10/15/2026
Medicare Open Enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7. It is the annual window to review your coverage and make changes for the coming year, and it is easy to let it pass without a second look.
Plans change from year to year. Premiums, prescription drug coverage, and provider networks can all shift, which means the plan that fit well this year may not fit as well next year.
Medicare also connects to the rest of your financial picture more than many people realize.
Premiums for higher-income beneficiaries are based on income reported two years earlier, so decisions like a Roth conversion or the sale of an appreciated asset can show up in your Medicare costs down the road. That's another reason healthcare belongs inside the retirement plan rather than beside it.