Plans can change from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. Free CHOICES counselors, fall sessions in five towns, the agency on aging for each town, and help paying for Medicare.
Medicare open enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7, and people with Medicare in all 19 towns can get free, one-on-one help comparing 2027 plans from CHOICES, the state's counseling program, at 1-800-994-9422. The counselors do not sell insurance, and a spouse, an adult child or a caregiver can make the call too. This fall they also hold sessions by appointment in Branford, Hamden, New Haven, Woodbridge and Middletown.
Last checked: October 6, 2026. Hours and programs change, so call ahead when you can.
What can change between Oct. 15 and Dec. 7
Between October 15 and December 7, a person with Medicare can:
- leave Original Medicare for a Medicare Advantage plan, or leave Medicare Advantage and return to Original Medicare;
- join, leave or switch Medicare Advantage plans, with or without drug coverage;
- join, leave or switch a stand-alone drug plan (Part D) while on Original Medicare.
The new plan has to receive the request by December 7, and coverage starts January 1, 2027. A person happy with a plan can usually leave it alone: the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) says people keeping their coverage generally do not need to re-enroll. Plans began mailing their notices of 2027 changes in September, and CMS advises watching the mail for them.
The 2027 plans have been on Medicare's Plan Finder at Medicare.gov since October 1, and their 2027 star ratings go up on or around October 8. Medicare's own line, 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048), answers around the clock, every day of the week.
People already in a Medicare Advantage plan get a second chance. From January 1 through March 31, they can move to a different Medicare Advantage plan, or leave theirs, go back to Original Medicare and pick up a separate drug plan.
The 2027 numbers published so far
CMS has set next year's drug-plan limits. It has not yet released the 2027 Part B premium or the Part A and Part B deductibles. It published this year's on November 14, 2025, and this guide will add the 2027 figures when CMS posts them.
Once a person's drug costs reach the $2,400 cap in 2027, each covered drug after that costs $0, according to Medicare.gov.
Connecticut has 783,973 people on Medicare, and CMS's state fact sheet shows what they will find this fall. There are 48 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, one more than this year, and the lowest monthly premium among them is $0. The average Medicare Advantage premium in the state goes up $8.42 a month, from $16.89 to $25.31, which comes to about $101 over a year. Nationally, the average falls, from $14.37 to $12.
Connecticut has 10 stand-alone drug plans for 2027, the cheapest at $13.30 a month. CMS says everyone in the state who has a stand-alone drug plan can find one with a lower premium than they paid in 2026.
CHOICES: free counseling at 1-800-994-9422
CHOICES is Connecticut's free Medicare counseling program, offered through the state Department of Aging and Disability Services and the regional agencies on aging. Its one number reaches a counselor through the area agency on aging that serves the caller's town. The program is meant for people with Medicare and for the families and caregivers helping them.
A counselor can go through any part of Medicare, put Medicare Advantage and drug plans side by side, help with the sign-up, and check whether a person can get help with costs through Medicaid, the Medicare Savings Program or Extra Help. The help comes in person, by phone or by email. Counselors are not insurance agents and gain nothing from the plan a person picks, according to Senior Resources, the agency for Durham and Middletown.
The state has already posted two 2027 guides on the CHOICES page: one for people new to Medicare and one for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. The 2027 edition of its main enrollment guide is not up yet. Questions for the department go to ADS.Info@ct.gov.
Free counseling sessions this fall
The state's list of fall sessions, last updated September 22, has six in five of the 19 towns. Each one is by appointment and space is limited. Some are only for a town's residents or a senior center's members, so the call to book is also the time to ask who can come. The list gives dates but no times.
The Woodbridge session is a free talk with breakfast refreshments: Leslie Pruitt of the Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut explains open enrollment on Friday, October 30, from 10 to 11 a.m. in The Center Café, 4 Meetinghouse Lane. The town asks for an RSVP by October 23, at 203-389-3451 or rihel@woodbridgect.gov. The state's list shows a CHOICES session in Woodbridge the same day.
Just outside the 19 towns, the state lists three more: the Trumbull Senior Center on Thursday, October 29 (203-452-5000), near Bridgeport; the Waterbury Senior Center on Monday, November 9 (203-574-6746); and the Charles Reitdyke Senior Center in Wolcott on Tuesday, November 24 (203-879-8133), both near Cheshire and Prospect. Any of them may be limited to their own residents or members, so ask when calling.
For people new to Medicare, Senior Resources holds a New to Medicare webinar at noon on the second Wednesday of every month.
Counselors on hand all year
A few places offer CHOICES counseling outside the fall sessions.
- Meriden: the Max E. Muravnick Meriden Senior Center lists CHOICES counseling and help with Medicare Savings Program applications among its programs, 203-237-0066. Its October newsletter carries an open-enrollment notice; call the center for the details.
- Woodbridge: Judi Young, a Human Services social worker, is a CHOICES counselor and helps residents with Medicare insurance questions, 203-389-3459 or srsocialworker@woodbridgect.gov.
- Southington: the North Central Area Agency on Aging's list of counseling sites, dated August 1, puts counselors at Calendar House, 75 Main Street, for Southington residents 55 and older (860-621-3014), and at two Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging offices open to anyone: 81 Meriden Avenue (860-707-6591) and 462 Queen Street (860-628-3834).
The area agency on aging for each town
The 19 towns fall under five regional agencies on aging, according to the state's town-by-town list. Each provides CHOICES counseling in its towns, and 1-800-994-9422 reaches any of them. The direct lines:
- Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut, 117 Washington Avenue, Suite 17, North Haven. Its Aging Answers line, 203-785-8533, helps people apply for benefits. It takes messages through a contact form on its site rather than by email.
- Western CT Area Agency on Aging, 84 Progress Lane, second floor, Waterbury. Free CHOICES appointments at 203-757-5449, option 4; info@wcaaa.org.
- North Central Area Agency on Aging, with its office at 151 New Park Avenue in Hartford, open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Its counselors meet people at senior centers and libraries across the region.
- Senior Resources Agency on Aging, with its office at 19 Ohio Avenue, Suite 2, in Norwich, open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Also 800-690-6998, toll-free in Connecticut, or SeniorInfo@SeniorResourcesEC.org.
- Southwestern CT Agency on Aging, 1000 Lafayette Boulevard, ninth floor, Bridgeport, open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; info@swcaa.org. Its Aging Answers line, 800-994-9422, takes a voicemail, and a specialist calls back within 72 hours.
Senior centers and town offices
The agencies say their counselors meet people at senior centers, libraries and housing complexes, so a town's senior center or social services office is the local place to ask.
Branford: Canoe Brook Senior Center
Where: Joe Trapasso Community House, 46 Church Street
When: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CHOICES session on Monday, October 19, by appointment.
Who can go: Branford residents 60 and older who, in the town's words, are "independent and oriented"
Contact: 203-481-3429 · seniors@branford-ct.gov · website. To book October 19, 203-315-0687.
The town's Social Services page also posts a Medicare Savings Program document.
Guilford: Community Center and Social Services
Where: senior programs at the Guilford Community Center, 32 Church Street; Social Services at 263 Church Street
When: both open weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Contact: senior office, 203-453-8086 · Social Services, 203-453-8009 · senior programs · Social Services
The October Active Adults newsletter has no Medicare session. Guilford residents book CHOICES through the Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut.
Hamden: Miller Senior Center
Where: Miller Cultural Complex, 2901 Dixwell Avenue
When: Call for hours.
Who can go: Hamden residents 60 and older
Contact: 203-287-2547 · Elderly Outreach counselors, 203-287-2691, 203-287-2694 or 203-287-2695 · website
The Elderly Outreach office offers information, referrals and one-on-one assistance. Hamden's fall session on the state list is the October 27 one at CT Transit.
Meriden: Max E. Muravnick Meriden Senior Center
Where: 22 West Main Street
When: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; staff answer the phone until 4:30 p.m.
Who can go: Meriden residents 55 and older can join for free
Contact: 203-237-0066 · website
Southington: Calendar House
Where: 75 Main Street
When: Call for hours.
Who can go: Southington residents 55 and older, for CHOICES counseling
Contact: 860-621-3014
Woodbridge: The Woodbridge Center and Human Services
Where: 4 Meetinghouse Lane
When: The Center, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Human Services, weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Who can go: The Center is for people 55 and older; people from outside Woodbridge pay $25 a calendar year
Contact: The Center, 203-389-3451 · Human Services, 203-389-3429 · CHOICES counselor, 203-389-3459 · website
Middletown, Durham, Cheshire and Prospect
The Middletown Senior Center hosts the November 2 and December 2 sessions; book them through CHOICES or Senior Resources, which also serves Durham, at 860-887-3561, extension 132. Cheshire and Prospect residents book CHOICES through the Western CT Area Agency on Aging at 203-757-5449, option 4.
More senior centers: call before you go
These names and numbers come from the regional agencies' lists rather than the towns' own pages, and the lists carry no hours. Call first.
- Bethany: Bethany Human Services, at Town Hall, 203-393-2100 (ask for Human Services)
- Bridgeport: Department on Aging, 203-576-3987; Black Rock Senior Center, 203-576-7258; East Side Senior Center, 203-332-4217; Eisenhower Senior Center, 203-576-7993; Hall Neighborhood Senior Center, 203-345-2000
- East Haven: East Haven Senior Center, 203-468-3277
- New Haven: Elderly Services, 203-946-7854; Atwater Senior Center, 203-946-8558; Dixwell-Newhallville Senior Center, 203-946-8541; East Shore Senior Center, 203-946-8544
- North Branford: North Branford Senior Center. The agency's two lists give different numbers for it, so call CHOICES at 1-800-994-9422 or the Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut at 203-785-8533.
- North Haven: Joyce C. Budrow Senior Center, 203-239-5432
- Orange: Orange Senior Center, 203-891-4784; elderly outreach, 203-891-4787
- Wallingford: Wallingford Senior Center, 203-265-7753
- West Haven: West Haven Senior Center, 203-937-3507
Help paying for Medicare
Two programs lower what Medicare costs for people with smaller incomes, and one application can open both. The state Department of Social Services runs the Medicare Savings Program, and anyone who qualifies for any of its three levels is signed up for Extra Help, the federal drug-cost program, automatically.
The Medicare Savings Program
Connecticut does not look at savings or a house. There is no asset test, so DSS will not ask whether an applicant owns a home or has money in the bank. It counts gross income, though not every dollar of a paycheck: the first $65 of earnings is left out, and only half of the rest counts. Veterans' non-service-connected pensions, Aid and Attendance and the Housebound Allowance do not count at all.
The limits below took effect March 1, 2026.
To apply, go to ConneCT and choose Apply for Benefits, or fill out form W-1QMB (W-1QMBS in Spanish) and mail it to the DSS ConneCT Scanning Center at PO Box 1320, Manchester, CT 06045-1320, or drop it at a DSS regional office. No paperwork has to go with it unless DSS asks for some. A decision can take 45 days, and a CHOICES counselor can help fill out the form. DSS also says it will not seek repayment for benefits from this program received after January 1, 2010. The rules and the forms are on the DSS site.
Extra Help with drug costs
Extra Help comes automatically to anyone with full Medicaid, a Medicare Savings Program or Supplemental Security Income. For everyone else, the 2026 limits are $23,940 in income and $18,090 in resources for one person, and $32,460 and $36,100 for a married couple; Medicare.gov says the limits may go up each year. About a third of Connecticut residents in a stand-alone drug plan, 32.38 percent, get Extra Help, CMS says.
For 2027, Medicare.gov lists what a person with Extra Help pays: no plan premium, no deductible, no more than $5.80 for a generic drug or $14.40 for a brand-name drug, and nothing once drug costs reach $2,400. People with Extra Help or Medicaid may be able to change drug coverage once a month.
Applications go through Social Security at ssa.gov, and CHOICES helps with them for free. Someone who qualifies but has no drug plan yet can get temporary coverage through the LI NET program, 1-800-783-1307 (TTY 711), from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern.
Medicare does not call to sell plans
Medicare never phones to sell anything and never comes to the house, Medicare.gov says. It calls for personal information only in a few cases, such as calling back someone who has joined a plan, reported fraud or left Medicare a message.
Plan sellers have rules of their own. They are not allowed to:
- show up at the door uninvited;
- call someone who is not a member and has not given permission;
- ask for bank account or credit card numbers by phone, unless the number is needed to process an enrollment;
- offer cash, or a gift worth more than $15, for joining;
- take payment by phone or online, because the plan has to send a bill;
- sell plans or sign people up at an educational event such as a health fair;
- charge a fee to enroll anyone;
- push with lines like "you have to join this plan or you won't have coverage next year."
The Senior Medicare Patrol at the Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut tells people to hang up and report any call with one of three warning signs: nobody asked for it, the caller wants personal information confirmed, or the caller wants a payment over the phone. Medicare cannot enroll anyone by phone unless that person made the call. The national Senior Medicare Patrol center lists the schemes it warns about: genetic testing, medical equipment and hospice fraud, scams over the Medicare card, misleading marketing, requests for Medicare numbers at a presentation or on a call nobody asked for, and supplies that arrive unordered.
The Medicare number and the Social Security number belong with a doctor and the few others who need them. Medicare.gov's advice is to join a plan by phone only on a call the person placed, to turn down money or gifts offered for free medical care, and to check each Medicare statement against the dates and visits on the calendar.
To report a scam, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or file with the federal Office of Inspector General. For trouble with a Medicare Advantage or drug plan, I-MEDIC takes reports at 1-877-7SAFERX (1-877-772-3379). In Connecticut, the Senior Medicare Patrol answers at 1-800-994-9422, the same number as CHOICES.
How to help
CHOICES and the Senior Medicare Patrol run on trained staff and volunteers, and four of the five agencies invite people to train as counselors:
- The North Central Area Agency on Aging (Southington) is taking applications for its 2027 counselor trainings at info@ncaaact.org.
- At the Southwestern CT Agency on Aging (Bridgeport), the contact is Katie Wheeler, 203-814-3639 or kwheeler@swcaa.org.
- At Senior Resources (Durham, Middletown), it is Laura Crews, director of benefits access, LJCrews@SeniorResourcesEC.Org.
- The Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut (13 towns) posts its training dates on its site.
Anyone who would rather volunteer with the Senior Medicare Patrol can start at 1-800-994-9422. In Woodbridge, the town's Resident Assistance Fund runs entirely on donations, which Human Services takes at 203-389-3429. Meriden's senior center posts a volunteer handbook on its page.
Frequently asked questions
I like my plan. Do I have to do anything?
Not to keep it. CMS says people keeping their coverage generally do not need to re-enroll. The plan's notice of 2027 changes, mailed this fall, says what is different, and a CHOICES counselor can compare it with the other 2027 plans at no cost.
Will a CHOICES counselor try to sell me a plan?
No. CHOICES counselors are not insurance agents, and nothing they earn depends on the plan a person chooses.
What if I miss December 7?
Someone in a Medicare Advantage plan can still switch plans, or go back to Original Medicare, between January 1 and March 31. People with Extra Help or Medicaid may be able to change drug coverage once a month. Anyone else should call CHOICES at 1-800-994-9422 to go over what is still possible.
Can I go to a session in another town?
Sometimes. Some sessions are only for a town's residents or a senior center's members, so ask when booking. CHOICES, at 1-800-994-9422, can also set up an appointment with a counselor near home, in person or by phone.
Someone called about a better Medicare plan. Is it real?
Medicare does not call to sell plans, and a plan's seller may not call a nonmember who has not given permission. Hang up, and report the call to 1-800-MEDICARE or to the Senior Medicare Patrol at 1-800-994-9422.
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