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A University of Michigan poll found that 60% of surveyed Medicare enrollees age 65 and older spent less than an hour reviewing coverage during the previous Open Enrollment, including 27% who did not review options. The poll also found limited awareness of several 2026 Medicare changes, even as respondents cited out-of-pocket costs, drug coverage and provider networks as key decision factors.
Six in 10 older adults surveyed about Medicare spent less than an hour reviewing coverage during the previous Open Enrollment, including 27% who said they did not review their options at all, according to a new University of Michigan poll. The findings also show limited awareness of several changes affecting Medicare costs and coverage, as the next enrollment period approaches.
The National Poll on Healthy Aging, based at the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, surveyed a nationally representative sample of Medicare enrollees aged 65 and older shortly after the prior year’s Open Enrollment. The poll found that 80% kept the same coverage they had the year before. That figure does not establish whether staying with a plan was a poor choice; it records what respondents did.
Among people who reviewed information about available plans, 25% said their most important source was a Medicare resource, such as the website’s Plan Finder or the Medicare hotline. An insurance broker was the leading source for 26%, while 21% named a health plan website and 5% named a free local counselor, including counselors in the federally funded State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP. Despite the limited review reported by many, 92% said they were somewhat or very confident about making Medicare coverage decisions.
The poll also asked whether respondents had heard about changes for 2026. Thirty-eight percent had heard that Medicare negotiated lower prices for 10 high-cost drugs. Twenty-nine percent were aware of changes to the drug deductible and the annual cap on beneficiaries’ total drug costs. Just 15% had heard that the Medicare Plan Finder added information about which doctors and other health professionals are in network for a selected Medicare Advantage plan.
Time and Information Shape Plan Choices
The results matter because Medicare choices can affect premiums, out-of-pocket costs, prescription coverage and access to providers for the year ahead. A plan that suited someone last year may not match their current health needs or preferred doctors, and the poll’s findings suggest many people may not be checking whether options have changed.
Poll director Geoffrey Hoffman, an associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing, said people who are dissatisfied with their coverage—and others who want to check whether it remains suitable—should take time to review available options. He said plan choices and comparison tools can be confusing, and pointed to SHIP counselors as a source of assistance that does not have a financial stake in a person’s selection.
The poll does not show that respondents who spent little time made worse decisions, or that greater review would necessarily produce savings. It does show a gap between how much time many people report spending and how many policy details may affect their individual coverage. That gap is relevant as beneficiaries compare costs, covered medicines and provider networks for the coming year.
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What the Poll Measured
The survey focused on people 65 and older who were enrolled in Medicare and asked about decisions made during the previous Open Enrollment. Its results describe respondents’ reported time, sources of information, awareness and confidence; they do not independently assess whether a respondent selected the best plan for their circumstances.
The 2026 changes named in the report include Medicare’s negotiated prices for 10 high-cost drugs, changes to the drug deductible and annual out-of-pocket cap, and added provider-network details in the Plan Finder. The report says the effect of negotiated drug prices on an individual depends on the Part D plan they choose. It also says 15 additional drugs are due to be added for 2027 and included in the Plan Finder’s drug coverage information.
For 2027 coverage, the report gives the Open Enrollment dates as October 15 through December 7, 2026. University of Michigan researchers Geoffrey Hoffman and Lianlian Lei said plan suitability can depend on a person’s health conditions and goals, prescriptions, preferred doctors and hospitals. The researchers also noted that partners in the same household may not have identical coverage needs.
““It’s easy to ‘set it and forget it’ with Medicare, especially if you have coverage that you like and assume is the best that’s out there.””
— Geoffrey Hoffman, associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing and poll researcher
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What the Survey Cannot Show
The poll’s reported figures do not explain why respondents spent little time reviewing coverage, whether they had already researched plans earlier, or whether those who stayed with their existing plan compared alternatives before enrollment. The findings also do not establish that limited awareness of a policy change led to higher costs or less suitable care for any respondent.
The report identifies the survey as nationally representative but does not provide the sample size, exact field dates or detailed margins of error in the supplied material. It also does not give a percentage for the poll’s listed priorities beyond out-of-pocket costs (69%), medication coverage (63%) and provider-network coverage, whose figure is cut off in the source text. Individual effects of the drug-price changes depend on the plan a beneficiary enrolls in.
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Reviewing Coverage for 2027
The next Medicare Open Enrollment period runs October 15 to December 7, 2026, for 2027 coverage. Beneficiaries can use the Medicare Plan Finder and hotline, review plan materials and seek help from SHIP counselors, according to the report. The Plan Finder is expected to include coverage information for 15 more drugs added to the negotiation list for 2027.
Researchers say people comparing plans should look at the details that affect their own circumstances, including prescription coverage, out-of-pocket costs and whether preferred doctors and hospitals are in network. The poll does not predict how many people will change plans in the upcoming period; enrollment behavior and the effect of the changes will become clearer as the 2027 coverage year approaches.
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Key Questions
How many older adults spent less than an hour reviewing Medicare coverage?
Sixty percent of surveyed Medicare enrollees aged 65 and older said they spent less than an hour reviewing coverage during the previous Open Enrollment. That includes 27% who said they did not review their options.
How many respondents stayed with the same Medicare coverage?
The poll found that 80% kept their coverage from the previous year. The result does not say whether those plans remained the best fit for each enrollee.
When is Medicare Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage?
The report gives the dates as October 15 through December 7, 2026.
What information sources did respondents use?
Among those who reviewed available options, 26% named an insurance broker as their most important source, 25% named a Medicare resource, 21% named a health plan website and 5% named a free local counselor such as a SHIP counselor.
What Medicare changes were respondents asked about?
The poll asked about negotiated lower prices for 10 high-cost drugs, changes to the drug deductible and annual out-of-pocket cap, and new Plan Finder information on which providers are in network for Medicare Advantage plans.
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