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This Sunday, December 7, is the last day to make changes to your Medicare plan, as open enrollment comes to an end. Experts say the most important thing to do is make sure your doctors accept the plan you’ve chosen for 2026, or find out which plans they will take.

Stephanie Fajuri is program director for the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program at the Center for Health Care Rights in Los Angeles.

"Every year during open enrollment, we see people that make a choice about their coverage without confirming with their providers whether or not they're in network or whether they take that type of coverage," said Fajuri, "and then come January, they are faced with a predicament where they are in a plan and cannot see their doctors."

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Every Medicare beneficiary should have received a letter from their insurance company explaining any changes to their 2026 offerings.

Anthem Blue Cross, for example, will no longer offer its Medicare Part D drug plan in California next year. And they’re not the only one.

This year, Californians had a choice of 16 Medicare Part D plans – next year it will drop to 12. You can compare Medicare plans offered in your ZIP code online at medicare.gov.

Fajuri said a little research might turn up a plan that fits your needs at a lower price.

"It is a really good idea to compare plan options each year, just to make sure that you are still getting the best value, because each year, many of the plans go up in cost, but might not actually be providing any additional benefits," said Fajuri. "So we've helped a number of folks switch their drug plans to a less expensive option, and they're maintaining the same amount of coverage."

People on Covered California plans have until January 31 to make changes.

Open enrollment dates for employer-based coverage varies by company. And Medi-Cal enrollment is open year-round.