Medicare’s fall enrollment season brings a stack of mail, a run of TV ads, and a deadline. If it feels like too much, you’re not alone. Four steps cover what you need to do before December 7.
1. Know what’s changing
Medicare Advantage and Part D plans change every year, and 2026 is no exception. Premiums move, drug lists are revised, networks shift, and some plans are discontinued.
Your plan has to tell you. The Annual Notice of Change arrives by the end of September and lists every change to your costs, benefits and service area for the coming year. Read it before anything else. One number that applies to everyone with drug coverage: the Part D out-of-pocket cap for 2026 is $2,100, up from $2,000 in 2025.
2. Get organized and compare early
The Annual Enrollment Period runs from October 15 to December 7. Don’t leave it to the last week.
Write down three things: your doctors, your medications with dosages, and the pharmacy you use. With that list, checking whether a plan works for you takes minutes. Then call The Jones Group to review your Medicare plan options.
3. Use sources you can trust
Enrollment season also brings phone calls and mailers that are hard to tell apart from official notices. A useful rule: plans and agents aren’t allowed to call you about Medicare plans unless you’ve given them permission. If someone calls out of the blue, you can hang up.
When you do talk to an agent, ask whether they are licensed in Connecticut and which insurance companies they represent. For free counseling with nothing to sell, Connecticut’s CHOICES program is at 1-800-994-9422. You can also talk with an independent agent at The Jones Group.
4. Take it one step at a time
Review, compare, confirm. That’s the whole process. If your current plan still covers your doctors and prescriptions at a cost you’re comfortable with, staying put is a perfectly good decision. If it doesn’t, you have until December 7 to switch, and the new coverage starts January 1.
Whether you’re in your Initial Enrollment Period or thinking about switching plans this fall, The Jones Group can help. We work with individuals and families across Connecticut. Call (860) 529-3788.
