Medicare Plans
Medicare Annual Open Enrollment in Wichita Falls, TX
Annual Open Enrollment, often called AEP, is the one window each year when almost anyone on Medicare can swap plans without a qualifying reason. It opens October 15 and closes December 7, and any change you make begins January 1.
It's also mailer season, plus a wave of TV ads and cold calls. Our advice: skip the noise, pull up your own prescription list and doctor roster, and make one clear decision instead of five confused ones.
- Runs October 15 through December 7 every year
- Whatever you pick starts January 1
- Check your drug list and your local network first
- Free plan reviews for folks across Wichita County
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 a different one
- Join, drop, or swap a standalone Part D drug plan
Medigap runs on its own clock
Medicare Supplement plans sit outside AEP entirely. In Texas you can apply for a Medigap plan any time, but once your one-time open enrollment window closes, carriers can ask health questions.
Prepare
A quick review beats a long comparison
- 1
Open your Annual Notice of Change
Your plan mails this every September. It spells out next year's premium, copays, drug tiers, and network shifts in one letter.
- 2
Refresh your prescription list
Dosages shift, new drugs get added. Bring the current list. This is usually what moves your total cost the most.
- 3
Check your clinic and hospital
Confirm United Regional, Kell West Regional Hospital, or your Clinics of North Texas provider against next year's directory, not the one from this year.
- 4
Decide well before December 7
That date is firm. Applications filed in the last few days leave no time to catch a mistake.
Other windows
If you miss December 7
Advantage members get a second shot from January 1 to March 31 to make a single change, either to a different Advantage plan or back to Original Medicare with a Part D plan attached. Beyond that, you'd need a Special Enrollment Period tied to something like moving out of a plan's service area or losing employer coverage, common for retirees leaving Sheppard Air Force Base or Midwestern State University.
Brand new to Medicare altogether? Your Initial Enrollment Period around turning 65 applies instead. Not sure which one fits your situation? See switching your plan.
Free review
Book your free Open Enrollment review
We review plans for Wichita Falls neighbors every fall, whether or not a change makes sense this year.