Program counselor before mixing approaches.
Where The Drug Club fits (and where it doesn't)
The Drug Club is a prescription membership. It is not insurance, not a Medicare plan, not a discount card, and not affiliated with Medicare. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to change your Medicare coverage.
What a membership is: one monthly fee (see current membership prices), for member pricing at participating pharmacies.
Member pricing: $0 with membership on eligible medications. Check the list for your prescriptions first.
The membership network includes 70,000+ pharmacies. Ask whether yours participates.
The Drug Club's medication list includes 800+ medications. Look yours up on the Medications page before joining.
If you'd like to look around without pressure, you can try The Drug Club risk-free for 30 days. Questions go to support@thedrugclub.com or (424) 375-7114.
The short version
Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7. Check your drugs against next year's list, look at the deductible as well as the premium, confirm your pharmacies, and estimate the full year. Use Medicare.gov and your State Health Insurance Assistance Program for decisions. Then put the envelope away. You read it this time.
The Drug Club is a prescription membership, not insurance and not a discount card. It is not a Medicare plan and is not affiliated with Medicare, CMS, or any government agency. Eligible medications and participating pharmacies apply. This article is general information, not medical, legal, or insurance advice.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own medications and health. The Drug Club is a prescription membership. It is not insurance and not a discount card. Questions? Email support@thedrugclub.com or call (424) 375-7114.