Changing plans

Medicare Open Enrollment in Ohio (2027 Plans)

Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 to December 7, 2026 in Ohio, and changes take effect January 1, 2027. You can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. For 2027, CMS lists 119 Medicare Advantage plans open to everyone and 9 standalone drug plans in Ohio. If your plan is ending, you have until February 28, 2027.

By the Benefits Life Editorial Team, licensed insurance agents · Reviewed November 13, 2026

Quick answers

When is Medicare open enrollment for 2027?: October 15 to December 7, 2026. Coverage you choose starts January 1, 2027.
What if my plan is ending in 2027?: You can choose new coverage until February 28, 2027. Choose by December 31 so there's no gap, and you can buy certain Medigap policies without health questions until 63 days after your plan ends.
Can I change plans after December 7?: If you're in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can make one change from January 1 to March 31, 2027. Other changes need a special enrollment period.
Is Medigap part of open enrollment?: No. Medigap has its own rules, and Ohio has no Medigap birthday rule, so switching Medigap policies usually means health questions.
Do OPERS and STRS Ohio use the same dates?: OPERS Medicare retirees make changes through the OPERS Medicare Connector from October 15 to December 7, 2026. STRS Ohio's open enrollment runs November 1 to 24, 2026.

When is Medicare open enrollment for 2027?

The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), often called open enrollment, runs October 15 to December 7, 2026, the same dates in every state. Changes take effect January 1, 2027. You can make more than one change; the last one you make by December 7 counts.

Date	What happens
By September 30, 2026	Your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan sends its Annual Notice of Change for 2027.
October 15, 2026	Open enrollment opens. OPERS Medicare retirees can make changes through the OPERS Medicare Connector.
November 1 to 24, 2026	STRS Ohio's own open enrollment.
December 7, 2026	Open enrollment closes. Also the OPERS Connector and OP&F marketplace deadline for January 1 changes.
December 31, 2026	Last day to replace a plan that's ending without a gap in coverage.
January 1, 2027	New coverage starts. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period opens.
February 28, 2027	Special enrollment period ends for people whose plan didn't renew.
March 31, 2027	The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period ends.

What can you change?

Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan.
Switch from a Medicare Advantage plan back to Original Medicare.
Change from one Medicare Advantage plan to another.
Join, switch or drop a Part D drug plan.

To join a Medicare Advantage plan you need Part A and Part B and must live in the plan's service area. In Ohio, plans are approved county by county. See Medicare Advantage in Ohio and Part D in Ohio.

How many plans does Ohio have for 2027?

CMS's 2027 Landscape file lists 119 Medicare Advantage plans open to everyone in Ohio from 20 companies, 46 special needs plans, and 9 standalone Part D plans from 5 companies. Ohio is its own Part D region, so the same standalone drug plans are sold statewide. Medicare Advantage choice depends on your county: Summit County has 68 plans open to everyone, Franklin 55, Hamilton 55 and Scioto 22. Find yours on the counties page.

What changes in Part D for 2027?

The yearly cap on what you pay out of pocket for covered Part D drugs is $2,400 in 2027. After you reach it, you pay nothing more for covered drugs that year.
A Part D plan's deductible can be no more than $700 in 2027.
Covered insulin costs no more than $35 for a month's supply.
You can still spread drug costs over the year in monthly payments through the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan; ask your plan.

CMS publishes the 2027 Part A and Part B premiums and deductibles separately each fall; see Medicare costs in 2027. Plans also change their drug lists, pharmacy networks and premiums each year, which is why the Annual Notice of Change matters.

What should you check in your Annual Notice of Change?

Find the notice. Your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan mails it by September 30. It lists what changes on January 1.
Check your drugs. Make sure each prescription is on the plan's 2027 drug list, and look for new prior authorization or quantity limits.
Check your doctors and hospitals. Confirm they're in the plan's 2027 network, including specialists in Cleveland, Columbus or Cincinnati and any hospital across a state line.
Check your pharmacy. Make sure it's still in network, and whether it's a preferred pharmacy.
Compare costs. Look at the premium, deductible, copays and the plan's out-of-pocket limit for 2027.
Look for a non-renewal letter. If the plan is ending or leaving your county, you get a separate notice. Keep it; you'll need it to buy Medigap with guaranteed-issue rights.

What if your Medicare Advantage plan is ending in 2027?

If you do nothing, you go back to Original Medicare on January 1, without drug coverage. For 2027, four companies stop selling regular Medicare Advantage plans in some or all Ohio counties and six companies end some plans where they keep others. At least 38,178 Ohioans must choose new coverage. Every county still has Medicare Advantage plans open to everyone.

Choose by December 7 during open enrollment, or by December 31 using the non-renewal special enrollment period, so your new coverage starts January 1.
You have until February 28, 2027 to choose a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, but coverage starts the first of the month after you choose.
Medigap without health questions: because your plan is ending, you can buy Medigap Plan A, B, D, G, K or L (or C or F if eligible for Medicare before 2020) from any company selling it in Ohio, applying from 60 days before to 63 days after your coverage ends (OAC 3901-8-08(O)).

See Ohio plans ending in 2027 for the companies and counties, and my plan is ending in 2027 for step-by-step help.

After December 7: the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period

From January 1 to March 31, 2027, if you're in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can make one change: switch to another Medicare Advantage plan, or drop your plan, return to Original Medicare and join a Part D plan. The change starts the first of the following month. This period isn't for people in Original Medicare who want to join a Medicare Advantage plan or switch Part D plans. See what is the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period.

Special enrollment periods that run all year

Moving out of your plan's area, within Ohio or to another state. See moving to Ohio with Medicare.
Ohio Medicaid or Extra Help: you can change drug coverage once a calendar month, and with full Medicaid you can join an integrated plan such as a MyCare Ohio plan once a month. See MyCare Ohio and Extra Help in Ohio.
Losing employer or union coverage, for example when you retire from an Ohio public job.
A declared emergency or disaster, such as a flood or winter storm, that kept you from making a choice. See winter storms, floods and Medicare in Ohio.

All dates are on Medicare enrollment periods and can I change my plan after open enrollment.

Medigap isn't part of open enrollment

Open enrollment doesn't let you buy or change Medigap without health questions. In Ohio, your one guaranteed window is the 6 months that start the first month you're both 65 and enrolled in Part B (OAC 3901-8-08(N)). Ohio has no birthday, anniversary or yearly switching rule. A bill (HB 24) has been proposed; it is not law. Outside that window, you can buy Medigap without health questions only in a guaranteed-issue situation, such as your Medicare Advantage plan ending or the 12-month trial right. Think this through before leaving Medigap for Medicare Advantage. See Medigap in Ohio and Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage in Ohio.

Ohio public retirees: your system's dates come first

OPERS: Medicare-eligible retirees make 2027 medical plan changes through the OPERS Medicare Connector from October 15 to December 7, 2026, and must stay enrolled in a plan through the Connector to keep HRA deposits.
STRS Ohio: open enrollment is November 1 to 24, 2026, for coverage starting January 1, 2027. STRS Ohio warns that enrolling in any other Part D plan cancels your STRS Ohio medical and prescription coverage.
SERS: coverage is a group Medicare Advantage plan with Part D; keep your Part B and SERS's Part D to stay covered.
OP&F: the marketplace deadline is December 7 for January 1 coverage, and you must enroll through OP&F's marketplace to keep your stipend.

See Ohio public retirement systems and Medicare. Federal retirees with FEHB or PSHB should see FEHB and Medicare in Ohio.

How should you compare plans?

Start with your drugs, doctors and pharmacy, then compare costs for a typical year and a hard one. Medicare's Plan Finder at Medicare.gov lists plans in your ZIP code, and 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048) has information on all your options. To compare plans from the companies they work with, you can request a call from a licensed insurance agent, or see plans for your ZIP code. You can also meet licensed insurance agents in Ohio.

Avoiding scams during open enrollment

Medicare won't call you to sell a plan or ask for your Medicare number.
Agents and plans can't call you, text you or come to your door without your permission.
Don't give your Medicare number to anyone who contacts you out of the blue.
Report suspected Medicare fraud to 1-800-MEDICARE or the Ohio Senior Medicare Patrol, run by Pro Seniors, Inc., at 1-800-293-4767. Complaints about an insurance agent go to Ohio Department of Insurance Consumer Services at 1-800-686-1526. See Medicare fraud in Ohio.

Your open enrollment checklist

Read your Annual Notice of Change. Note any change to drugs, network, costs, or a non-renewal.
Check your retirement system's rules. If you have OPERS, STRS Ohio, SERS, OP&F or HPRS coverage, confirm what's allowed before you change anything.
List your prescriptions, doctors and pharmacy. Bring the list when you compare.
Compare plans sold in your county. Use Plan Finder or talk with a licensed insurance agent.
Decide by December 7, 2026. If your plan is ending, decide by December 31 to avoid a gap.
Watch for your new plan's welcome letter and ID card. Keep your old card until January 1.

Sources

Every question in this guide

Frequently asked questions

What happens if I do nothing during open enrollment?

If your plan is renewing, you stay in it for 2027 with the changes in its Annual Notice of Change. If your Medicare Advantage plan is ending and you do nothing, you go back to Original Medicare on January 1 without drug coverage.

When does my new plan start if I switch during open enrollment?

January 1, 2027, for any change made between October 15 and December 7, 2026. If you make more than one change, the last one you make by December 7 counts.

Can I switch plans if I move within Ohio?

Yes, if you move out of your plan's service area or to an address with new plan options. Your chance starts the month you move and lasts 2 full months after; if you tell your plan before you move, it can start the month before.

Can I leave my Medicare Advantage plan if my doctor leaves the network?

Usually not on that basis alone. Medicare evaluates special enrollment periods for significant network changes case by case. Otherwise use open enrollment, through December 7, or the January 1 to March 31 window.

My Ohio Medicare Advantage plan is ending in 2027. What should I do?

Choose a new Medicare Advantage plan, or Original Medicare with a Part D plan, by December 31, 2026 so it starts January 1. Your special enrollment period lasts until February 28, 2027. Because your plan is ending, you can also buy Medigap Plan A, B, D, G, K or L without health questions, applying up to 63 days after your coverage ends.

Medicare in your Ohio county

Plans, local agents and help, county by county: Franklin · Cuyahoga · Hamilton · Summit · Montgomery · Lucas · Butler · Stark · Lorain · Warren · Delaware · Lake · Mahoning · Clermont · Trumbull · Licking · Medina · Greene · Fairfield · Portage · All 88 counties →

Licensed insurance agents for Ohio

These independent insurance agents are licensed in Ohio and work with Benefits Life, the publisher of this site. When they enroll you in a plan, the agent and Benefits Life may be paid by the insurance company. Learn more.