2027 Medicare Open Enrollment Checklist for Florida

This Medicare checklist follows the order I use with clients. Each step builds on the one before it, so it’s worth going in order.

Step 1: Read Your 2026 Plan’s Annual Notice of Change. Your ANOC compares your plan’s 2026 benefits and costs with its 2027 benefits and costs. Look at the premium, the deductible, your copays for doctor visits and hospital stays, the out-of-pocket maximum, the drug list, and the provider and pharmacy networks. If your notice says your plan is leaving your area or won’t renew for 2027, that changes your options and your timing. My guide to what your 2027 Medicare ANOC or non-renewal notice means walks through how to read it, and my guide to 2027 Medicare Advantage changes in South Florida covers what’s changing across the region.

Step 2: Check Your Doctors and Hospitals. Make a list of every doctor you see, including specialists, plus the hospitals, labs, and imaging centers you use. Then check each one against the 2027 network of every plan you’re considering, by the exact plan name, since one company can offer several plans with different networks. In South Florida, many people want to stay with a particular health system, such as HCA Florida, Memorial Healthcare System, or Baptist Health, so I check those relationships carefully. Provider directories aren’t always up to date, so when something is unclear, I call the doctor’s office to confirm.

Step 3: Check Your Prescriptions and Pharmacy. Write down every medication you take, with the dose and how often you fill it. For each plan, check whether each drug is covered, which tier it’s on, and whether it comes with rules like prior authorization, step therapy, or quantity limits. Then check your pharmacy. Many plans charge less at preferred pharmacies, and a pharmacy that was preferred in 2026 may not be preferred in 2027. My Medicare Part D page explains how drug coverage works in more detail.

Step 4: Add Up Your Total Yearly Cost. The premium is only one piece of what you pay. Add the premium to your deductible, your expected copays and coinsurance for the care you usually get, and your estimated drug costs for the full year. Then look at the plan’s out-of-pocket maximum, which is the most you’d pay for covered medical services in 2027 if you had a hard health year. For drug coverage, Medicare’s limits for 2027 are a deductible of no more than $700 and an out-of-pocket cap of $2,400 for covered Part D drugs. Comparing full-year cost, based on your own doctors and prescriptions, is the most reliable way to compare plans.

Step 5: Look at Extra Benefits Realistically. Many Medicare Advantage plans include benefits Original Medicare doesn’t cover, such as dental, vision, hearing, fitness, or an over-the-counter allowance. These can change from year to year, and some plans are scaling them back for 2027. Check how much the benefit actually covers, whether there’s an annual limit, and whether you have to use specific dentists or eye doctors. A benefit you won’t use shouldn’t outweigh your doctors and prescriptions.

Step 6: Think About Travel and Time Out of Area. If you spend part of the year outside Florida, or travel often to see family, check how each plan handles care away from home. Medicare Advantage plans cover emergency and urgent care anywhere in the U.S., but routine care outside the plan’s service area is often limited, especially with HMOs. Some PPO plans cover out-of-network care at a higher cost. If you’re away from your plan’s service area for more than six months in a row, your plan may disenroll you. Original Medicare works with any provider in the country that accepts Medicare, which is one reason some frequent travelers prefer it.

Step 7: See Whether You May Qualify for Extra Help. Extra Help is a Medicare program that may lower your Part D premium, deductible, and drug costs if your income and resources are limited. You automatically qualify if you have Medicaid, a Medicare Savings Program, or Supplemental Security Income. Otherwise, you can apply through Social Security. If you qualify, you also get more chances to change your drug coverage during the year. My Extra Help and Special Situations page has more detail.

Step 8: Compare Your Options and Decide by December 7. Once you know what matters most, compare your current 2027 plan with the alternatives that fit. Medicare’s Plan Finder on Medicare.gov lets you compare plans side by side, and I’m glad to go through it with you or double-check what you find. If you decide to change, enroll before December 7, 2026, then watch for your new member card and welcome packet before January 1, 2027.