By Pittsburgh Senior Advisor Care Team · October 16, 2026
Medicare's annual open enrollment period runs from October 15 to December 7, with changes taking effect January 1. In the Pittsburgh region, free PA MEDI counseling is available through each county's Area Agency on Aging; bring your current plan and medication list.
What can you change during open enrollment?
From October 15 through December 7 each year, people with Medicare can switch between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage, change Medicare Advantage plans, and join, drop or change a Part D prescription drug plan. Changes take effect January 1.
For older adults in the Pittsburgh region, network questions loom large because hospital systems differ: UPMC, Allegheny Health Network, WVU Medicine and Heritage Valley may contract with different plans.
What is PA MEDI?
PA MEDI is Pennsylvania's free Medicare counseling program, formerly called APPRISE, run through each county's Area Agency on Aging. Trained counselors compare plans based on your doctors, hospitals and prescriptions, and they do not sell insurance.
| County | Call the Area Agency on Aging |
|---|---|
| Allegheny | 412-350-5460 (SeniorLine) |
| Westmoreland | 724-830-4444 |
| Butler | 724-282-3008 |
| Washington and Fayette | 1-800-734-9603 (Southwestern PA AAA) |
| Beaver | 724-847-2262 |
| Armstrong | 724-548-3290 |
What should you bring to a counseling appointment?
Bring your Medicare card, your current plan's documents, a list of every prescription with dose, and the names of the doctors and hospitals you want to keep. If you receive help from Medicaid, PACE or PACENET, bring that information too, because it changes which plans make sense.
Counselors can also check whether you qualify for Extra Help with drug costs.
How do PACE and PACENET fit in?
Pennsylvania's Lottery-funded PACE and PACENET programs help people 65 and older with prescription costs and work alongside Medicare Part D. PACE covers single applicants with prior-year income up to $14,500 ($17,700 married), and PACENET covers $14,501 to $33,500 single and $17,701 to $41,500 married. Apply at 1-800-225-7223.
PACE here is the prescription program, not the LIFE all-inclusive care program.
What changes should you double-check for next year?
Each fall, plans send an Annual Notice of Change describing next year's premiums, deductibles, drug list and network. Read it before open enrollment ends: a drug moving to a higher tier or a hospital leaving a network can change which plan is best. Counselors can check your exact prescriptions against every plan available in your county.
Network changes matter most in a region with several large hospital systems.
What if you miss the December 7 deadline?
Some changes are still possible later. People in a Medicare Advantage plan have a separate period from January 1 to March 31 to switch plans or return to Original Medicare, and certain life events, such as moving to a new area or into a nursing home, create special enrollment periods. Missing the window otherwise means waiting a year.
PA MEDI counselors can tell you whether a special enrollment period applies.
How do Medicare and long-term care fit together?
Medicare covers doctors, hospital care, short skilled nursing stays after a qualifying hospital admission, home health and hospice, but not long-term custodial care in a personal care home or nursing home. Planning for that cost runs through savings, long-term care insurance, VA benefits and Medical Assistance rather than through a Medicare plan choice.
Our costs pages explain each of those in Pennsylvania terms.
How can families help a parent through open enrollment?
Gather the parent's plan mailings, especially the Annual Notice of Change, and a current medication list with doses before calling PA MEDI. Sit in on the counseling call or appointment if the parent agrees, and write down the plan name, premium and key network facts for any plan that is recommended. If a parent is about to move into a personal care home or nursing home in a different part of the region, mention it, since the move can affect which plan fits best.
Watch for unsolicited calls offering to switch plans; PA MEDI counselors never sell insurance.
What about people in a nursing home or on Medicaid?
People who live in a nursing home or who have both Medicare and Medical Assistance can change some coverage more often than once a year. Community HealthChoices members who are dual eligible should coordinate any Medicare plan change with their CHC plan's service coordinator.
If a parent is moving into a personal care home in a new county, check that the plan's network covers doctors near the new address.
Medicare open enrollment: what it is and is not
| It is | It is not | |
|---|---|---|
| Dates | October 15 to December 7 | year-round |
| Covers | Medicare Advantage and Part D changes | Medicaid or CHC plan changes |
| Help | free PA MEDI counseling at the county AAA | a sales appointment |
| Long-term care | not paid by Medicare | fixed by choosing a plan |
Frequently asked questions
When is Medicare open enrollment?
October 15 to December 7 each year, with changes effective January 1.
Is PA MEDI free?
Yes. PA MEDI counseling is free through each county's Area Agency on Aging, and counselors do not sell insurance.
What replaced APPRISE?
PA MEDI is the current name of Pennsylvania's free Medicare counseling program, formerly APPRISE.
Can PACE help with Part D costs?
Yes. PACE and PACENET work alongside Medicare Part D for eligible Pennsylvanians 65 and older.
