The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 to December 7. For a parent who may need rehab, home health or senior living soon, the plan you pick this fall matters more than the premium.
By Orlando Senior Advisor Care Team · October 1, 2026
Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) runs every year from October 15 through December 7, and changes made during it take effect January 1. During this window your parent can switch between Original Medicare and a Medicare Advantage plan, change from one Medicare Advantage plan to another, and join, switch or drop a Part D prescription drug plan.
There is a second, narrower window: from January 1 through March 31, people already in a Medicare Advantage plan can switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare. It does not let someone move from Original Medicare into Medicare Advantage, so the fall window is the main opportunity.
Plans change every year. Premiums, copays, drug formularies and provider networks can all be different on January 1, and your parent's plan sends an Annual Notice of Change in the fall explaining what is changing. Read it, even if the plan has served your parent well so far.
Medicare does not pay for long-term custodial care, which means assisted living, memory care and most ongoing help with bathing and dressing are not covered, no matter which plan your parent has. What Medicare does cover, under the right conditions, is skilled care after a qualifying event, such as short-term rehab in a skilled nursing facility or part-time home health services ordered by a doctor.
How you get that coverage differs. Original Medicare generally covers skilled nursing facility care after a qualifying three-day inpatient hospital stay, as we explain in our guide to the 3-midnight rule. Medicare Advantage plans must cover what Original Medicare covers, but they may use prior authorization, require in-network facilities and apply their own daily copays. In a busy Orlando hospital discharge, a plan that must approve a rehab stay can add delay and stress.
If your parent has a chronic condition or is likely to need rehab after a fall or surgery, compare how each plan handles skilled nursing, home health and therapy, not just the monthly premium.
Are your parent's doctors, specialists and preferred hospital, such as AdventHealth or Orlando Health facilities, in the plan's network? Are the skilled nursing and rehab facilities you would actually want in network? Are your parent's current prescriptions on the formulary, and at what cost tier?
What is the plan's maximum out-of-pocket limit, and how are skilled nursing days charged after the first period? If your parent moves into assisted living or memory care, will the plan's benefits (some include limited extras such as transportation or over-the-counter allowances) still work from the new address and service area?
Does your parent live part of the year elsewhere? Some Medicare Advantage plans are local, which can create problems for snowbirds and for families who relocate a parent closer to a Central Florida adult child.
Florida's State Health Insurance Assistance Program is called SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders), run through the Florida Department of Elder Affairs. Trained volunteer counselors provide free, one-on-one help comparing plans and are not selling insurance. You can reach SHINE through the Elder Helpline at 1-800-963-5337, which can also connect you to the local Area Agency on Aging in Orange, Seminole or Osceola County.
Bring your parent's Medicare card, a list of medications with doses, and a list of their doctors and preferred pharmacy. You can also use the plan finder at Medicare.gov to compare options. Be cautious with unsolicited calls and mailers; you are not required to make any decision with a salesperson on the phone.
Not sure whether your parent's care needs may be heading toward senior living? Our advisors can talk through the situation so that the plan choice you make this fall fits the year ahead.
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