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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 for 2026, including 27% who did not review options. Eight in 10 kept their previous coverage, even as respondents reported high confidence in their choices and limited awareness of several Medicare changes.
Six in 10 older Medicare enrollees spent less than an hour reviewing their coverage options for 2026, including 27% who did not review options at all, according to a University of Michigan poll. The survey also found that 80% kept the coverage they had the year before, a pattern researchers say makes it worth checking whether a plan still fits a person’s health needs and costs.
The National Poll on Healthy Aging surveyed Medicare enrollees age 65 and older drawn from a nationally representative sample. The University of Michigan team collected responses soon after the 2025 open-enrollment period, when participants had selected coverage for 2026. Among respondents, 33% spent less than an hour reviewing choices, while another 27% said they spent no time reviewing them.
Among people who did review available plans, 25% named a Medicare source—the online Plan Finder or Medicare hotline—as their most important information source. Insurance brokers were named by 26%, and health plan websites by 21%. Only 5% cited a free local counselor, such as a State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) counselor, as their main source.
Despite the limited review time, 92% said they were somewhat or very confident about making Medicare coverage decisions. The poll also found gaps in awareness of policy changes: 38% had heard about lower prices for 10 high-cost drugs in 2026, while 29% knew of changes involving drug deductibles and the annual out-of-pocket maximum. Only 15% knew the Plan Finder could show which providers are in network for a Medicare Advantage plan.
Why Plan Reviews Can Affect Costs
Medicare choices can affect both out-of-pocket spending and access to care for the year a plan is in effect. Researchers involved in the poll say the right fit depends on a person’s health conditions, preferred doctors and hospitals, and prescribed medications. A plan that worked last year may not offer the same fit when those needs, provider networks, or plan terms change.
The results also point to a gap between confidence and information gathering: most respondents felt confident, but many spent little time comparing coverage and few named free, independent counselors as their main source. The poll does not establish that respondents chose unsuitable plans or that more review would have changed their decisions. It does show why access to understandable plan information matters before enrollment deadlines.
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What the Poll Measured
The findings come from the National Poll on Healthy Aging, based at the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation. Its questions focused on older adults who had recently made Medicare coverage decisions for 2026, including how long they reviewed options, whether they changed coverage, and which sources they relied on.
For the next enrollment cycle, the source report says the period to choose among Medicare coverage options for 2027 runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2026. It also reports that 15 additional drugs are scheduled to be added to the list of medications covered under Medicare’s negotiated-price changes for 2027. The effect of drug-price changes on an individual depends on that person’s Part D plan.
““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 member of the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation
What the Survey Cannot Show
The poll reports respondents’ choices and self-reported confidence; it does not show whether people who spent less time reviewing plans received worse coverage, paid more, or had difficulty accessing care. The source material does not provide the survey’s exact sample size, field dates, or detailed margins of error, so the precision of individual percentages cannot be assessed from the report alone.
It is also unclear how many respondents used more than one information source, why most stayed with their existing coverage, or whether their plans had changed in ways that affected them. Awareness figures indicate whether respondents had heard about selected policy changes, not whether they understood them or how those changes affected their personal costs.
The 2027 Enrollment Window
The next reported opportunity to review Medicare coverage is Oct. 15-Dec. 7, 2026, for plans covering 2027. During that period, enrollees can compare available options using Medicare’s Plan Finder and other sources. The University of Michigan researchers cited in the report encourage people to check how plans match their medications, doctors, hospitals, health needs, and budget, and to seek assistance when the choices are unclear.
SHIP counselors are available in every state, according to the report, and provide free local help. The poll does not say whether the researchers plan additional surveys or whether the findings will lead to policy changes. Further details about how the 2027 plan options and drug coverage affect individual enrollees will depend on the plans available in each area.
Key Questions
How many older adults reviewed Medicare plans for less than an hour?
Sixty percent spent less than an hour reviewing coverage options for 2026, according to the University of Michigan poll. That includes 27% who said they did not review options and 33% who spent under an hour doing so.
How many respondents kept their existing Medicare coverage?
Eight in 10 respondents kept the coverage they had in the previous year. The poll does not establish why they stayed with their plans or whether those plans were the best fit for them.
What sources did people use to compare Medicare coverage?
Among those who reviewed options, 25% named Medicare’s Plan Finder or hotline as their most important source, 26% named an insurance broker, and 21% named a health plan website. Five percent named a free local counselor, such as a SHIP counselor.
When is the next Medicare open-enrollment period?
The source report gives the dates as Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, 2026, for coverage decisions for 2027.
Does the poll show that people chose the wrong plans?
No. The poll measured time spent reviewing options, plan retention, confidence, and awareness of selected policy changes. It does not establish whether respondents’ coverage was unsuitable or whether reviewing plans longer would have changed their decisions.
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