January 1st has arrived, and so has your new Medicare plan year. If you switched plans during Open Enrollment, you probably have a lot on your mind. If you stuck with your current plan, you might think there's nothing to do. Either way, January is the month to take a few important steps to make sure your coverage is actually working the way you expect it to.
We've helped thousands of California seniors navigate this transition, and we've learned that a few hours in early January can prevent months of headaches later. Here's your checklist.
1. Confirm Your New Plan Is Actually Active
This sounds obvious, but it's worth doing. Just because enrollment closed on December 7th doesn't automatically mean your new plan is live and ready to go on January 1st. There can be processing delays, lost paperwork, or system glitches.
Call your new plan's customer service number (it should be on any mail you received in December, or on Medicare.gov). Ask them to confirm that your coverage is active as of January 1st. This takes five minutes and can save you a major headache if there's a problem.
What to ask: "Can you confirm that my Medicare coverage is active as of January 1st? Do you show me enrolled in [plan name]? What's my member ID number?" Write down your member ID—you'll need it.
2. Get Your New Insurance Card
Your new insurance card should arrive before January 1st, but sometimes it takes longer. If you haven't received it by January 5th, call your plan and request that they expedite it. Some plans can mail it overnight or even provide a temporary member ID number you can use right away.
Here's the important part: keep your old insurance card until the new one arrives. Why? Because if there's a system glitch and your new card doesn't work at the pharmacy or doctor's office, you'll have backup proof of your old coverage while things get sorted out.
When you get your new card: Check that all the information is correct. Your name, date of birth, and member ID should match what you see on Medicare.gov or when you called to confirm coverage. If anything is wrong, call the plan immediately to correct it.
3. Check Your First Prescription Fill
If you take regular medications, January is the month to verify that your pharmacy has your new plan information and that your drugs are actually covered. Don't wait until you really need the medication—do this proactively.
Call your pharmacy and ask them to verify your insurance. Or better yet, go to your pharmacy and run your prescription through the system before you need it. Ask the pharmacist three things:
The three questions:
- "Is my new insurance card information in your system?"
- "Are my medications covered under this plan?"
- "What will my copay be for each medication?"
If a medication isn't covered or is on a really high cost tier, this is the time to call your doctor and discuss alternatives. Your doctor might be able to prescribe a different medication that's on a lower tier, saving you money. But you need to know about this in January, not when you go to fill a prescription in March.
4. Schedule the Appointments You've Been Putting Off
Here's a money-saving tip: in January, your deductible hasn't been met yet. But that also means you're starting fresh. If you've been putting off a physical exam, dental checkup, or other appointment because of the deductible, January is actually a good time to schedule it.
Why? Because you're starting the deductible clock either way. Whether you schedule the appointment now or in June doesn't change the fact that you'll hit your deductible eventually. But if you have appointments you've been avoiding for health reasons, getting them done early means you'll get treatment earlier—which is good for your health.
Plus, once you've met your deductible, the rest of the year might involve lower out-of-pocket costs. Schedule now, know your deductible obligation, and then you have clarity for the rest of the year.
5. Understand the Open Enrollment Period (OEP) Window
Here's something many people don't know: even though Open Enrollment ended on December 7th and your new plan year started January 1st, you still have another window to make changes. It's called the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (OEP), and it runs from January 1st through March 31st.
If you switched to a Medicare Advantage plan and it's not working out—your doctor wasn't actually in the network, your pharmacy isn't cooperating, or you just want to try something else—you can switch once during this OEP window. You can either switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan or switch back to Original Medicare.
This is your safety net. If your new plan isn't what you expected, you're not stuck for the whole year. You have until March 31st to fix it.
6. Review Your Medicare Part B Premium for the New Year
Your Medicare Part B premium might have changed for 2027. Check your Social Security statement or Medicare.gov to see what your new Part B premium is. If you have higher income, you might also owe a surcharge called IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount).
If your income was high last year but dropped this year (maybe you retired or sold a property), you might be able to file an appeal to reduce your IRMAA. You have a limited window to do this, so if you think you might qualify, contact Social Security right away.
Where to check: Log into your Medicare.gov account or call 1-800-MEDICARE to verify your Part B premium amount.
7. Set Up Automatic Payments If You Haven't Already
If you owe a monthly premium for your Medicare plan (some plans are $0, but many aren't), set up automatic payments now. It's one less thing to worry about, and it ensures you'll never accidentally miss a payment and lose coverage.
Most plans allow you to set up automatic payments through their website or by calling customer service. Your premium will be deducted automatically from your bank account or Social Security each month, and you'll be done worrying about it.
8. Save Your Summary of Benefits Document
Your plan should have sent you a thick document called the "Summary of Benefits and Coverage" (SBC). This document has all the details about what your plan covers, what your copays are, and what the deductible is. It's dense and not fun to read, but you need to keep it somewhere safe.
Save it to a folder on your computer, store it in a file cabinet, or scan it and email it to yourself. When a question comes up about whether something is covered, or how much a service will cost, this document has the answer. You'll probably need it at some point this year.
What If Something Isn't Right?
If you go through this checklist and something doesn't feel right—your doctor isn't in-network after all, your pharmacy isn't accepting your insurance, or your new plan just isn't what you expected—don't panic. You have until March 31st to make a change.
And you don't have to figure out what to do next by yourself. California HICAP counselors are available for free, unbiased advice. Or call our team for a free plan review. We're here to help you understand your coverage and make sure it's actually working for you.
The Bottom Line
January is the month to verify that your new (or continuing) Medicare plan is actually set up and ready to work for you. It takes a few hours this month to make phone calls, verify coverage, and organize your documents. That small investment of time now means you'll have clarity and confidence for the next 12 months.
And remember: the March 31st deadline gives you a safety net. If something genuinely isn't working with your new plan, you have until then to make a change. But most problems are caught and solved in January when you do these checks proactively.
Here's to a healthy and well-covered new year.