Medicare Open Enrollment Starts October 15 — Start Your Review Now

Open enrollment runs October 15 through December 7, and the people who get the most out of it are the ones who prepare in September.

Start with your Annual Notice of Change, which arrives by the end of September. Flag three things: changes to your drug formulary, changes to your provider network, and any increase in your premium or out-of-pocket maximum.

Next, make a list of every prescription you take, including dosage. This is the single biggest driver of plan costs, and it changes more often than people realize.

Finally, write down the doctors and specialists you want to keep. A plan that saves $40 a month but drops your cardiologist is not a savings.

With those three documents in hand, a licensed agent can compare your options in one short appointment — and it costs you nothing, since agents are paid by the carriers.