How to review your Annual Notice of Change
Fifteen minutes in September can save you a year of surprises.
If you're in a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, your plan must send you an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) by September 30. It lists what's changing on January 1: premiums, deductibles, copays, drug coverage and more.
Plans change every year. Reading the ANOC before Open Enrollment starts on October 15 is the simplest way to catch a change that affects you.
What to check
- Premium and deductible: what you'll pay before the plan starts paying.
- Your drugs: are they still covered, on what tier, and are there new prior authorization, step therapy or quantity limits?
- Pharmacies: is your pharmacy still in network, and still preferred?
- Doctors and hospitals (Medicare Advantage): are they still in network?
- Copays and coinsurance for services you use often.
- The out-of-pocket limit for the year.
- Extra benefits: were any dropped or reduced?
Then compare
Even if nothing in the ANOC worries you, compare your plan with others in the Medicare Plan Finder using your actual drug list. Total yearly cost, not premium, is the number to compare. Plans' star ratings for the coming year are published in October.
If you want to change
Make your change between October 15 and December 7. The last change you make by December 7 takes effect January 1. If you don't act, you'll usually stay in your current plan with its new terms.
Common questions
Call your plan and ask for it, or look for it on the plan's website. You can also compare the plan's new costs in the Medicare Plan Finder.
No. The ANOC comes from Medicare Advantage and Part D plans. Medicare announces Original Medicare's new premiums and deductibles each fall.
Want help with your own choices?
Every state runs a State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) with trained counselors who give free, unbiased Medicare help and do not sell plans. Find yours on our Medicare by state pages, or call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) (TTY 1-877-486-2048, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week).
Planning the rest of your coverage in retirement? We can help with life insurance later in life and final expense coverage.
Sources
- Joining a health or drug plan, Medicare.gov. Checked September 29, 2026.
- Costs for Medicare drug coverage, Medicare.gov. Checked September 29, 2026.
General information about the federal Medicare program, not advice about your situation. Figures are for 2026 unless stated and change every year; last reviewed September 29, 2026. Quote My Policy is a private company. Not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program.
Quote My Policy does not sell Medicare plans on this site. For plan-specific help, contact Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) (TTY 1-877-486-2048, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program.