Nearly 90 percent of people living with Parkinson’s disease in the U.S. rely on Medicare — a federal health insurance program for people aged 65 or older or with certain disabilities.
To help our community navigate the ins and outs of enrolling in Medicare, we’ve compiled useful insights for the open enrollment process and key changes to coverage that go into effect on January 1, 2026.
What Is Medicare Open Enrollment?
Medicare open enrollment, which occurs each year from October 15 to December 7, is the period when you can sign up for health care and prescription drug coverage or make changes to your current Medicare plan. Any changes you make now will go into effect on January 1, 2026. If you’re already enrolled and want to stay on your current plan, you don’t need to do anything.
Your plan’s coverage, costs and in-network providers and pharmacies can change from year to year, just like your health care needs. This is why you should review your plan annually to confirm how it covers the Parkinson’s medications you take now or may start in the next year. You’ll also want to check how your plan covers doctor visits and Parkinson’s-related physical therapy, exercise classes, medical equipment and other forms of care.
New Changes to Medicare in 2026
Some of the changes to Medicare for the coming year range from out-of-pocket caps for covered prescription drugs to new rules for hospital stay approvals. These build on some of last year’s updates.
- Beneficiaries of Part D — Medicare’s prescription drug coverage option — will have a $2,100 annual out-of-pocket spending cap on covered drugs, up from $2,000 in 2025. Once you spend $2,100, you won’t have to make any additional payments on your covered medications for the rest of the year. Part D is optional, so you must opt in to be eligible for prescription drug coverage and the out-of-pocket spending cap. Also new as of 2025 is the Medicare Prescription Payment plan, which allows you to spread payments for prescriptions drugs over the calendar year. If you signed up for this payment plan in 2025, you will be automatically re-enrolled for 2026.
- As of 2026, Medicare will offer coverage of monthly Advanced Primary Care Management services, where a doctor or other health care provider personalizes and coordinates your care. These providers must offer you around the clock access to these services. You will need to check with your primary care provider to see whether they offer this type of care.
- Approvals for hospital stays through Medicare Advantage, also known as Part C, will become more reliable. If your plan approves a hospital stay, it must honor that decision — your plan can’t reopen the decision and deny coverage, except in very rare cases like fraud. This new rule helps protect patients from unexpected bills for hospital stays that were previously approved by Medicare.
How to Get Ready for Medicare Open Enrollment
- Brush up on your current plan. Review your current Medicare plan to determine whether it will meet your health care needs for the year ahead. If you like your coverage and it’s still available in 2026, you don’t need to take any action to keep the plan.
- Read your Annual Notice of Changes. If you are already enrolled in a plan, Medicare will mail you an Annual Notice of Changes (ANOC) by September 30. This notice describes any changes to your existing plan, including coverage, costs and doctors leaving your network or service areas. Please carefully read this document to decide whether you should adjust your coverage.
- Visit Medicare.gov to enroll in or change plans. If you’re enrolling in Medicare for the first time or you want to switch plans, be sure to review available 2026 health care and prescription drug options. To view a list of your medications, compare your current plans to others and check prices that may influence how you choose to pay for your prescriptions in the coming year.
- Watch out for fraud. Scammers may send you brochures in the mail or call you about Medicare prescription drug and health plans. Please report anything suspicious to Medicare’s fraud department by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). Learn more about how to protect yourself from Medicare fraud.
- Reach out for help with enrollment. Free health insurance counseling is available through your State Health Insurance Assistance Program. Counselors can tell you whether you are eligible for a financial assistance program that helps pay for Medicare coverage. To get started, call or start an online chat with a Medicare expert.