More education needed on Medicare open enrollment and Part D reforms, PAN research reveals

Only a quarter of people on Medicare have changed their Part D drug plan in the last three years. Of those who did, an increase in their premium was the top reason.

The PAN Foundation’s Center for Patient Research released findings from a national poll exploring the patient experience and understanding of Medicare open enrollment and recent Medicare Part D reforms. The poll findings point to the continued need for more awareness and education to help people understand and navigate Medicare open enrollment and the recent Medicare Part D reforms that benefit patients.

Key findings from our research

The poll, led by PAN in July and August 2025, found that only one in four (25 percent) Medicare beneficiaries have changed their prescription coverage in the last three years. Among those who have made prescription coverage changes in the past three years, an increase in premium costs (28 percent) and desire to access extra services such as dental, vision, and hearing through a Medicare Advantage plan (21 percent) were the top two reasons given for making a change.

The poll also found that nearly 4 in 10 (37 percent) Medicare beneficiaries have not heard of the Medicare Part D cap reform and nearly half (48 percent) have never heard of the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan—two reforms that went into effect January 1, 2025. Meanwhile, among those who are aware of these reforms, most Medicare beneficiaries (73 percent) find both the Medicare Part D cap and Medicare Prescription Payment Plan personally helpful.

Findings about Medicare open enrollment

The top three concerns for Medicare beneficiaries going into open enrollment this year is that their premiums will be high or higher than they are paying now (43 percent), their deductible will be high or higher than they are paying now (35 percent), and they will face increased cost-sharing for their medications (31 percent).

Our polling also revealed:

• Almost half (49 percent) of Medicare beneficiaries do not plan to evaluate or change their prescription plan during the upcoming open enrollment period. Among those who don’t plan to evaluate or change their prescription plan, satisfaction with their current plan (47 percent) is the main reason for not doing so.  
• Among those who do plan to make a change to their prescription plan during Medicare open enrollment, almost half (42 percent) do not know what they’ll do, while 35 percent plan on switching to a Medicare Advantage Plan that includes Part D.  
• Among those who plan on selecting or switching to a Medicare Advantage Plan, 70 percent say they want extra benefits, such as coverage of some dental, vision, and hearing costs.   
• Nearly 1 in 4 (23 percent) Medicare beneficiaries do not rely on any other person or organization for information about Medicare or their Part D plans.
• Only about 2 in 5 (44 percent) always review their plan’s Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) when it’s provided to them. Among those who do not review their ANOC, almost half (47 percent) have no interest in reading it, while 26 percent don’t find the information in the ANOC helpful.  

Findings about Medicare Part D reforms

• Only 6 percent of Medicare beneficiaries have opted into the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan.
• Among those who have enrolled in the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, spreading costs and payments throughout the year (39 percent) is a key driver, followed by an inability to pay for medications all at once (24 percent).
• Among those who have not opted in the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, 41 percent say they have not done so because they can afford to pay for their medications all at once.
• Fewer than 1 in 10 (8 percent) beneficiaries have used Medicare’s PlanFinder tool to evaluate prescription costs if they were to enroll in the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan.

“This poll reinforces the need for more awareness and education to help people understand and navigate Medicare open enrollment and recent Medicare Part D reforms,” said Kevin L. Hagan, President and CEO of the PAN Foundation. “At the PAN Foundation we are committed to breaking down these and other complex healthcare topics through our educational initiatives. We will leverage these findings to continue creating clear, easy-to-understand resources and support services that help empower people, including those enrolled in Medicare, along their healthcare journeys. Because education remains a cornerstone of PAN’s mission.”

Resources

• Read the complete results of the national polling 
• Explore PAN’s Center for Patient Research
• Medicare open enrollment 
• Everything you need to know about Medicare reforms 

Polling methodology

The research was conducted online in the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of PAN Foundation among 1,002 U.S. adults 18+ currently on Medicare/Medicare Advantage. The survey was conducted July 28–August 8, 2025.

Data are weighted where necessary by education, age, gender, race/ethnicity, region, marital status, household size, household income, and political party affiliation to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within ± 3.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to other multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including, but not limited to coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments.

About the PAN Foundation

As a leading charitable foundation and healthcare advocacy organization, the PAN Foundation is dedicated to accelerating access to treatment for those who need it most and empowering patients on their healthcare journeys. We provide critical financial assistance for treatment costs, advocate for policy solutions that expand access to care, and deliver education on complex topics—all driven by our belief that everyone deserves access to affordable, equitable healthcare.

Since 2004, our financial assistance programs have helped more than 1.3 million people to start or stay on life-changing treatment. In addition, we’ve achieved major policy victories that increase access to care, mobilized patient advocates to call for change, and educated people nationwide on critical healthcare-related topics. We’re committed to working towards a future where equitable health outcomes are a reality for all. To learn more, visit panfoundation.org.