When Will 2027 Medicare Part D Plans Be Available?

CMS released 2027 plan data September 28, 2026.

Marketing began October 1, 2026.

Enrollment: October 15 to December 7, 2026.

Coverage starts January 1, 2027.

Deductible. You pay the full negotiated price until you meet your plan’s deductible, which can be up to $700 in 2027. Many plans charge less or waive it on lower tiers.

Initial coverage. You pay a copay or coinsurance set by each drug’s tier, and the plan pays the rest.

Catastrophic coverage. Once your out-of-pocket spending reaches $2,400, covered Part D drugs cost $0 for the rest of 2027.

$700

Maximum 2027 Part D deductible, up from $615.

$2,400

2027 Part D out-of-pocket cap, up from $2,100.

About $36

Average standalone Part D premium for 2027, rising by under $1 (CMS).

$7

Expected average drug portion of a 2027 Medicare Advantage premium, lower than $11.32.

Write down every prescription. Include the strength, dose and how often you fill it.

Enter them in Medicare Plan Finder. Add your usual pharmacies and mail order.

Sort by estimated total cost. Premium plus drug costs for the full year.

Check tiers and rules on your drugs. Prior authorization, step therapy and quantity limits.

Confirm your pharmacy is preferred. Preferred pharmacies usually mean lower copays.

Enroll by December 7, 2026. Coverage starts January 1, 2027.

Standalone Part D Plan

Medicare Advantage With Drugs

Request a transition fill. During the first 90 days of a new plan or new plan year, plans generally have to provide a temporary supply of a drug you already take, giving you time to change drugs or ask for an exception.

Talk with your doctor about other options. A covered drug from the same class could work just as well for less.

Ask for a formulary or tiering exception. A statement from your doctor explains why you need the drug or a lower copay. The plan has to decide within set time limits.

Challenge a denial. When the plan turns you down, an appeal is available, with multiple levels of review.

Medicare Savings Programs

Extra Help (Part D)

Your 2027 premium and deductible

Copays for hospital stays, doctors and specialists

The out-of-pocket maximum

Updates to your drug list, tiers and coverage rules

Whether your pharmacy, hospitals and doctors remain in network

Updates to dental, vision, hearing and other extra benefits

Your plan is leaving your area or ending

You move outside your plan’s service area

You lose employer or union coverage

Your Medicaid status changes, or you become eligible for Extra Help or a Medicare Savings Program

You want to join a 5-star plan, once a year

Picking by premium alone. What counts is your full cost for the year.

Omitting drugs from your list. One missing drug can flip which plan wins.

Overlooking pharmacy status. Using a standard pharmacy can be far more expensive.

Letting your plan renew without a review. Every January, formularies and tiers change.

Waiting without creditable coverage. You pay the penalty for as long as you have Part D.

Enroll in Part A and Part B, unless you choose to delay Part B because you have qualifying employer coverage

Choose between Original Medicare with Medigap and Medicare Advantage

Avoid a Part D late penalty by enrolling in a drug plan or a Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage