Medicare open enrollment ends December 7: plan to check eligibility in January

Medicare open enrollment runs until December 7, 2026. People with Medicare can switch between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage, change Medicare Advantage plans or change drug plans, and every change takes effect on January 1.

For billers, that means some patients will start 2027 with a different payer than the one on file. Check coverage again at each patient’s first visit in January, before the first claim goes out. Iridium Suite’s real-time eligibility returns the answer in seconds at scheduling and check-in.

Dates from Medicare.gov.