Greetings!

The 2026 Annual Enrollment Period Is Here - Important Medicare Updates & Educational Resources

Fall is here and so is AEP. As we enter the Annual Enrollment Period, we are also celebrating over 40 years of serving the Olympic Peninsula. Thank you for your continued trust in KMi, we truly wouldn’t be here without you.

WHY YOU ARE RECEIVING THIS NEWSLETTER:

Inside, you will find key updates, details about our services during AEP and helpful resources to guide your Medicare decisions for the upcoming year.

Please note: we will not be offering stand alone Medicare Part D reviews again this year.

(See What’s Next and Our Services below for more information.)

General AEP information:

The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) is a critical time of year for anyone enrolled in Medicare. It runs from October 15 to December 7 annually and gives Medicare beneficiaries the opportunity to review and make changes to their current coverage. This is generally the only time of year you can make changes to Part D drug plans.

Even if you are satisfied with your current coverage, it's essential to review your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). This document outlines any updates to your benefits, provider network, or prescription drug coverage for the upcoming year—so you can avoid surprises and stay informed.

During this time, Medicare beneficiaries can:

Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan
Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another
Enroll in or switch Part D prescription drug plans
Drop Medicare Advantage and return to Original Medicare

Any changes made during AEP will take effect January 1 of the following year.

Important Note for Medicare Supplement Policyholders

If you currently have a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy, it's important to know that AEP does not apply to switching Medigap plans—you can apply to change these plans at any time of year. Please note that premium rates adjust annually, and timing varies by carrier.
That said, if you're considering leaving a Medigap plan to join a Medicare Advantage plan, you can make that change during AEP. Just be sure to wait until your new Medicare Advantage coverage is active before canceling your Medigap policy.

✔ Let’s talk through your options, timing, and any underwriting considerations to make sure you're making the best move for your situation.

What's Next and Our Services

IMPORTANT: Follow these steps to review your Part D Drug Plan or Medicare Advantage Plan:

1. Join an Educational Webinar: Learn about 2026 changes and ask questions live!

This year, we’ve partnered with Jefferson Healthcare to bring you:

Medicare 101 events
AEP 2026 educational webinars

AEP 2026 Webinar Dates

Find the links on our website. Please join early, space for attendees is limited and if you are not able to get in, plan to join on the next available date.

Click here to visit our website for our event calendar with links to the AEP 2026 Webinars and to view our full schedule of events.

Why join the webinars?

Live Q&A: Ask questions in real time and get answers from experienced professionals, as time permits
Learn how to use medicare.gov for Prescription Drug Plan changes
Empowered decision-making: Know when to switch plans, the key reasons for changing your plan, and how to avoid common pitfalls

We are also offering a select number of in-person, formal sales events focusing on Devoted Health's Medicare Advantage plans, please see our event calendar for dates, time, and location.

2. Review your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) package, which you will receive via mail OR electronically depending how you have elected to receive information from the carrier directly, on or around October 1st. This notice contains important information including:

A summary of covered medications (drug formulary). You can view the complete formulary on the carrier’s website.
Changes to plan benefits, premiums, co-pays, coinsurance, deductible & pharmacy network
Whether your plan is continuing, changing, or being discontinued

Evaluate your current plan – You may want to switch if:

Your drug has changed formulary tiers
Your drug is no longer covered
You are strongly dissatisfied with your 2025 plan
Your plan is discontinued or mapped to a more expensive plan
Your pharmacy network has changed

Tip: For Medicare Advantage Plans, confirm your providers are still in-network.

3. Medicare Advantage Plans: Please contact our office for an appointment if you currently have a Medicare Advantage plan and want to make changes, or you are interested in enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan.

4. Prescription Drug Plans: If you have identified that you would like to review or enroll in a different Stand Alone Part D Drug Plan, you can use these valuable resources for a drug plan review and enrollment. Our office will not be offering stand alone Medicare Part D reviews during AEP.

Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)
Go to Medicare.gov
SHIBA - https://www.insurance.wa.gov/insurance-resources/medicare/get-free-medicare-help-shiba/find-local-shiba-office

Last year brought the biggest changes to Medicare Part D since 2006:

Elimination of the coverage gap
$2,000 out-of-pocket cap on drug costs
Introduction of the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan

Carriers are responding with fewer plan options, premium increases and changes to agent compensation. We operate our Medicare business on commissions paid by insurance companies, hence, we never charge Medicare beneficiaries for our services, in accordance with CMS guidelines.

As we schedule AEP appointments, priority will go to Medicare beneficiaries who are losing coverage due to service area reductions and focusing on education during this short 7-week window.

If you have:

Reviewed our newsletter
Reviewed your ANOC
Attended one of our AEP 2026 webinars

And you still have questions – please give our office a call!

Office phone: 360-385-4400

CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) Compliance Reminder:

As of October 1, 2023, we are required to:

Record all phone calls with Medicare beneficiaries
Disclose: We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.

We look forward to continuing to serve your Medicare insurance needs in the year ahead!