In most cases, you do not need to do anything to keep your current Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, as they automatically renew each year. If you have Original Medicare (Parts A and B), your coverage continues automatically, provided you continue paying your premiums. However, it is strongly recommended to review the "Annual Notice of Change" (ANOC) letter from your insurer for any cost or benefit changes.
Unless you take action to change it during the Annual Enrollment Period, your current Medicare coverage will renew for the following year. Automatic renewal helps ensure that you will have continuing coverage.
If you do nothing during the Medicare Open Enrollment period, your coverage under traditional Medicare plus stand-alone drug coverage, if applicable, will continue uninterrupted next year (assuming your stand-alone drug plan will continue to be offered).
Here are some of the biggest Medicare mistakes to avoid:
There are no ``penalties'' going back to original Medicare as you've always had Medicare even while in a Medicare advantage plan. Penalties are for those who disenroll from part b completely which you haven't done.
People leave Medicare Advantage (MA) plans due to difficulty accessing needed care (especially with worsening health), restrictive provider networks, complex prior authorization rules, and dissatisfaction with care quality, often feeling trapped as their health needs grow despite initial low costs and extra perks that become limiting. Issues with provider availability, network changes, and sometimes misleading marketing also drive disenrollment, pushing people back to Traditional Medicare for greater freedom, notes KFF.
Starting in 2025, there is an annual limit on what you pay out-of-pocket for prescription medications through Medicare and Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans. All prescription medications, including specialty medications, covered by Part D plans are included under this cap.
Generally, you're first eligible to sign up for Part A and Part B starting 3 months before you turn 65 and ending 3 months after the month you turn 65. (You may be eligible for Medicare earlier, if you get disability benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board.)
If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan and you want to switch to traditional Medicare, you should contact your current plan to cancel your enrollment and call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). Note there are specific enrollment periods each year to do this.
Similar to Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare Part D plans will renew automatically unless the plan is terminated either by Medicare or the insurer.
Once you buy a policy, you'll keep it as long as you pay your Medigap premiums. All standardized Medigap policies are automatically renewed every year, even if you have health problems.
Yes, Medicare Part B covers emergency air ambulance (helicopter or plane) if ground transportation can't provide immediate, rapid transport due to distance, obstacles (like heavy traffic), or if the pickup location is inaccessible by ground, and it's medically necessary to reach the nearest appropriate facility. Coverage applies when your condition requires immediate care that ground transport can't offer, and you'll pay 20% coinsurance after your Part B deductible, with the ambulance company needing to provide an "Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN)" if it might not be covered.
The extra $144 added to Social Security usually comes from the Medicare Part B Giveback benefit, offered by some Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans, which pays back some or all your Part B premium, showing up as extra money in your check if it's deducted from your Social Security. To qualify, you need Original Medicare (Parts A & B), pay your own Part B premium, live in a plan's service area, and enroll in a specific Medicare Advantage plan that offers this "rebate," with the amount varying by plan and location.
For the average retired worker, the 2.8 percent COLA is expected to increase their monthly benefit by about $56. This will raise the average payment from approximately $2,008 in 2025 to about $2,064 in 2026. Social Security retirement beneficiaries will see this increase reflected in their January 2026 payments.
The "best" Medicare plan for seniors depends on individual needs, but top-rated providers for Medicare Advantage (Part C) in 2026 include Humana, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, and Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), offering nationwide coverage, large networks, $0 premium options, and extra benefits like dental/vision, while Medigap (Medicare Supplement) plans like Plan F provide comprehensive Original Medicare cost coverage. Key factors are your doctors, prescriptions, budget, and preference for network flexibility (MA) or broad coverage (Medigap).
Switching from Medicare Advantage to original Medicare is straightforward. The first step is to cancel your Medicare Advantage plan. To do this, you can either: Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) and ask an agent to help you disenroll from your plan and to enroll in original Medicare.
Simply put, a growing majority of seniors choose MA because it provides better and more coordinated care, more comprehensive benefits, better outcomes and increased savings and financial security compared to FFS Medicare. For most Medicare-eligible patients, these advantages are available for no additional premium.