How to read your Annual Notice of Change before October 15
Every September your plan mails a document that explains next year's changes. Five minutes with the right pages can save you hundreds of dollars.
Priya RamanLicensed advisor, south and west side. September 10, 2026, 6 min read
If you are in a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, an envelope labeled Annual Notice of Change should arrive by September 30. Most people set it aside. It is worth ten minutes, because it lists exactly how your costs and coverage will change on January 1, and you only have until December 7 to act.
Start with the summary table
The first few pages include a chart comparing this year and next year for the monthly premium, deductible, maximum out-of-pocket amount, and common copays such as primary care, specialists and emergency room visits. Circle any row where next year's number is higher.
Pay close attention to the maximum out-of-pocket amount. A jump of $1,000 or more is common in some years and matters most if you had a hospital stay or ongoing treatment this year.
Check the drug section line by line
The ANOC summarizes changes to the formulary, but it will not list your specific drugs unless your plan sent a personalized letter. Look for these changes:
- A drug moving to a higher tier, which can double or triple its copay.
- A drug being removed from the formulary entirely.
- New prior authorization, step therapy or quantity limit requirements.
- Changes to the deductible or which tiers the deductible applies to.
- Changes to your preferred pharmacy network, especially at grocery chains.
Confirm your doctors are staying
The ANOC will not tell you if your doctor is leaving the network. Provider contracts are often finalized in late fall, so call your doctor's office in October and ask a precise question: are you contracted with this plan, by name, for next year?
Hospital systems in Indianapolis have occasionally renegotiated contracts with carriers late in the year. If your care depends on one system, confirm it directly.
Look at the extras you actually use
Dental maximums, hearing aid allowances, over-the-counter benefits and fitness memberships change often. If you were planning dental work or new hearing aids, verify next year's allowance and whether the dental network is changing vendors.
Decide: stay, switch, or ask for help
If nothing important changed, you do not have to do anything. Your coverage renews automatically. If something did change, compare plans using the Medicare Plan Finder or with a licensed advisor, starting October 15 when the Annual Enrollment Period opens.
A good comparison looks at total estimated yearly cost, including premiums, drug costs at your pharmacy and your likely copays, rather than the premium alone. It also confirms your doctors and hospitals for the new year.
Bring the ANOC to your review
When clients bring their ANOC and a current medication list to our fall review, the appointment takes about half as long. We rerun your drugs across every plan we offer, flag network changes, and, when your current plan is still the right fit, tell you so. About a third of our fall reviews end with no change at all.
This guide is general education, not individual advice. Figures are samples; confirm current amounts at Medicare.gov. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program.
