Medicare Open Enrollment Is Here — Let Aster Help You Navigate It

As the weather starts to turn cooler, it brings with it another seasonal signal: Medicare Open Enrollment. This year, Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage runs from October 15 to December 7, 2026 — a roughly seven-week window during which Medicare beneficiaries can review, change, or confirm their coverage for the year ahead.

For many of us, understanding Medicare options and making decisions about coverage can be genuinely challenging. Between comparing plans, weighing costs, and figuring out what's actually changed since last year, it's easy to feel overwhelmed — or to simply let the deadline pass without a second look. That's exactly where Aster comes in.

Free, Unbiased Help Through SHIP

To support our community through Open Enrollment, Aster is collaborating with the Area Agency on Aging on the SHIP program — the State Health Insurance Assistance Program. SHIP provides free, unbiased help to Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers, with no ties to any insurance company or plan. A certified SHIP counselor can sit down with you one-on-one and offer guidance based on your unique situation, needs, and budget.

SHIP counselors can help with:

• How to enroll
• Comparing plans
• Understanding coverage and costs
• Submitting appeals
• Open Enrollment questions and decisions
• And more

SHIP counselors hold open office hours, alternating between Aster's Senior Centers each Thursday, so you can get in-person, one-on-one help without needing to travel far or navigate the process alone.

How to Get Started

Contact Aster's Outreach staff at (480) 634-1659 or socialservices@asteraz.org with any program questions or to schedule your SHIP appointment. You can also learn more about the different parts of Medicare, which options might be right for you, and get your questions answered by Aster's dedicated team of Social Service Specialists. Get in touch today to learn more — the sooner you connect, the more time you'll have to make a confident, informed decision before the December 7 deadline.

Aster Outreach and Social Services Ramoncita Cocova, Director of Social Services Email: rcocova@asteraz.org | Phone: (480) 634-1659

More Than Medicare: Aster's Outreach and Social Services

Medicare Open Enrollment is just one piece of the support Aster's Outreach and Social Services team offers year-round. Aster Outreach Specialists are trained professionals dedicated to helping older adults and their families access and navigate the resources they need to remain independent, including:

• Needs assessments for individuals, families, and caregivers
• Information and referral to community resources
• Food supplement programs
• Benefits Checkup® and enrollment assistance, including SNAP and Medicaid
• Resource navigation
• Education related to aging needs and chronic health conditions

A Certified Benefits Enrollment Center

As part of the National Council on Aging's network, Aster is proud to be a certified Benefits Enrollment Center (BEC). As a BEC, we offer free, unbiased, and confidential services that help individuals on Medicare connect with resources that make it easier to afford health care, prescriptions, food, utilities, and more. Some of the supports we help connect people to include:

• Medicare Part D Extra Help
• Medicare Savings Program
• Medicaid/AHCCCS
• SNAP
• LIHEAP
• City of Mesa Utility Assistance Program

Whether you're navigating Medicare Open Enrollment for the first time, revisiting a plan you've had for years, or looking for help affording the essentials, Aster's Outreach and Social Services team is here to help — one conversation at a time.