If you have a Medicare Advantage plan or a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan, your carrier is required to send an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) by September 30. The notice describes how that plan will work on January 1. Annual Enrollment then runs October 15 through December 7, which is the window most people use to change Advantage or Part D coverage for the coming year.
Staying in the same plan name is not the same as keeping the same deal. Premiums, drug tiers, networks, and extra benefits can all move while the envelope still looks familiar.
Who gets an ANOC
- People in Medicare Advantage, including plans that include drug coverage
- People in a stand-alone Part D plan
Original Medicare by itself does not send a private-plan ANOC. Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policies also do not use this same notice. Medigap customers should still watch insurer mail for premium changes, but this checklist is written for Advantage and Part D.
If you chose paperless delivery, look in the plan portal and the email address on file. The notice can arrive as a download instead of a thick envelope.
10-minute checklist
Set the ANOC next to a current medication list and the names of your doctors, specialists, hospital, and pharmacy.
- Monthly premium and deductibles. Note any change in the plan premium. Remember that the Part B premium is separate.
- Copays, coinsurance, and the out-of-pocket maximum. A familiar $0 plan premium can still cost more if specialist or hospital cost-sharing goes up.
- Your prescriptions. Check whether each drug stays on the formulary and whether its tier or prior-authorization rules change.
- Doctors and hospitals. Confirm primary care, specialists, and the hospital you would use are still in network for next year.
- Pharmacy. Preferred pharmacies can change. Mail-order rules can change too.
- Extra benefits. Dental, vision, hearing, fitness, meals, and over-the-counter allowances are often the first items plans add or drop.
- Service area and plan continuation. Make sure the plan will still be offered in your county. If it is ending, you will need a new choice during enrollment.
What to do after you read it
- If nothing important changed and the plan still fits, you can keep it. Coverage continues unless the plan leaves the area.
- If a doctor, drug, or cost changed in a way that affects you, compare options before December 7. Start with the official Plan Finder at Medicare.gov.
- Bring the ANOC, your medication list, and your doctors’ names to a review. That is faster than starting from a blank page.
CDA Insurance can walk through that comparison with you for Idaho, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. Call (800) 884-2343 or use the contact page. Appointments are available in person, by phone, email, and Zoom.
Dates to keep
- September 30: deadline for plans to send the ANOC
- October 15 – December 7: Annual Enrollment Period for Medicare Advantage and Part D
- January 1: most Annual Enrollment changes take effect
- January 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, a separate window for people already in an Advantage plan
Need a second set of eyes?
If the notice is confusing, or you want to compare Advantage and Supplement options before October 15, we can review it with you at no cost to you.
This article is for general education. It is not a plan recommendation, quote, or guarantee of coverage. Benefits, premiums, networks, and eligibility vary by plan and county and can change. CDA Insurance LLC is an independent insurance agency and is not connected with the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program. Official program information is available at Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.