Medicare Plans
Medicare Annual Open Enrollment in Dallas, TX
Annual Open Enrollment, often called AEP, is the one window each year when almost anyone on Medicare can switch plans without qualifying for anything special. It runs October 15 through December 7, and whatever you land on starts January 1.
It's also peak season for mailers, TV spots, and cold calls. Our advice: tune out the noise, pull your own drug list and doctor list, and make one deliberate call.
- October 15 through December 7 every year
- Any change you make takes effect January 1
- Review your drug list and your provider network
- Free plan reviews for Dallas County seniors
What's allowed
Changes you can make during AEP
- 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 swap a standalone Part D drug plan
Medigap runs on different rules
Medicare Supplement plans sit outside AEP entirely. In Texas you can apply for a Medigap plan any time of year, but once your one-time guaranteed-issue window closes, carriers are allowed to ask health questions.
Prepare
A focused review beats an endless comparison
- 1
Open 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
Refresh your prescription list
Doses shift, new drugs get added. Bring the current version, since drug cost is usually the single biggest swing factor from plan to plan.
- 3
Recheck your doctors and hospital system
Confirm UT Southwestern, Baylor University Medical Center, Methodist, or your primary care clinic against next year's directory, not this year's.
- 4
Decide before the week of Thanksgiving
December 7 is a hard cutoff. Applications filed in the last few days leave no room to correct a mistake.
Other windows
If you miss December 7
Medicare Advantage members get a second shot from January 1 through March 31 to make one change, either to a different Advantage plan or back to Original Medicare paired with a Part D plan. Outside of that, you'd need a Special Enrollment Period tied to a qualifying event, like moving out of a plan's Dallas-area service zone or losing employer coverage from a longtime airline or telecom job.
Brand new to Medicare? Your Initial Enrollment Period around turning 65 applies instead. Unsure which window you're in? See switching your plan.
Book your free Open Enrollment review
We review Dallas County clients every fall, whether or not a change ends up making sense this year.