As you peruse the grocery store aisles over the next month, you’ll quickly realize pumpkin spice season is upon us. And while companies flavor everything from cough drops to kitty litter (yes, seriously) another important season is also arriving: Medicare Open Enrollment.
From October 15 to December 7, 2025, Medicare beneficiaries have the chance to review health coverage and make changes for the 2026 coverage year. It’s one of those yearly check-ins, like getting your flu shot or, that can save you stress (and money) later on.
Just like your health and finances can change over time, so can the details of your Medicare plan. The company providing your coverage may update which doctors are in-network, which medications are covered, or how much you’ll pay each month. When thinking about your plan for the next year, ask yourself what medications you’re taking, which healthcare providers you would like to continue seeing, and check if your current plan still covers them in 2026.
When managing the cost of prescriptions, Medicare introduced the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan – a benefit that caps the cost of what you’ll spend out of pocket on medications covered by Part D. In 2026, that cap will be $2,100 to help make prescription costs more predictable and easier to manage, especially for those who rely on multiple medications. You can learn more by checking out the Alliance’s short educational film, “What to Know About Managing Your Medicare Prescription Drug Costs in 2026, which explains how this benefit works and how to enroll. (These are also available in briefer versions, and in Spanish at LowerOutOfPocketCosts.org.)
The easiest way to make changes to your plan is to visit Medicare.gov and use the Plan Finder tool, which shows you side-by-side comparisons of different plans. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE and speak to someone directly or reach out to plans in your area to ask about details.
And while pumpkin spice Spam may be scary (again, seriously), navigating Medicare Open Enrollment doesn’t have to be. Free help is out there through State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs). These programs connect you with real people who can walk you through your choices and find a plan that works best for you.
If you’re not sure where to start, the Savvy and 65: A Woman’s Guide to Understanding Medicare is a great place to start. It breaks down the process into chapters, and provides information about coverage for vital health priorities like heart and bone health.
So, as you complete items on your Fall to-do list, like swapping your summer clothes for sweaters in your closet, take advantage of Medicare Open Enrollment. This is your chance to make sure your health coverage is still working for you, so be sure to visit Medicare.gov to check your options. To learn more about the Medicare benefits, such as the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, visit our Project LOOP page.
Katrin Werner-Perez is the Director of Health Programs at the Alliance.
