Your Yearly Medicare Plan Review
What Is a Medicare Annual Notice of Change?
Your ANOC explains how a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan will change on January 1 and deserves review before the Annual Enrollment Period.
ANOC stands for Annual Notice of Change. It is the notice your current Medicare Advantage or Medicare prescription drug plan sends each fall to summarize changes taking effect the following January.
Medicare says you should receive it by September 30. Changes may involve premiums, deductibles, medical copays, prescription coverage, extra benefits, service areas or plan rules.
Your current plan may not work the same way next year
Remaining enrolled in the same plan does not necessarily mean keeping the same coverage, network, formulary, costs or extra benefits.
Premium changes
Your monthly plan premium may increase or decrease. You generally must continue paying the Medicare Part B premium as well.
Cost-sharing changes
Deductibles, medical copays, coinsurance and maximum out-of-pocket limits may be different next year.
Prescription changes
Drugs may change tiers or face different deductibles, utilization rules, pharmacy pricing or coverage.
Benefit changes
Dental, vision, hearing, transportation and allowance benefits can increase, decrease, change vendors or disappear.
When the ANOC arrives and when you can act
Your plan sends the ANOC
Review the notice as soon as it arrives. If you do not receive it, contact your plan and request another printed or accessible copy.
Next year’s Evidence of Coverage becomes available
The plan sends the full document or instructions explaining how to receive it electronically or by mail. This contains more detail than the ANOC.
Medicare Open Enrollment
You may join, switch or drop qualifying Medicare Advantage and Part D coverage. A properly submitted change generally takes effect January 1.
New benefits and costs begin
Your selected plan—or your renewed current plan—begins operating under the new plan-year benefits and rules.
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment
If you are enrolled in Medicare Advantage, you generally have one opportunity to switch to another Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare and, when permitted, join a Part D plan.
ANOC, EOC and Summary of Benefits are not interchangeable
| Document | What it tells you | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Notice of Change | Summarizes important differences between the current year and the upcoming plan year. | Use it to identify what changed and whether the plan still deserves a place in your comparison. |
| Evidence of Coverage | Contains the plan’s detailed coverage, costs, exclusions, procedures, rights and rules for the upcoming year. | Use it when you need the complete explanation rather than a summary. |
| Summary of Benefits | Presents major benefits and costs for a plan in a shorter comparison format. | Useful for an initial comparison, but it does not replace the EOC. |
| Formulary | Lists covered prescriptions, drug tiers and utilization-management requirements. | Check every current medication using the next year’s formulary and pricing tools. |
| Provider directory | Identifies providers and facilities listed in the plan’s network. | Recheck important doctors and hospitals even when the ANOC does not identify a specific network concern. |
A practical ANOC review from beginning to end
Confirm the plan and year
Make sure the notice belongs to you, identifies your exact plan and describes the correct upcoming plan year. Similar plan names may have different benefits.
Read the summary of important changes
Plans commonly place major changes near the beginning. Mark every change involving premiums, deductibles, copays, coinsurance, benefits or coverage rules.
Compare medical costs line by line
Review primary care, specialists, hospital stays, outpatient surgery, emergency care, ambulance services, diagnostic imaging, therapy, skilled nursing, durable medical equipment and the maximum out-of-pocket.
Recheck all prescriptions
Enter the exact drug name, dosage, quantity and refill frequency. Review drug tiers, deductibles, copays, coinsurance, preferred pharmacies, prior authorization, step therapy and quantity limits.
Verify doctors and hospitals separately
Do not assume that the absence of a network warning means every provider remains in network. Search the upcoming directory and confirm critical providers directly when possible.
Investigate extra-benefit details
Compare annual dollar limits, participating providers, frequency limits, approved products, vendors, rollover rules and eligibility restrictions.
Compare the renewed plan against alternatives
A change does not automatically mean you should leave, and an unchanged premium does not automatically mean you should stay. Compare total coverage—not one benefit.
Information to gather before comparing plans
Healthcare information
- Primary care doctor
- Specialists and surgeons
- Preferred hospitals and clinics
- Laboratory and imaging facilities
- Upcoming procedures or treatments
- Durable medical equipment suppliers
- Travel or out-of-area healthcare needs
Prescription information
- Exact medication names
- Dosage and form
- Quantity per refill
- Refill frequency
- Preferred local pharmacy
- Acceptable alternative pharmacies
- Mail-order preference
Also bring the ANOC, Medicare card, plan card, Medicaid or Extra Help information, and any employer, union, VA or TRICARE coverage details that could affect the recommendation.
Small-looking changes can create large expenses
Copay becomes coinsurance
A fixed dollar copay may become a percentage of the allowed cost, increasing uncertainty for expensive services.
Hospital cost structure changes
The plan may change from one admission copay to a per-day charge, or change how many inpatient days require cost sharing.
Medical maximum increases
Routine copays may look similar while the maximum possible annual medical exposure becomes substantially higher.
A drug moves to another tier
The medication may remain covered but become more expensive or subject to a deductible.
Pharmacy status changes
A pharmacy may remain in network but lose preferred status, producing higher prescription costs.
Benefit vendor changes
Dental, hearing, vision or allowance benefits may use a new network, catalog, administrator or card.
Prior authorization expands
Services may require additional plan approval even when the listed copay appears unchanged.
Allowance frequency changes
An annual or quarterly allowance may become monthly, with unused amounts expiring more often.
Eligibility becomes narrower
Some benefits may become limited to members with Medicaid, specified chronic conditions or other plan-defined eligibility.
Will your current Medicare plan automatically renew?
When the plan continues
If the plan remains available, you continue meeting its eligibility requirements and you make no change, enrollment will generally continue into the next year under the new benefits, costs and rules.
When the plan is ending
If the plan or contract is leaving Medicare or your service area, you should receive a separate nonrenewal or termination notice explaining your rights, deadlines and replacement options.
Ignoring the ANOC does not preserve this year’s benefits
If you remain enrolled, the plan’s January changes generally apply whether or not you opened the notice. Silence is effectively a decision to accept the renewed plan when automatic renewal is available.
What can you do during Medicare Open Enrollment?
If you have Medicare Advantage
- Remain in the current plan
- Switch to another Medicare Advantage plan
- Return to Original Medicare
- Join a standalone Part D plan when eligible
- Consider Medigap availability and underwriting before leaving
If you have a standalone Part D plan
- Remain in the current drug plan
- Switch to a different Part D plan
- Join an eligible Medicare Advantage plan
- Review how other drug coverage coordinates
- Avoid creating a gap in creditable prescription coverage
Do not cancel existing coverage prematurely
Joining a new Medicare Advantage or Part D plan generally coordinates the end of the old plan automatically. Do not cancel coverage on your own unless you understand the effect on medical, prescription, employer, retiree, union, VA, TRICARE or Medigap coverage.
Medicare ANOC FAQ
When should I receive my Medicare ANOC?
Medicare says plans should provide the ANOC by September 30. Contact the plan if it does not arrive, your address changed or you need the document in another accessible format.
Who receives an Annual Notice of Change?
People currently enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare prescription drug plans and certain other Medicare health plans receive annual plan-change information from their plan.
Does Original Medicare send an ANOC?
The ANOC discussed here comes from private Medicare Advantage and Part D plans. People with Original Medicare receive annual Medicare information through materials such as the Medicare & You handbook and official Medicare notices.
Is the ANOC the same as the Evidence of Coverage?
No. The ANOC emphasizes what is changing. The Evidence of Coverage is the longer document explaining the plan’s complete coverage, costs, procedures and rules for the upcoming year.
Does the ANOC list every doctor leaving the network?
Do not rely on the ANOC as a complete provider verification. Check the upcoming provider directory and confirm important doctors, hospitals and facilities under the exact plan.
What if my premium stays at $0?
The plan may still change medical copays, the maximum out-of-pocket, prescription costs, provider networks, prior authorization or extra benefits. Premium is only one part of the review.
Do I have to change plans after receiving an ANOC?
No. The notice is not a cancellation notice. If the renewed plan remains the best fit, staying can be appropriate. The goal is an informed decision rather than changing plans automatically.
What happens if I do nothing?
If the plan continues, you remain eligible and automatic renewal is available, your enrollment generally continues under the new plan-year terms. A plan termination or service-area change requires separate attention.
Can I change my plan after December 7?
Possibly. Medicare Advantage members have a separate Open Enrollment Period from January 1 through March 31, and some people qualify for Special Enrollment Periods. The permitted change depends on the enrollment period and individual circumstances.
Can I return to Original Medicare and buy Medigap?
Returning to Original Medicare does not always guarantee the right to buy any Medigap policy. Unless a guaranteed-issue or trial right applies, medical underwriting may be required. Investigate Medigap eligibility before leaving Medicare Advantage.
Should I review my plan even if I am satisfied?
Yes. A yearly review can confirm that staying is still reasonable and identify changes before they become January surprises.
Related Medicare guides
Do not let January be the first time you notice a change
Benjamin Thompson can review your ANOC, doctors, prescriptions, hospitals, benefits and expected costs before comparing the renewed plan with other available options. The goal is to confirm what actually fits—not change plans merely for the sake of changing.
Missouri: (417) 420-1807 | Illinois: (217) 661-2332