Data last updated: July 23, 2026 · Florida · 13 min read
Every fall, one 54-day window decides what most Florida seniors will pay for their health care all next year — and most people either sleep through it or panic on the last day. It is the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), and for 2027 coverage it runs from October 15 to December 7, 2026. This is the one time each year when almost anyone on Medicare can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage plan or a Part D drug plan, with the new coverage starting January 1, 2027.
I am Vivian Soto, a licensed bilingual independent insurance agent at VS Healthcare Solutions in Orlando. Every year I watch the same avoidable mistakes: the client who auto-renewed and lost their cardiologist, the couple who never opened the letter that explained their plan was changing, the widow who missed December 7 and got stuck for twelve months. This guide walks Florida families through exactly what AEP is, the 2027 numbers that change your math, and a five-step plan to get it right — ideally before the rush.
AEP 2027: the dates that actually matter
Medicare has several enrollment windows and they are easy to confuse. For the fall decision, three dates matter: the letter that starts it, the window itself, and the backup window in the new year.
The Annual Notice of Change is the trigger. By the end of September 2026, every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan must mail you an ANOC spelling out exactly what is changing for 2027 — premium, deductible, copays, drug formulary, and provider network. It is dull, it looks like junk mail, and it is the single most important envelope you will get all year. Do not throw it away.
What you can (and cannot) do during AEP
AEP is broad, but it is not unlimited. Here is what the October 15 – December 7 window lets you do — and the one thing it famously does not.
| During AEP (Oct 15 – Dec 7) you CAN | What it does not cover |
|---|---|
| Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another | It does not guarantee you a Medigap (Supplement) plan — those can require medical underwriting outside your one-time open window |
| Join, switch, or drop a stand-alone Part D drug plan | It is not when you first sign up for Medicare (that is your Initial Enrollment Period at 65) |
| Move from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage, or back | It does not change your Part B premium or IRMAA surcharge |
That Medigap footnote trips people up constantly. If you want to leave a Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare with a Medigap supplement, you can make the switch during AEP — but in most cases the Medigap insurer can ask health questions and decline you, because your guaranteed-issue Medigap window (the six months around when you first enrolled in Part B) has usually passed. Florida does not have a continuous guaranteed-issue rule for Medigap, so this is a conversation to have before you drop a plan, not after.
Read your ANOC letter first — what to look for
Before you shop anything, spend fifteen minutes with your ANOC and last year’s plan. You are hunting for four changes that quietly raise your costs or break your care:
- Premium and deductible. Did the monthly premium move? Did the drug deductible change? Small numbers add up over twelve months.
- Your drugs’ tier and coverage. Plans re-shuffle their formularies every year. A medication that was Tier 2 can jump to Tier 3, or fall off the list entirely.
- Your doctors and hospitals. Medicare Advantage networks change constantly. Confirm your primary care doctor, specialists, and preferred hospital are still in network for 2027.
- Extra benefits. The dental allowance, over-the-counter card, flex card, and hearing or vision benefits are where carriers trim quietly. Compare the 2027 amounts to what you actually used in 2026.
What is new for 2027 that changes your math
Three federal changes reshape the 2027 decision, and all of them are built into the Inflation Reduction Act’s Part D redesign.
1. The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400. The hard ceiling on what you pay for covered drugs climbs from $2,100 in 2026 to $2,400 in 2027 — a $300 increase, about 14 percent, indexed to drug-cost growth. It is still one of the best protections Medicare has ever had, but the number moved.
2. The standard Part D deductible rises to $700. The starting deductible goes from $615 to $700. Not every plan uses the full standard deductible, which is exactly why comparing plans on your specific drugs matters.
3. The next round of negotiated drug prices begins January 1, 2027. A second set of high-cost drugs — including the Ozempic/Wegovy family — gets Medicare-negotiated prices in 2027. If you take one, your plan choice should weigh how each carrier handles the new pricing. I covered the full list in my guide to the 2027 negotiated prices (in Spanish).
Book your AEP appointment before October 1.
Bring your ANOC letter, your prescription list, and the doctors you want to keep. In 20 minutes I run your drugs and providers across every available 2027 plan and tell you whether to switch or stay — at no cost to you.
Your 5-step AEP action plan for Florida
- Watch for the ANOC by the end of September. Set it aside somewhere you will not lose it. If it never arrives, call your plan — you are entitled to it.
- Make your must-keep list. Write down every doctor and hospital you refuse to lose and every prescription you take, with the dose. This is the list we match plans against.
- Compare on total cost, not the premium. A $0-premium plan can cost you far more once a key drug is on a high tier or your specialist is out of network. Weigh premium, deductible, copays, the drug formulary, and the network together.
- Verify the network by phone. Online provider directories are notoriously out of date. Confirm your doctors for 2027 with the carrier directly — this is the step that prevents the February surprise.
- Decide and enroll before December 7. If nothing beats your current plan, staying is a valid choice — but make it on purpose. If you miss the deadline, your next chance is usually the MA Open Enrollment Period (Jan 1 – Mar 31) or a Special Enrollment Period, if you qualify.
Common AEP mistakes Florida seniors make
After years of AEP appointments, the same handful of mistakes cost my clients the most. Auto-renewing without reading the ANOC is number one — your plan can change underneath you even if you do nothing. Shopping on the TV commercial is number two; those $0-premium, all-the-extras ads rarely mention networks or drug tiers. Chasing a flashy extra benefit — a big flex card — while ignoring whether your specialist is covered is number three. And waiting until December means you compete for appointments with every other procrastinator in Florida. Start in October.
Frequently asked questions about Medicare AEP 2027
When is the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period for 2027?
AEP runs October 15 to December 7, 2026, for coverage that begins January 1, 2027. It is the main annual window to join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D drug plan.
What is an ANOC and when does it arrive?
The Annual Notice of Change is a letter your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan must mail by the end of September. It lists every change to your plan for the coming year — premium, deductible, copays, drug formulary, and network. Read it before you decide anything.
What happens if I do nothing during AEP?
Your current plan generally renews automatically — but with its 2027 changes, not its 2026 terms. That is why doing nothing without reading your ANOC is risky: your costs, drug coverage, or network may have shifted.
What is the difference between AEP and the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period?
AEP (Oct 15 – Dec 7) is open to everyone on Medicare and covers Advantage and Part D changes. The MA Open Enrollment Period (Jan 1 – Mar 31) is a one-time backup only for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan, who can switch to a different Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare.
Can I switch to a Medigap (Supplement) plan during AEP?
You can move to Original Medicare during AEP, but adding a Medigap plan is different: outside your one-time guaranteed-issue window, Florida Medigap insurers can require medical underwriting and may decline you. Check whether you can qualify before dropping a plan.
How much is the Part D out-of-pocket cap in 2027?
The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027, up from $2,100 in 2026. Once you reach it, you pay $0 for covered drugs the rest of the year. The standard Part D deductible also rises, from $615 to $700.
Does AEP change my Part B premium?
No. AEP is about Medicare Advantage and Part D drug coverage. Your Part B premium and any IRMAA surcharge are set separately by Medicare and Social Security, and CMS announces the 2027 Part B premium each November.
Do I pay a Florida agent to help me during AEP?
No. Independent agents are paid by the insurance carriers, and Medicare regulates that compensation tightly. Our help comparing plans and enrolling is free to you.
Why a Florida agent matters during AEP
Independent licensed agents do not charge beneficiaries — carriers pay our commissions, and CMS requires us to present the plans that fit your situation, not just the ones that pay us most. During AEP that free help is worth a great deal, because you are making a twelve-month decision on a hard deadline. For my Florida clients I do three things: I run a Plan Finder analysis on your actual drug list, doctors, and ZIP code; I verify the network by phone with the carrier, because directories are often wrong; and I model your total cost across plans for both a typical year and a high-claim year — the analysis most people skip and the one that prevents regret in February.
If you want the broader picture of what changed this year, my 2026 Medicare mid-year reality check covers the drug cap and plan-exit wave, and my Medicare Advantage vs. Original Medicare decision guide walks through the coverage choice itself.
Sources and data references
- Medicare.gov. Joining a plan — enrollment periods. CMS.
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Contract Year 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Final Rule. April 2026.
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Final CY 2027 Part D Redesign Program Instructions ($2,400 cap, $700 deductible).
- Kaiser Family Foundation. Key Facts About Medicare Drug Price Negotiation. 2026.
- Medicare.gov. Medicare Plan Finder. CMS.
This article is educational and does not constitute individual insurance advice. Enrollment dates and 2027 cost figures reflect published CMS values; verify plan details, networks, and formularies with the carrier before enrolling. VS Healthcare Solutions is a licensed independent insurance agency in the State of Florida.
