Medicare 2026

Medicare Annual Enrollment in Tucson closes December 7

TUCSON — The clock is ticking for Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period. Between now and December 7, people with Medicare in Tucson can change how they get their coverage for 2027 — and the choices they make (or skip) will shape their costs and care starting January 1.

Tucson Medicare's Annual Enrollment Window Closes December 7

This fall's window matters. The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (it's $2,100 in 2026), and plan lineups across Pima County have shifted again — 76 Medicare Advantage plans from 15 carriers are offered for 2027, compared with 82 plans from 14 carriers in 2026, with 20 new plans, 14 not returning, and 12 renamed. Verda Health Plan of Arizona is new to the county. If you got an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) in the mail from your current plan back in September, that packet is worth pulling out before the deadline.

What You Can Actually Do Between Now and December 7

The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) runs October 15 through December 7 every year. During this window, you can:

• Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, or move from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare.
• Join, drop, or change a Part D prescription drug plan.
• Change from one Medicare Advantage plan to another — with or without drug coverage.

Any change you make now takes effect January 1, 2027. According to Medicare.gov, if you make more than one change during AEP, the last one you submit before December 7 is the one that sticks.

If you miss December 7, your options narrow. People already in a Medicare Advantage plan get one more chance during the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31) to switch to a different Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare — but that window doesn't let someone on Original Medicare jump into Advantage for the first time.

Why 2027 Is Worth a Closer Look

Two changes make this enrollment season different from past ones:

The Part D out-of-pocket cap. No one on a Medicare drug plan pays more than the annual cap for covered prescriptions — $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. The old "donut hole" coverage gap was eliminated in 2025, so Part D now has three simpler phases: deductible, initial coverage, and catastrophic (where your costs stop at the cap).

The Part D deductible ceiling. Plans can charge less, but not more, than the annual maximum — $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027.

The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan is also available again in 2027. It's an optional program that lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly payments instead of paying a large amount at the pharmacy counter all at once. It doesn't lower your total costs — it just smooths them out.

Higher earners should also note that IRMAA surcharges — the extra amount added to Part B and Part D premiums — kick in above $109,000 in income for single filers in 2026.

What Pima County Residents Should Compare

Tucson is in Pima County, where Medicare plan availability is set at the county level. That means the plans you can choose from depend on where you live, not just that you live in Arizona. Before December 7, it's worth checking:

• Your prescriptions. Every Part D and Medicare Advantage drug plan has its own formulary (covered drug list). A drug covered this year may not be covered — or may be in a different tier — next year.
• Your doctors and hospitals. Medicare Advantage plans use networks. If you want to keep seeing a specific provider at Banner – University Medical Center, TMC, or a local clinic, confirm they're in-network for 2027.
• Your pharmacy. "Preferred" pharmacies inside a plan can cost less than "standard" ones.
• Your ANOC letter. Compare what your current plan will look like in 2027 to what it looks like today.

The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov/plan-compare lets you enter your ZIP code and drugs to see what's available in your area.

What Star Ratings Actually Tell You

You'll see plans labeled with a Star Rating from 1 to 5. CMS assigns those ratings based on things like customer service, member complaints, and how well plans manage chronic conditions. Ratings can be a useful data point when comparing options — but they don't replace looking at whether a plan covers your drugs, your doctors, and your pharmacy.

Where to Get Free, Unbiased Help in Tucson

You don't have to figure this out alone, and you don't have to pay for advice.

• Arizona SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program): Free one-on-one Medicare counseling. In Pima County, call the Pima Council on Aging at 520-790-7573.
• Medicare directly: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Online: medicare.gov