Medicare Open Enrollment Ends December 7: Free Help in Fort Worth
If you have Medicare, the one window to change your coverage for next year is open right now — and it closes December 7. Miss it, and most changes wait a full year. The good news: Fort Worth has free, local counselors whose whole job is helping you compare plans. They do not sell insurance.
The dates that matter
Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7 every year. During the window you can switch Medicare Advantage plans, move between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage, or join, switch, or drop a drug plan (Part D). Your plan must receive your request by December 7, and new coverage starts January 1, 2027.
Already happy with your plan, and it is still offered next year? You do not have to do anything. But check the Annual Notice of Change that came in the mail — premiums, copays, and drug lists change quietly, and a plan that fit last year can cost more this year.
Free counseling in Tarrant County
The Area Agency on Aging of Tarrant County gives free health-benefits counseling — Medicare, Medicaid, prescription coverage, and long-term care. Call 817-258-8000. Offices: 201 N. Rupert St., Suite 107, Fort Worth, and 401 W. Sanford St., Suite 2600, Arlington. The counselors are certified, unbiased, and every service is free.
You can also compare plans at medicare.gov or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.
The help many people never hear about
Two programs can cut Medicare costs a lot, and neither one is tied to the December 7 deadline:
Medicare Savings Programs pay your Part B premium — $202.90 a month in 2026, about $2,435 a year — and the biggest one (QMB) also covers deductibles and copays. 2026 income limits (monthly): QMB up to $1,350 for one person / $1,824 for a couple; SLMB up to $1,616 / $2,184; QI up to $1,816 / $2,455. You apply through Texas, any time of year. QMB, SLMB, or QI enrollment also qualifies you for Extra Help automatically.
Extra Help lowers drug costs: no drug-plan premium on benchmark plans, no deductible, and no more than $12.65 for a brand-name drug or $5.10 for a generic. Social Security puts its average value at about $5,700 a year. You can apply any time through Social Security — it is not limited to open enrollment.
See everything you may qualify for
Medicare is one piece. You may also qualify for help with food, rent, utilities, or rides. Our free checker takes about two minutes and covers 156 Fort Worth and Tarrant County programs: See what you qualify for. Prefer a person? Call the Area Agency on Aging at 817-258-8000, or dial 2-1-1.
Sources: Medicare.gov open enrollment and Medicare Savings Programs pages; Area Agency on Aging of Tarrant County (United Way of Tarrant County).
