Medicare 2026

What Glenview Seniors Can Do Before the Dec. 7 Medicare Deadline

GLENVIEW, Ill. — The clock is ticking on Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period. Between now and December 7, people with Medicare in Glenview can review, switch, or drop their coverage for 2027 — and the choices made this fall will shape what you pay and which doctors and drugs are covered starting January 1.

Here's a plain-English look at what you can actually do before the deadline, and why this year's window matters more than usual.

What the Annual Enrollment Period is for

The Annual Enrollment Period, or AEP, runs every year from October 15 through December 7. It's the once-a-year window when almost anyone with Medicare can make changes to their drug or health coverage without needing a special reason.

During AEP, you can:

• Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, or the other way around.
• Change from one Medicare Advantage plan to another.
• Join, drop, or switch a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan.

Any change you make now takes effect January 1, 2027. If you're happy with your current coverage and it's still being offered next year, you don't have to do anything — your plan renews automatically.

Why 2027 is worth a fresh look

Even if you've kept the same plan for years, 2027 brings program-wide changes that affect what you pay at the pharmacy counter.

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: For the first time, no one on a Part D plan will pay more than $2,100 in 2026 ($2,400 in 2027) out of pocket for covered prescriptions in a calendar year.
• Part D deductible: The maximum allowable deductible for 2026 is $615.
• No more "donut hole": The old coverage gap was eliminated in 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: This optional program lets you spread your yearly drug costs across monthly payments instead of paying a large bill at the pharmacy.
• IRMAA thresholds: Higher-income beneficiaries pay an added surcharge on Part B and Part D premiums. In 2026, those surcharges start above $109,000 in income for a single filer.

Plans also send an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) every fall. It arrives by late September and spells out what's changing in your plan for the coming year — premiums, copays, drug lists, and pharmacy networks. If you tossed yours, call your plan and ask for another copy.

What Glenview residents should check before December 7

Glenview is in Cook County, where a wide range of Medicare Advantage and Part D plans are offered. Availability, networks, and drug formularies are set at the county level, so two neighbors on the same street generally have the same menu of choices — but the "right" plan depends on your own doctors, prescriptions, and budget.

A useful checklist before you decide:

1. Read your ANOC. Note any change to your premium, primary care copay, specialist copay, or drug tiers. 2. List your prescriptions. Include dosages. Drug formularies change every year. 3. List your doctors and preferred hospitals. Confirm they're still in-network for 2027. 4. Think about the year ahead. Any planned surgeries, new specialists, travel, or a move? 5. Compare on Medicare.gov. The Plan Finder tool at medicare.gov/plan-compare lets you enter your ZIP code and drugs to see side-by-side estimates.

If you miss December 7

The AEP deadline is firm, but it isn't your only chance.

• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period: From January 1 through March 31, people already in a Medicare Advantage plan can switch to a different Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare (and add a Part D plan). You get one change during this window.
• Special Enrollment Periods: Life events — moving, losing other coverage, qualifying for Extra Help — can open a separate window to make changes outside AEP.

If you're brand new to Medicare, your Initial Enrollment Period runs seven months around your 65th birthday and isn't tied to AEP at all.

Where to get unbiased help in Glenview

You don't have to figure this out alone, and you don't have to rely on a sales call.

• Medicare.gov — the official site for plan comparison and enrollment.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — 24/7, including TTY at 1-877-486-2048.
• Illinois SHIP (Senior Health Insurance Program) — free, one-on-one Medicare counseling from trained volunteers, not tied to any insurance company. Call 1-800-252-8966 or visit ilaging.illinois.gov.
• North Shore Senior Center in Northfield also serves Glenview residents and hosts SHIP counselors by appointment.