Medicare Plans
Medicare Annual Open Enrollment in Palm Beach County
Annual Open Enrollment, often called AEP, is the stretch each fall when nearly everyone on Medicare can change plans without needing a special reason. It runs October 15 to December 7, and the new plan starts January 1.
For many part-year residents, it falls right around the trip south, with mail piling up at one address or the other. Set the ads aside, pull out your drug list and your doctors' names, and make one decision based on those.
- Open from October 15 to December 7 every year
- Changes take effect January 1
- Look at your drugs and doctors before anything else
- Free plan reviews for Palm Beach County residents
Get your plan checked before December 7
Tell us your current plan, your prescriptions and your doctors. A licensed insurance agent compares next year's costs on the plans we represent in your ZIP code and calls you back during business hours. If your current plan is still the best fit, we'll say so.
What to expect
Free review- A licensed agent calls you back during business hours, Mon-Fri, 9:30am-6:30pm ET
- Your doctors and prescriptions get checked before any plan is suggested
- No fee for our help, and your premium is the same either way
- No obligation to enroll, and no pressure if you'd rather stay put
Reviewed by the licensed insurance agents at Palm Beach Senior Insurance. Last reviewed: October 2026. Office hours: Mon-Fri, 9:30am-6:30pm ET.
Thanks, we have your request.
A licensed agent will call you during business hours, Mon-Fri, 9:30am-6:30pm ET. If you'd rather not wait, call 561-000-0000 now.
What's allowed
Changes you can make during AEP
- Move from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan
- Leave Medicare Advantage and return to Original Medicare
- Switch from one Advantage plan to another
- Join, drop or change a separate Part D drug plan
Medigap runs on its own calendar
AEP doesn't cover Medicare Supplement plans. You can apply for a Medigap plan any time, but once your first six-month window has passed, the company can ask about your health.
Prepare
Four steps for a quick review
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1
Read your Annual Notice of Change
Your plan mails it by the end of September. It shows next year's premium, copays, drug tiers and network changes in one document. If you were away, check that it reached you.
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2
Update your drug list
Doses change and new prescriptions get added. Your current list usually moves your cost more than anything else. Our Part D guide covers what to compare.
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3
Look up your doctors and hospital
Search for your doctor, your hospital and any specialist in next year's directory. This year's won't tell you what changes in January.
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4
Decide before Thanksgiving
December 7 is firm. If you wait until the last few days, there's no time to fix an error.
Comparing drug plans? Start with Part D drug plans in Palm Beach County. Weighing a bigger change? Read Medicare Advantage and Advantage vs. Medigap.
Local networks
What tends to change for plans in the county
Hospitals in Palm Beach County belong to several systems, and a plan can add or lose one from year to year. Check whether next year's network still includes the hospital you'd use, whether that's St. Mary's, HCA Florida JFK Hospital, Bethesda Hospital East or Boca Raton Regional Hospital. Veterans may also use the Thomas H. Corey VA Medical Center. If you're on an Advantage plan and spend months in another state, ask whether next year's plan still has a visitor or traveler benefit. Search next year's directory for every name on your list. See the communities we cover on our service areas page.
Other windows
If December 7 has come and gone
Advantage plan members get one more chance between January 1 and March 31. You can move to another Advantage plan, or go back to Original Medicare and add a Part D plan. After that, you'd need a Special Enrollment Period, such as one that comes with moving out of your plan's area or losing job coverage.
If you're new to Medicare, your Initial Enrollment Period around turning 65 is the window that counts. Not sure which one applies to you? Read switching your plan.
Questions
Open Enrollment in Palm Beach County: common questions
When is Open Enrollment?
I'm happy with my plan. Do I have to do anything?
I'm up north until after Thanksgiving. Can I still make a change?
Can I switch Medigap plans during Open Enrollment?
What if I miss December 7?
Where can I get free, unbiased help in Florida?
Book your free Open Enrollment review
We'll go over your plan every fall, including the years when keeping it is the right call.