Medicare Open Enrollment Runs Through Dec. 7. Here Is What Changes for 5 Million Texans in 2027
More than 5 million Texans are on Medicare, and open enrollment is underway. Here is what federal figures show about 2027 premiums, the new drug cost cap, and where to get free help comparing plans.
If you or a parent is on Medicare, the mailbox has probably been full lately. That is because Medicare open enrollment is underway. It runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, and changes take effect Jan. 1, according to Medicare.gov. Your plan must receive your enrollment request by Dec. 7.
In Texas, 5,017,127 people are enrolled in Medicare, according to the federal 2027 state fact sheet from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Here is what changes and what to check.
What you can change
During open enrollment, according to Medicare.gov, you can:
Join, drop or switch Medicare Advantage plans, with or without drug coverage.
Join, drop or switch a stand-alone drug plan if you have Original Medicare.
Move from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage, or from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare.
If you switch to Original Medicare, you may need a separate drug plan and may want Medicare Supplement Insurance, or Medigap. Medicare.gov warns that there are limits on when you can add Medigap.
The Texas numbers for 2027
According to the CMS fact sheet for Texas:
The average monthly Medicare Advantage premium rises from $3.94 in 2026 to $4.27 in 2027.
There are 421 Medicare Advantage plans available, down from 423.
Every Texan on Medicare has access to a Medicare Advantage plan with a $0 monthly premium.
Ten stand-alone prescription drug plans are offered. The lowest monthly premium is $5.30.
About 54.5% of Texans in a stand-alone drug plan can find one with a lower premium than they paid in 2026.
About 23.3% of Texans in stand-alone drug plans get Extra Help with their costs.
Nationally, CMS projects in a Sept. 28 release that the average Medicare Advantage premium will fall from $14.37 to $12.00. It also expects the average stand-alone drug plan premium to rise less than $1, from $35.09 to $36. CMS said about eight in 10 Medicare Advantage members will be able to stay in their current plan with the same or a lower premium.
Drug costs: a higher cap and a higher deductible
Two numbers matter for anyone who fills a lot of prescriptions. According to Medicare.gov:
Out-of-pocket cap: Once your out-of-pocket spending on covered Part D drugs reaches $2,400 in 2027, up from $2,100 in 2026, you pay nothing more for covered drugs for the rest of the year.
Deductible: No Medicare drug plan may have a deductible above $700 in 2027, up from $615. Some plans have no deductible.
CMS notes that plan costs and benefits can change from year to year. A low premium means little if your medicine moved to a higher tier or dropped off the list. Check each prescription by name in the Medicare Plan Finder.
Medicare also offers the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which spreads drug costs across the year. Medicare.gov is clear that it "doesn’t save you money or lower your drug costs." It only evens out the bills.
Help for limited incomes
Medicare Savings Programs can help pay Medicare premiums and sometimes deductibles, coinsurance and copays. Yet only about half of eligible people are enrolled, according to the CMS fact sheet. Extra Help lowers Part D costs for people who qualify, and anyone enrolled in a Medicare Savings Program automatically qualifies for Extra Help, CMS says.
If a parent is on a tight fixed income, these programs are worth a phone call.
Free, unbiased help in Texas
You do not have to sort this out alone, and you do not have to rely on a salesperson. The Texas Department of Insurance Medicare page links to free benefits counselors in your area, and TDI takes questions at 800-252-3439. CMS says 1-800-MEDICARE is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Texas’s benefits counseling program, known as HICAP, has staff and volunteers in 28 Area Agency on Aging offices, according to the Area Agency on Aging of East Texas. Its counselors are not tied to any insurance company and cannot recommend a specific plan, but they can explain your choices, including Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, drug coverage and Medigap.
People who are happy with their current coverage generally do not need to re-enroll, CMS says. Even so, the plan you keep may not be the same plan next year. Read the notice your plan sent this fall about its changes for 2027.
A word for sons and daughters
Scripture tells us to honor our fathers and mothers. This time of year, that can be as plain as sitting at the kitchen table with a parent, a stack of pill bottles and the Plan Finder, and making sure no one talks them into something they do not need. Watch for high-pressure calls, take your time and get it in writing.
With flu season starting to climb in Texas, and with the state putting $78 million into rural health providers, it is worth knowing before January which doctors, hospitals and pharmacies are in your plan’s network.
