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A University of Michigan poll of Medicare enrollees age 65 and older found that 60% spent less than an hour reviewing coverage options for 2026, including 27% who did not review them at all. Eight in 10 kept the previous year’s coverage, even though 92% said they were confident making Medicare decisions.
Six in 10 older adults spent less than an hour reviewing their Medicare coverage options for 2026, and 80% kept the plan they had the year before, according to a University of Michigan poll. The findings come as Medicare enrollees prepare for the 2027 open enrollment period, when they can review coverage and make plan choices for the coming year.
The National Poll on Healthy Aging surveyed Medicare enrollees age 65 and older from a nationally representative sample soon after they enrolled in coverage for 2026. The poll found that 27% did not take any time to review their options, while another 33% spent less than an hour doing so. Together, those groups made up the 60% who spent under an hour on the decision.
Among people who reviewed available options, 25% named a Medicare source—the website’s plan-finding tool or Medicare hotline—as their most important information source. Insurance brokers were named by 26%, health plan websites by 21%, and free local counselors by 5%. The counselors include those with the federally funded State Health Insurance Assistance Program, known as SHIP.
Despite the limited review time reported by many respondents, 92% said they were somewhat or very confident about making Medicare coverage decisions. The poll also asked about awareness of policy changes affecting 2026 coverage. Thirty-eight percent had heard about lower prices for 10 high-cost drugs, while 29% knew about changes to prescription drug deductibles and the annual out-of-pocket cap. Awareness of a Plan Finder feature showing which providers are in network for Medicare Advantage plans was 15%.
Time Spent Reviewing Medicare Plans
The results point to a gap between how consequential coverage choices can be and how much time many respondents said they devoted to them. A Medicare plan can affect premiums and out-of-pocket costs, as well as access to doctors, hospitals and prescription medicines. The poll does not establish that a short review led to poor coverage or higher costs, but it shows that many people made the choice without an extended comparison.
Geoffrey Hoffman, an associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing and a member of the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, said people may keep a plan because they like it or assume it remains the best option. He urged people who are dissatisfied—and others who want to check their coverage—to review choices and seek help when needed. SHIP counselors do not have a financial stake in the plan a person selects, he said.
The findings on policy awareness add another reason to check plan details: changes to drug costs and provider networks may affect enrollees differently depending on their coverage. Individual costs and provider access vary by plan, so general awareness of a policy change does not by itself show how it will affect a particular enrollee.
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How the Poll Measured Plan Choices
The poll was conducted after the most recent Medicare open enrollment period covered in the survey, as respondents made choices for 2026 coverage. Its figures describe what older enrollees reported about their decision process, information sources, confidence and awareness of selected policy changes; they do not measure whether respondents’ plans were suitable or whether another option would have served them better.
Medicare open enrollment for coverage in 2027 runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2026, according to the source report. University of Michigan researchers Geoffrey Hoffman and Lianlian Lei said plan choice depends on a person’s health needs, preferred doctors and hospitals, and prescribed medicines. A plan that fits one member of a couple may not fit the other.
““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 Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation member
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What the Survey Cannot Establish
The poll describes respondents’ reported behavior and confidence; it does not show why each person kept or changed a plan, whether a brief review resulted in a worse choice, or whether respondents’ confidence matched the quality of their decisions. The source material does not provide the poll’s sample size, field dates or margin of error, so those details cannot be assessed here.
The awareness figures also do not establish whether a respondent’s own costs or provider access changed. Drug expenses depend on the plan a person enrolls in, and the poll’s reported awareness percentages do not measure the financial effect of policy changes on individual households.
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Review Plans Before December 7
The next scheduled opportunity for Medicare enrollees to compare coverage for the coming year is the 2027 open enrollment period, Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. The source report says the Medicare Plan Finder will include 15 additional drugs on the list for 2027 and lets users check which doctors and other professionals are in network for a selected Medicare Advantage plan.
Hoffman encouraged people who need assistance to consider contacting a local SHIP counselor. Enrollees can compare plan terms with their medications, preferred providers and expected health needs. The poll does not predict how many people will change plans in 2027; that remains unknown until enrollment decisions are reported.
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Key Questions
What did the University of Michigan poll find?
Sixty percent of surveyed Medicare enrollees age 65 and older spent less than an hour reviewing coverage options for 2026, including 27% who spent no time reviewing them. Eight in 10 kept their previous year’s coverage.
When is Medicare open enrollment for 2027?
The open enrollment period for 2027 Medicare coverage runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, 2026, according to the source report.
Where did respondents get information about Medicare plans?
Among those who reviewed options, 26% named an insurance broker as their most important source, 25% named a Medicare tool or hotline, 21% named a health plan website, and 5% named a free local counselor such as a SHIP counselor.
Does the poll show that keeping a plan is a bad choice?
No. The poll reports how much time respondents spent reviewing options and whether they kept their coverage; it does not establish whether their choices were suitable or whether switching would have improved their coverage.
What factors can affect which Medicare plan fits someone?
University of Michigan researcher Lianlian Lei said relevant factors include a person’s health needs, preferred doctors and hospitals, and prescribed medicines. The source report notes that spouses or partners may need different plans.
Source: rss
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