What Happens If You Make No Changes During Medicare Open Enrollment?

Medicare Open Enrollment arrives every fall with a flood of advertisements, phone calls, mailers, and promises. It can make people feel as though they are required to change plans just because the calendar says October.

You are not.

Medicare Open Enrollment gives you the opportunity to review and change your Medicare Advantage or prescription drug coverage. It does not require you to replace a plan that still works well for you. According to CMS, if your current plan will still meet your needs next year and it is still being offered, you do not need to do anything.

But there is an important difference between keeping your plan after reviewing it and simply assuming nothing changed. That difference is where this article comes in.

What Happens If You Do Nothing During Medicare Open Enrollment?

If you make no changes during the Medicare Open Enrollment Period—October 15 through December 7—your current Medicare coverage will generally continue into the following year, as long as the plan is still available and you remain eligible for it.

That means:

• If you are enrolled in Original Medicare, your Part A and Part B coverage generally continues.
• If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan that is continuing next year, you will generally remain enrolled in that plan.
• If you have a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan that is continuing next year, you will generally remain enrolled in that plan.
• If your plan is leaving Medicare or no longer serving your area, different rules apply and you should review the notice sent by the plan.

Does Medicare Renew Automatically?

Original Medicare does not require an annual re-enrollment. Your Part A and Part B coverage generally continues unless you take action to end it or you lose eligibility.

Medicare Advantage and Part D plans work a little differently because private insurance companies administer them under contracts with Medicare. When a plan continues into the next year and you remain eligible, you usually stay enrolled unless you choose a different option during an available enrollment period.

That is why the better question is not only, “Will my plan renew?” It is:

What Can Change Even If You Keep the Same Medicare Plan?

CMS reminds people that Medicare health and drug plans may change their costs, coverage, provider networks, and pharmacy networks from one year to the next. Your plan explains these updates in the Annual Notice of Change, commonly called the ANOC.

Your plan should send an Annual Notice of Change in September explaining upcoming changes to costs, coverage, and other plan details. Read it before deciding that “no changes” is the right choice for you.

When Making No Changes Can Be the Right Decision

There is nothing wrong with keeping your current Medicare plan. In fact, staying put may be the most sensible choice when you have completed a review and confirmed that the plan continues to fit.

Keeping your plan may make sense when:

• Your prescriptions remain covered at acceptable costs.
• Your doctors, specialists, hospitals, and preferred pharmacies remain available through the plan.
• The premium, deductible, copays, coinsurance, and maximum out-of-pocket limit still fit your budget.
• The plan’s service area and travel rules still work for where you live and receive care.
• You understand the upcoming changes and are comfortable with them.

The goal of an annual review is not to manufacture a reason to change. It is to make sure that staying is an informed decision rather than an accidental one.

When Your Current Plan Deserves a Closer Look

Your coverage deserves more attention when something meaningful has changed in either the plan or your life.

What If Your Medicare Plan Is Ending?

If your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan will not be offered next year, do not ignore the notice. Plan termination or non-renewal is different from an ordinary annual benefit change.

Medicare provides Special Enrollment Periods in certain situations when a plan’s contract ends or is not renewed. If a Medicare Advantage plan ends and you do not join another Medicare Advantage plan before the current plan ends, Medicare says you will generally be enrolled in Original Medicare. Prescription drug coverage and Medigap considerations may still require separate action, depending on your circumstances.

A Simple Medicare Open Enrollment Review

A meaningful annual review does not have to become a three-ring circus. Start with the five items that can affect your real-world care and costs:

1. Prescriptions: Make a current medication list with dosage and frequency.
2. Doctors and specialists: Confirm participation in the exact plan and network for the new year.
3. Pharmacies: Compare your preferred pharmacy with other in-network options.
4. Costs: Review premiums, deductibles, copays, coinsurance, drug costs, and maximum out-of-pocket exposure.
5. Coverage and benefits: Check the services and extras you actually use—not just the ones that look attractive in an advertisement.

Medicare Open Enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7 each year. Changes made during that period generally take effect January 1.

Frequently Asked Questions

Written & Reviewed By

Robin Dall

Florida Medicare Broker & Educator
Licensed Since 2013 • NPN 17032552

Robin helps people understand Medicare decisions, compare their options, and move forward without the call-center runaround.