Utah · Medicare · Open Enrollment 2027

Medicare Open Enrollment Opens Today in Utah (2027 Plans)

Medicare's Open Enrollment opened this morning and runs through December 7. Here is what Utah retirees can change, what is different for 2027, and what to do this week.

Utah Retirement Income Data Desk

Reviewed by Brian Penner, Retirement income & long-term care planner · Published October 15, 2026

As of today, about 490,235 Utahns with Medicare can change how they get coverage for 2027. You have until December 7. If your current plan is continuing and still fits, you don't have to do anything; your coverage renews. But plans change every year, and 2027 has fewer plans in Utah, higher out-of-pocket limits on many Medicare Advantage plans, and a higher Part D cap. A half hour with your Annual Notice of Change this week is a small step that can prevent a costly surprise.

What opened today, and what can you change?

Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15, 2026 to December 7, 2026. Anything you change takes effect January 1, 2027, and the plan must receive your request by December 7. During these eight weeks you can:

• Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, or from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare.
• Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another, with or without drug coverage.
• Join, drop or switch a stand-alone Part D drug plan if you have Original Medicare.

One thing Open Enrollment does not do is guarantee you a Medigap policy. If you leave a Medicare Advantage plan for Original Medicare, a Medigap insurer can generally ask health questions unless you are in a guaranteed-issue situation. Check that before you drop a Medicare Advantage plan, not after. Our guide to Utah's Medigap switching rules covers the details.

Sources: Medicare.gov, Open Enrollment — medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/open-enrollment; Medicare.gov, Joining a plan — medicare.gov.

What is different in Utah for 2027?

CMS's 2027 fact sheet for Utah counts 490,235 people with Medicare. Every one of them has access to a Medicare Advantage plan, and 99.79% can get one with a $0 monthly premium. A $0-premium plan is not free: you still pay your Part B premium and the plan's copays and coinsurance. The average Medicare Advantage premium in Utah dipped from $9.59 to $9.16 a month.

Source: CMS, “Medicare Open Enrollment in Utah, 2027” fact sheet, September 28, 2026 — cms.gov (Utah, pages 145–146); Medicare.gov, Part D costs — medicare.gov.

The headline averages hide the changes that matter to a household. Here is 2026 next to 2027:

Sources: CMS 2027 Utah fact sheet (plan counts, average premium); our tabulation of the CMS CY2026 and CY2027 Medicare Advantage / Part D Landscape files, Utah rows — cms.gov (plans open to anyone, median out-of-pocket limit, Part D plan count); Medicare.gov Part D costs (deductible, cap); CMS Medigap F, G & J deductible announcements — cms.gov.

Three of those lines deserve a second look. First, 6 Medicare Advantage plan IDs offered in Utah in 2026 are not in the 2027 file. Some members will be moved into another plan by their insurer, and others will get a non-renewal letter; see our non-renewal guide if that's you. Second, a higher out-of-pocket limit only costs you money in a bad year, but that is the year it matters. Third, 24 of the 33 plans open to anyone have a $0 premium, so premium alone won't separate them.

How much more can Part D cost you in 2027?

The ceiling on what you pay for covered drugs goes up. No Part D plan may have a deductible above $700 in 2027 ($615 in 2026). Once your out-of-pocket spending on covered drugs reaches $2,400 ($2,100 in 2026), you pay nothing more for covered drugs for the rest of the year. Someone on expensive brand-name drugs who hit the cap in 2026 should plan for up to $300 more in 2027.

Source: Medicare.gov, Part D costs — medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/part-d/basics/costs. Amounts are the maximums Medicare allows; your plan's deductible may be lower.

In Utah, 13.6% of people in stand-alone drug plans get Extra Help, and CMS says every stand-alone plan member in Utah has access to a plan with a lower premium than they paid in 2026. Our 2027 Utah Part D plan breakdown has all 8 plans.

What should you do this week?

You have eight weeks, but the calendar fills up. Here is a checklist for the first week:

1. Find your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). Plans began sending 2027 change notices in September. It lists every 2027 change to your premium, deductible, copays, out-of-pocket limit and drug list. If you can't find it, call the member number on your card.
2. Check your doctors and hospitals. If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, confirm each doctor, your hospital system and any specialists are in network for 2027, not just 2026. Ask the office, then check the plan's 2027 directory.
3. Run your prescriptions. Enter every drug, dose and your pharmacy in Medicare's Plan Finder for 2027. Look for drugs that moved tiers, dropped off the list or now need prior authorization.
4. Open any IRMAA letter. Medicare's income-related surcharge uses your tax return from two years earlier, so 2027 premiums generally look at 2025 income. If your income dropped because of retirement, a spouse's death, divorce or a lost pension, you can ask Social Security for a new decision with Form SSA-44.
5. Write down your 2027 budget line. Add the 2027 Part B premium when CMS announces it (it is $202.90 in 2026), your plan premium and your realistic out-of-pocket costs. Then compare that to your 2027 income, including the 3.6% Social Security COLA.

Sources: Medicare.gov, Open Enrollment; CMS 2027 Utah fact sheet (Plan Finder and ANOC timeline); Social Security, Request to lower an IRMAA — ssa.gov/medicare/lower-irmaa; Form SSA-44 — ssa.gov/forms/ssa-44.pdf.

How does Open Enrollment fit your retirement income plan?

Health care is one of the few retirement costs that resets every January. For a couple in Ogden or St. George, the gap between two Medicare Advantage plans with a $5,800 and a $6,700 out-of-pocket limit is $900 each in a bad year. That is money that has to come from somewhere: savings, a larger IRA withdrawal, or guaranteed income.

That's why we look at Open Enrollment and income together. A larger IRA withdrawal to cover a medical year can raise your taxable income, which can affect how much of your Social Security is taxed and, two years later, whether you pay IRMAA. Our withdrawal sequencing guide and IRMAA guide show how those pieces connect. The 2027 Social Security COLA of 3.6% helps, but it is set by a price index, not by your own plan's changes.

Source: SSA 2027 COLA fact sheet — ssa.gov. Example amounts are illustrative.

What if you miss December 7?

If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1, you get one more change during the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, January 1 – March 31, 2027: switch to another Medicare Advantage plan, or go back to Original Medicare and join a drug plan. People in Original Medicare don't get that second window. Outside these periods, you generally need a Special Enrollment Period, such as moving, losing other coverage, or getting Medicaid or Extra Help.

Source: Medicare.gov, Joining a plan — medicare.gov.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Medicare.gov — Open Enrollment (dates, what you can change, effective date): medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/open-enrollment
• Medicare.gov — Joining a plan (Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, Special Enrollment Periods): medicare.gov
• CMS — “Medicare Open Enrollment in Utah, 2027” state fact sheet, September 28, 2026: cms.gov/files/document/2027-medicare-advantage-part-d-landscape-state-state-fact-sheets.pdf
• CMS — CY2026 and CY2027 Medicare Advantage / Part D Landscape files: cms.gov/medicare/coverage/prescription-drug-coverage
• Medicare.gov — Part D costs (2026 and 2027 deductible and out-of-pocket cap): medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/part-d/basics/costs
• CMS — 2027 Star Ratings fact sheet, October 8, 2026: cms.gov
• Medicare.gov — Medicare costs (2026 Part B premium and deductible): medicare.gov/basics/costs/medicare-costs
• CMS — Medigap F, G & J deductible announcements: cms.gov
• Social Security — Request to lower an IRMAA and Form SSA-44: ssa.gov/medicare/lower-irmaa
• Social Security — 2027 COLA fact sheet: ssa.gov/news/en/cola/factsheets/2027.html
• Utah Insurance Department — Medicare consumer page (Utah SHIP (877) 424-4640): insurance.utah.gov

About this article. Written by the Utah Retirement Income Data Desk and reviewed by Brian Penner, Retirement income & long-term care planner. Educational only — not financial, tax, legal or medical advice, and not a recommendation of any specific plan. Open Enrollment dates and Part D limits are from Medicare.gov; Utah plan counts, premiums and access figures are from CMS's 2027 Utah fact sheet of September 28, 2026; the plans-open-to-anyone counts and median out-of-pocket limits are our own tabulation of the CMS CY2026 and CY2027 Landscape files; star-rating counts are our tabulation of CMS's October 8, 2026 release. The 2027 Medicare Part B premium had not been announced when this was published. Plan availability varies by county; confirm details with the plan or 1-800-MEDICARE before you enroll. Utah Retirement Income is a licensed independent insurance agency (NPN 16493717) and is not a government agency; we are not connected with or endorsed by Medicare, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Social Security Administration, or any government program. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area; please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program — in Utah, the Utah SHIP at (877) 424-4640 — to get information on all of your options. A $0-premium plan is not free; you still pay the Part B premium and the plan's cost-sharing. Annuity guarantees are subject to the claims-paying ability of the issuing company; there are no guaranteed returns or savings. If you call or text us, you consent to be contacted at the number you provide about your options; message and data rates may apply, and you can opt out at any time by replying STOP.