Medicare Plans
Medicare Open Enrollment Houston, TX
Medicare Open Enrollment, also called AEP, is the one window each year when almost anyone on Medicare can switch plans without a qualifying event. It runs from October 15 to December 7, and whatever you pick takes effect January 1.
It's also when mailers, TV ads and cold calls pile up across Houston. Our advice: skip the noise, pull your own drug list and doctor list, and make one clear-eyed decision instead of ten rushed ones.
- October 15 through December 7 every year
- Any change takes effect January 1
- Review your drug list and your network first
- Free plan reviews across Harris County
What's allowed
What you can change during Open Enrollment
- Move from Original Medicare into a Medicare Advantage plan
- Move from a Medicare Advantage plan back to Original Medicare
- Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another
- Join, drop, or change a standalone Part D drug plan
Medigap runs on its own clock
Medicare Supplement plans sit outside Open Enrollment. In Texas you can apply for a Medigap plan any time of year, but outside your one-time enrollment window the carrier can ask health questions.
Prepare
A focused review beats an endless comparison
- 1
Read your Annual Notice of Change
Your current plan mails it every September. It spells out next year's premium, copays, drug tiers, and network changes in one document.
- 2
Update your prescription list
Doses change and new drugs get added throughout the year. Bring the current list, since this drives most of the cost swing.
- 3
Confirm your doctors and hospital
Check your Texas Medical Center specialist, Houston Methodist, Memorial Hermann or your local clinic against next year's network, not this year's.
- 4
Decide before Thanksgiving
December 7 is a firm deadline. Applications filed in the final days leave no room to fix a mistake.
Other windows
If you miss December 7
Advantage members get a second shot from January 1 to March 31 to make one more change, either to a different Advantage plan or back to Original Medicare with a Part D plan. Outside those windows, you'd need a Special Enrollment Period tied to a real event, like moving out of Harris County or losing employer coverage after a Houston-area retirement.
Brand new to Medicare? Your Initial Enrollment Period around turning 65 applies instead. Not sure which window fits you? Read up on switching your plan.
Book your free Houston Open Enrollment review
We review Houston-area clients every fall, whether or not a change ends up making sense.