🛡️ Medicare Season Opens Today: The Sales-Call Rules, the Medigap Fine Print, and a Warm Plan for Saturday Night

Or: Open Enrollment Day One: What Plan Agents Can’t Do, How Your 3.6% Raise Meets the Part B Premium, and Why Tennessee Medigap Timing Matters

By Thomas Seest, Dunlap.Today · Thursday, October 15, 2026

Good morning, neighbor. Today is the day. Medicare Open Enrollment opens this morning, Thursday, Oct. 15, and runs through Monday, Dec. 7. That is more than seven weeks. Nobody has to decide anything today, and nobody should rush you.

This week we have already walked through your plan letter, next year’s drug costs, free counseling, and the RAM clinic. So this morning we take up new ground: the rules plan agents must follow when they call or knock, where to report a bad call, how Wednesday’s 3.6% Social Security raise will meet next year’s Part B premium, and the plain-words difference between Medicare Advantage and Original Medicare with a Medigap policy. We finish with National Pharmacy Week, the first truly cold night of the season, and a short calendar for the week ahead.

⏱️ What this means for you in 30 seconds

• Today through Mon., Dec. 7: Medicare Open Enrollment. Your plan must get any change by Dec. 7. Changes start Jan. 1.
• Sales calls: A plan agent may not call you unless you are a member or you gave permission. No uninvited home visits. No asking for bank numbers to give a quote.
• Report a bad call: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or Tennessee SMP, 1-866-836-7677.
• Part B for 2027: Not announced yet. Trustees projected $209.50 a month, up $6.60. Your 3.6% raise should more than cover that for most people.
• $90 rebate: Social Security’s payment-status line opens today: 1-800-772-1213.
• Weather: Near 89 today. A front Friday. A low near 38 Saturday night.

📝 Jot This Down

1. Free, no-sales Medicare help: TN SHIP, 1-877-801-0044. To report a suspicious call or bill: TN SMP, 1-866-836-7677.
2. Medigap timing: Tennessee has no yearly “birthday rule.” Before you leave a Medigap policy, or leave Original Medicare, ask SHIP whether you could get Medigap back later.
3. Saturday night, low near 38: Keep the house at 68 degrees or warmer. Shivering, slurred speech or confusion in an older adult can mean hypothermia. Call 911.

📅 Day One of Open Enrollment: Take It at a Walk, Not a Run

Medicare says Open Enrollment runs Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. Changes you make take effect Jan. 1, as long as the plan gets your request by Dec. 7. During this window you can switch Medicare Advantage plans, switch drug plans, or move between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage.

Think of it like buying a truck. The lot is open for seven weeks. The salesman would love for you to sign today. You will make a better choice after you have looked at the sticker, slept on it and talked it over at supper.

• Compare plans yourself at Medicare.gov/plan-compare. Type the address in yourself instead of clicking a link in a text or email.
• Have help with no sales attached: TN SHIP, 1-877-801-0044. The early weeks fill up, so call for an appointment now if you want one in November.
• Library overview: “Let’s Talk Medicare,” Tuesday, Oct. 20, 10 a.m., Sequatchie County Public Library, 227 Cherry St. The presenter is a licensed insurance agent, and the library describes it as educational, not a sales event.

What it means for you: If your doctors, drugs and pharmacy still fit your plan for 2027, keeping it is a fine choice. If you want to change, you have until Dec. 7. This is general information, not plan advice.

👉 Read more (Medicare: Open Enrollment) · TN SHIP and SMP · Dunlap.Today: Let’s Talk Medicare

📵 What Plan Agents Are Not Allowed to Do (and Where to Report It)

Most licensed agents in our area are honest neighbors doing a job. But this is the busiest selling season of the year, and it helps to know the rules. Medicare’s own “Marketing rules for health plans” page says people representing Medicare plans are not allowed to:

• Call you unless you are already a member of their plan or you gave them permission to contact you.
• Come to your home uninvited to sell anything.
• Ask for your bank account or credit card number over the phone unless it is needed to process an enrollment. Medicare says plans don’t need your personal information to give a quote.
• Ask you to pay over the phone or online. The plan must send you a bill.
• Offer cash, or gifts worth more than $15, to join, or give you a free meal during a sales pitch.
• Sell you an annuity or life insurance during a sales pitch for a Medicare plan.
• Pitch plans in an exam room, hospital room or at the pharmacy counter, or enroll you at an educational event like a health fair.
• Use misleading Medicare logos or confusing words in ads.

If you do meet with an agent, Medicare says they can’t charge a fee to enroll you, call their plan “the best,” tell you that you will lose coverage unless you join, or ask for your friends’ names and phone numbers. And you should sign only when you are ready.

How to protect yourself: Medicare will never call you to sell you anything or visit your home. Do not join a plan over the phone unless you made the call. If something felt wrong, write down the name, number, date and what was said. Then report it:

• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)
• Tennessee SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol), 1-866-836-7677: free help spotting and reporting Medicare fraud, errors and abuse
• Have a Medicare Advantage or drug plan? You can also call the I-MEDIC line, 1-877-772-3379 (1-877-7SAFERX)

What it means for you: “Let me call you back” is a full sentence. A real agent will wait. If you chose the wrong plan because of misleading information, Medicare says to call 1-800-MEDICARE and explain. They can help with your options.

👉 Read more (Medicare: Marketing rules for health plans) · Medicare: Reporting fraud · Tennessee SMP

💵 Your 3.6% Raise and Next Year’s Part B Premium

Our sister edition, Valley Boomers 1/5, covered the raise itself this morning: Social Security announced a 3.6% increase for 2027, starting with January payments. Here is the health side of that news.

• The 2027 Part B premium is not out yet. AARP reports the Medicare trustees projected it at $209.50 a month, up $6.60 from this year’s $202.90. The trustees also projected the Part B deductible going from $283 to $292. These are estimates. Medicare is expected to announce the real numbers later this fall.
• Where you will see it: Social Security says your 2027 Medicare premium will show in your my Social Security Message Center starting in late November. If you don’t get messages online, your COLA notice comes by mail in December.
• The “hold-harmless” rule: For many people, the law keeps a Part B increase from making your Social Security check smaller than the year before. It does not protect everyone. AARP says about 30% of Part B enrollees are not covered by it, including people who don’t get a Social Security check and people who pay the higher-income surcharge (IRMAA).

Some simple porch math, if the projection holds: Social Security’s own table shows the average retired worker going from about $2,094 to about $2,170, a raise of about $76. A Part B increase of $6.60 would leave roughly $69 of that raise in your pocket each month. Your own numbers will differ, and Medigap or Medicare Advantage premiums are separate.

About the $90 rebate: CMS said people could check on the status of the one-time payment by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 starting today. Most deposits went out around Oct. 8. Some people will get a paper U.S. Treasury check later this month instead. People in Medicare Advantage, people getting Medicaid help with premiums, and IRMAA payers are not eligible. To ask whether you qualify, call 1-800-MEDICARE. The line may be busy on its first day, so a call next week is fine. Nobody needs your bank numbers to send it.

What it means for you: Don’t budget the whole raise yet. Wait for the official premium in November, then make your 2027 money plan.

👉 Read more (AARP: Part B premium may rise in 2027) · SSA: 3.6% COLA announcement · CMS: $90 rebate FAQ

⚖️ Medicare Advantage or Original Medicare with Medigap: The Plain-Words Difference

This is the big fork in the road, and the TV ads don’t make it simpler. Here is how Medicare’s own comparison page lays it out.

Original Medicare (often with a Medigap policy and a separate drug plan):

• See any doctor or hospital in the U.S. that takes Medicare. Usually no referral needed for a specialist.
• In most cases, no prior approval is needed for covered services.
• You usually pay 20% for Part B services after the deductible, and there is no yearly cap unless you have Medigap or other coverage.
• Drug coverage comes from a separate Part D plan.

Medicare Advantage (Part C):

• You may need to use the plan’s network and get referrals for specialists.
• You may need the plan’s approval first for certain services.
• Plans have a yearly out-of-pocket limit. Most include drug coverage. Some offer extra vision, hearing or dental benefits.
• You can’t use a Medigap policy to pay Medicare Advantage costs.

The Medigap fine print, Tennessee edition:

• Federal law gives you a one-time, six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period. It starts the first month you have Part B and are 65 or older. During it, a company can’t turn you down or charge more for health problems. It does not come back every year.
• The National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ May 2026 chart lists no “birthday rule” in Tennessee. Some states give a yearly window to switch Medigap policies without health questions. Tennessee is not one of them. Outside your special windows, a company may ask health questions.
• The “trial right”: If you dropped Medigap to try Medicare Advantage for the first time, or joined Medicare Advantage when you first got Medicare at 65, you generally have 12 months to return to Original Medicare with special rights to buy a Medigap policy.
• Under 65 on Medicare because of a disability or kidney failure? Tennessee requires companies that sell Medigap to people 65 and older to offer the same plans to you, with a six-month open enrollment window.

What it means for you: Moving from Original Medicare and Medigap into Medicare Advantage is easy this fall. Coming back later may not be. Before you make that move in either direction, call SHIP at 1-877-801-0044 and ask, “If I change my mind next year, can I get a Medigap policy back?”

👉 Read more (Medicare: Compare Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage) · Medicare: When you can buy Medigap · NAIC state Medigap rules chart

💊 National Pharmacy Week Starts Sunday: Bring Your Pill Bottles to the Counter

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists marks National Pharmacy Week Oct. 18–24 this year. It is a good excuse to thank the folks behind the counter in Dunlap, and to put them to work for you.

Medicare says every plan with drug coverage must offer Medication Therapy Management to members who qualify, at no cost. It usually means a sit-down talk with a pharmacist or other health professional to review all your medicines. You may get:

• A full review of your medicines and why you take each one
• A written summary of the review
• A “Recommended To-Do List” and a medication list for your wallet or the fridge

Medicare says to contact your drug plan to see if you qualify, especially if you take medicines for more than one long-term condition. And bring your medication list any time you see a doctor or pharmacist, or go to the hospital.

What it means for you: That same medicine list is what you need for Plan Compare or a SHIP appointment. Put every bottle in a grocery sack, vitamins too, and let the pharmacist help you make one clean list. Ask your pharmacist or doctor before you stop or change any medicine.

👉 Read more (Medicare: Medication Therapy Management) · ASHP: National Pharmacy Week

🧣 From 89 to 38: Know the Quiet Signs of Hypothermia

The National Weather Service forecast for Dunlap, updated before dawn, calls for sunshine and a high near 89 today. Friday warms to about 80 before a front turns the wind to the northwest, with gusts up to 25 mph. Friday night drops to about 45 with gusts up to 30. Saturday’s high is only near 60, and Saturday night falls to about 38.

A 50-degree swing in two days is hard on older bodies. Tuesday’s edition covered heaters and carbon monoxide. Today, the National Institute on Aging’s advice on hypothermia, which happens when the body gets too cold:

• It can happen indoors. NIA says even a mildly cool home, 60 to 65 degrees, can lead to hypothermia in older adults. Set the heat to at least 68.
• It can happen above 40 degrees if you get chilled from rain, sweat or damp clothes.
• Early warning signs: cold feet and hands, a puffy or swollen face, pale skin, shivering, slowed or slurred speech, and acting sleepy, angry or confused.
• It is an emergency. Call 911. Move the person somewhere warmer, wrap them in dry blankets or coats, and offer a warm drink.
• Stay ahead of it: loose, warm layers; a hat, socks and slippers indoors; extra covers at night; enough to eat; and go easy on alcohol, which makes you lose body heat.

Worried about the heating bill? NIA points to the National Energy Assistance Referral line, 866-674-6327, for information on the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

What it means for you: Saturday evening, call one neighbor who lives alone. Ask, “Is your heat on?” It takes a minute and it matters.

👉 Read more (NIA: Cold weather safety for older adults) · NWS forecast for Dunlap

🦷 Free RAM Clinic This Weekend: Still On, and Colder Than Expected

As of early this morning, Remote Area Medical’s page still lists its free dental, vision and medical clinic for Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 17–18, at Notre Dame High School, 2701 Vermont Ave., Chattanooga. No ID, insurance or proof of income needed. No dentures at this clinic.

• Times are Chattanooga (Eastern) time: the parking lot opens no later than 11:59 p.m. Friday (10:59 p.m. our Central time). Doors open at 6 a.m. Eastern (5 a.m. Central).
• Dress for the cold. The Dunlap forecast for Friday night is about 45 with gusts up to 30 mph, and there is no heated shelter in the lot. Blankets, hat, gloves, water, snacks and your medicines.
• Arrive early. Local 3 News reports RAM says capacity is often reached early, especially for dental and vision. Once the clinic is full, more patients are not admitted.
• Check before you go: RAM asks patients to check its page for updates and offers optional text alerts there. Questions: 865-579-1530, weekdays 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.

What it means for you: Waiting in a car through a windy, 45-degree night is real cold for an older body. Go with a friend, bring more blankets than you think you need, and watch each other for the hypothermia signs above.

👉 Read more (RAM: Chattanooga clinic) · Local 3: RAM in Chattanooga Oct. 17–18

🗒️ Still On, in Brief

• Tonight, Thu., Oct. 15, 5:30–8 p.m. Eastern (4:30–7 p.m. Central): Free “Moments of Grace” dementia caregiver summit, Morning Pointe of Chattanooga, 7719 Shallowford Rd. RSVP required by email to chattanooga-lan-crd@morningpointe.com. Companion care for loved ones is provided.
• Tue., Oct. 20, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.: Free flu shots, Sequatchie County Health Department, 16939 Rankin Ave., behind the Erlanger emergency center. Questions: 423-949-3619.
• Tue., Oct. 20, 10 a.m.: “Let’s Talk Medicare,” Sequatchie County Public Library. Sign-up not required, but registering helps: 423-949-2357.
• Wed., Oct. 21, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Eastern: Mobile mammograms, Morning Pointe of Hixson, 5501 Old Hixson Pike. Appointment required: 423-495-4040.

👉 Read more (Moments of Grace) · Dunlap Tribune: free flu shots · Chattanoogan: mobile mammography

📅 Your Health Week on One Page (Thu., Oct. 15 – Thu., Oct. 22)

• Thu., Oct. 15: Medicare Open Enrollment opens. $90 rebate status line opens (1-800-772-1213). Caregiver summit in Chattanooga tonight. Sunny, near 89.
• Fri., Oct. 16: Near 80, wind turning northwest, gusts to 25. Low near 45, gusts to 30. RAM lot opens by 11:59 p.m. Eastern.
• Sat., Oct. 17: RAM doors open 6 a.m. Eastern. High only near 60. Low near 38: check on a neighbor.
• Sun., Oct. 18: RAM shorter day. National Pharmacy Week begins. Sunny, near 64; low near 40.
• Mon., Oct. 19: Sunny, near 68. A good day to call your drug plan about a free medication review, or TN SHIP (1-877-801-0044).
• Tue., Oct. 20: Free flu shots, 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Health Department. “Let’s Talk Medicare,” 10 a.m., library. Sunny, near 70.
• Wed., Oct. 21: Mobile mammograms, Hixson, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Eastern (423-495-4040). Caregiver support group, The Lantern at Morning Pointe East Hamilton, 4 p.m. (call ahead: 423-973-0003). Sunny, near 74.
• Thu., Oct. 22: Open Enrollment continues. One week down, about seven to go. No need to hurry.

Looking a little further ahead: DEA Take Back Day, Sat., Oct. 24, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. · Walk to End Alzheimer’s, Erlanger Park, Chattanooga, Sat., Nov. 7 · 2027 Part B premium expected in the fall; Social Security notices late November · Open Enrollment ends Mon., Dec. 7.

✅ Your Front-Porch Health Checklist

• ✅ Remember: Open Enrollment runs today through Dec. 7. There is time.
• ✅ Hang up on any plan caller you didn’t invite. Never give bank or card numbers for a “quote.”
• ✅ Write down the name, number and date of any pushy call, and report it to 1-800-MEDICARE or TN SMP, 1-866-836-7677.
• ✅ Hold off budgeting the whole 3.6% raise until the 2027 Part B premium is announced.
• ✅ Haven’t seen your $90? Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (status) or 1-800-MEDICARE (eligibility).
• ✅ Thinking of leaving Original Medicare and Medigap, or coming back? Call SHIP at 1-877-801-0044 first.
• ✅ During Pharmacy Week, ask your drug plan or pharmacist about a free medication review.
• ✅ Saturday: heat at 68 or warmer, layers on, and one phone call to a neighbor who lives alone.
• ✅ Going to RAM? Pack for a 45-degree, windy night and go with a friend.
• ✅ Bookmark Dunlap.Today for the next calm health roundup.

Practical rule: Medicare doesn’t call to sell, a good agent will wait for you to call back, and a choice made by Dec. 7 is just as good as one made today.

This article is general information, not medical, legal or insurance advice. Talk with your doctor, pharmacist, Medicare or a SHIP counselor about what is right for you. In an emergency, call 911.

— Dunlap.Today

📚 Plain-English Health Glossary

• Open Enrollment: Oct. 15 – Dec. 7 each year, when you can change Medicare health or drug coverage for the next year.
• Original Medicare: Part A (hospital) and Part B (medical) run by the federal government. You can add a drug plan and a Medigap policy.
• Medicare Advantage (Part C): Private plans approved by Medicare that bundle your coverage, usually with a network and a yearly out-of-pocket limit.
• Medigap: Extra insurance from a private company that helps pay your share of costs in Original Medicare.
• Medigap Open Enrollment Period: Your one-time, six-month window, starting when you have Part B and are 65 or older, to buy any Medigap policy without health questions.
• Trial right: A 12-month window to leave Medicare Advantage the first time and get special rights to buy Medigap.
• Birthday rule: A rule in some states, not Tennessee, that lets Medigap holders switch policies around their birthday without health questions.
• Hold-harmless rule: A protection that keeps a Part B premium increase from shrinking many people’s Social Security check below the year before.
• IRMAA: The extra Medicare premium charged to people with higher incomes.
• SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol): A free program that helps you spot and report Medicare fraud, errors and abuse.
• Medication Therapy Management: A free medicine review offered by drug plans to members who qualify.
• Hypothermia: A dangerous drop in body temperature, below 95 degrees.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Can a Medicare plan agent call me out of the blue?

Medicare says no. People representing Medicare plans can’t call you unless you are already a member of their plan or you gave them permission. If you’re a member, the agent who helped you join can call.

Someone called saying they were “from Medicare.” What do I do?

Hang up. Medicare will never call to sell you anything or visit your home. Call 1-800-MEDICARE yourself, or report it to Tennessee SMP at 1-866-836-7677.

Has the 2027 Part B premium been announced?

Not yet. The trustees projected $209.50 a month, up from $202.90. Medicare is expected to announce the real number later this fall, and Social Security will post it in your online account starting in late November.

Will the Part B increase eat my whole raise?

Not if the projection holds. For the average retired worker, the raise is about $76 a month and the projected Part B increase is $6.60. Your own figures will differ.

Does Tennessee have a Medigap birthday rule?

No. The NAIC’s May 2026 state chart lists no birthday rule for Tennessee. Your main protected windows are your first six months with Part B at 65 or older, plus special situations like the 12-month trial right. Ask SHIP about your own situation.

Can I have Medigap and Medicare Advantage at the same time?

No. Medicare says Medigap can’t be used to pay Medicare Advantage costs. Medigap goes with Original Medicare.

How do I check on my $90 rebate?

CMS says to call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213, starting Oct. 15, for payment status, and 1-800-MEDICARE to ask about eligibility. Some people get a paper Treasury check later in October instead of a deposit.

🔗 Other Resources

• Dunlap.Today
• Dunlap.Directory: find local pharmacies, clinics and services
• Medicare Plan Compare, 1-800-633-4227
• TN SHIP, 1-877-801-0044 · TN SMP, 1-866-836-7677
• Medicare: Marketing rules for health plans
• Medicare: Report fraud · I-MEDIC 1-877-772-3379
• Social Security COLA page, 1-800-772-1213
• Medicare: How Medigap works
• NIA: Cold weather safety for older adults
• RAM Chattanooga clinic, 865-579-1530
• Fight Flu TN
• ReportFraud.ftc.gov

☕ Seven Weeks, One Good Choice

Open Enrollment is a season, not a stampede. Let the phone ring if you don’t know the number. Make your medicine list during Pharmacy Week. Ask SHIP the Medigap question before you change anything. And when Saturday night turns cold, turn the heat up, put on an extra layer, and call someone who might be sitting alone in a chilly house. That is a good, steady health week in the Valley.

We’ll keep watching Medicare, the clinics and the senior calendar for you. Read Dunlap.Today for calm, plain-English Sequatchie Valley news, and send us the church, club and community health notes we ought to share.