YOUR ANNUAL NOTICE OF CHANGE (ANOC) IS COMING — HERE'S WHAT TO LOOK FOR

If you're on a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, keep an eye on your mailbox. By the end of September, every plan is required to send its members an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) — a document that spells out exactly what's changing about your plan for the upcoming year.

What's actually in an ANOC? Your ANOC will cover things like

• Monthly premium changes
• Deductible and copay/coinsurance changes
• Changes to your maximum out-of-pocket (MOOP) limit
• Provider and pharmacy network changes
• Prescription drug formulary changes (which drugs are covered and at what tier)

It's easy to toss this in a pile of mail, but please don't. Even if you're happy with your current plan, an ANOC can quietly bring changes that affect your doctors, your medications, or your monthly costs — and by the time you notice at the pharmacy counter in January, it's too late to switch.

A separate — and bigger — issue this year: plan terminations

Every year, some Medicare Advantage and Part D plans are discontinued or non-renewed by their carriers, either in specific counties or entirely. This is different from an ANOC. If your specific plan is being terminated, you'll receive a separate non-renewal notice, typically by early October, rather than (or in addition to) a standard ANOC. If you receive a termination notice, make sure to save this, as it will be needed if you apply to enroll in a Medicare Supplement plan (see below).

If your plan is being terminated, here's what it means for you:



• You'll be granted a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) to choose a new plan — you are not simply left without coverage. This SEP will generally last until February 28, 2027 but we recommend making a decision for your 2027 plan no later than December 31—and preferably by the end of the Annual Enrollment Period which ends December 7.

• If you don't actively pick a new plan, you may be automatically defaulted into Original Medicare, or in some cases a similar plan from the same carrier — which may not be the best fit for your needs. This will occur as of January 1, 2027 unless you make an election to enroll.

• If your Medicare Advantage plan is terminating, you’ll generally be given the right to enroll in a Medicare Supplement plan without having to pass medical underwriting.

We mail notices scheduled to arrive on or shortly after October 1 from our Send Out Cards program to all members we know are being affected by a plan termination.

What to look out for when your notice arrives:

1. Read the first page carefully — it will tell you plainly whether your plan is continuing, changing, or ending.

2. Check your doctors and hospitals — confirm they're still in-network.

3. Check your medications — look for formulary or tier changes that could raise your costs.

4. Compare the premium, deductible, and MOOP (maximum out-of-pocket limit) to this year's numbers.

5. Don't assume "no news is good news." If you're unsure what a notice means, contact us, preferably before the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) closes on December 7th.

If your ANOC arrives and you're not sure what it means, give us a call at 561-734-3884 before you do anything else.

WHEN CAN MARKETING START FOR 2027 PLANS — AND WHAT IS AEP?

Every fall, there's a specific rhythm to how Medicare marketing and enrollment work, set by CMS's (Medicare) marketing guidelines. Here's how the calendar breaks down for the 2027 plan year.

When marketing can begin

Plans and licensed agents are permitted to begin marketing 2027 plan benefits starting October 1, 2026. Before that date, agents and carriers can hold general educational events and answer questions, but they can't yet present specific 2027 plan details, compare plan benefits, or take enrollment applications for the new plan year.

That creates a short window — October 1 through October 14 — where you may start seeing next year's plan information and can begin meeting with an agent to talk through your options, but no enrollment can actually be processed yet. Think of it as a head start: a good two weeks to research and ask questions before the enrollment window officially opens.

What is AEP, and when does it happen?

The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) runs October 15 through December 7 each year. This is the one period, available to every Medicare beneficiary, where you can make enrollment changes for coverage that takes effect January 1 of the following year.

What you can do during AEP:

• Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan (with or without drug coverage)

• Switch from a Medicare Advantage plan back to Original Medicare

• Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to a different one

• Switch from one Part D prescription drug plan to another

• Enroll in a standalone Part D plan for the first time

• Drop your Part D coverage altogether

A couple of important details: you're allowed to make more than one change during AEP if you change your mind, but only the last change you make before December 7 is the one that actually takes effect on January 1. And whatever you decide, coverage changes made during AEP always start January 1 — there's no way to make them effective sooner.

What to actually do during this window:

1. Start early, if you can. Review your ANOC as soon as it arrives. Use the October 1-14 window to start comparing your options before the rush. Be on the lookout for your copy of Medicare & You 2027. The appendix will contain short summaries of Medicare Advantage Plans, Medicare Special Needs Plans, Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, and any PACE plans available in your general geographic area.

2. Compare, don't just renew. As covered in the ANOC article above, plans change every year — premiums, formularies, and networks are all worth a fresh look.

3. Meet with a licensed agent. There's no cost to you, and a side-by-side comparison takes the guesswork out of it.

4. Confirm your doctors and medications are covered under any plan you're considering before you switch.

5. Make your decision before December 7. Once AEP closes, your next opportunity to make a broad change won't come until the next AEP — outside of a few limited situations, like Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment (January 1–March 31) or a Special Enrollment Period if you qualify.

If you'd like to get ahead of the rush, I'm happy to schedule your review for early October, before AEP officially opens. I’ve emailed Retire Flo surveys to all clients with email addresses. If you’ve submitted a survey to us, we’ll be in contact with you early in October to review your survey results. 

AEP IS SCAM SEASON TOO — HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF

Every fall, Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7) brings a flood of legitimate mail, calls, and ads — and unfortunately, it also brings out scammers hoping to take advantage of the confusion. With ANOCs, plan terminations, and premium changes all landing in mailboxes around the same time, this is exactly the kind of season scammers count on.

Common scams to watch for:

• Robocalls or callers claiming to be "from Medicare" asking you to "verify" your Medicare number, Social Security number, or bank information. Medicare will never call you out of the blue asking for this.

• "Free gift" or gift card offers in exchange for enrolling in a plan on the spot. Federal rules strictly limit what agents can offer as an incentive — anyone offering something valuable to sign up immediately is a red flag.

• Door-to-door or high-pressure sales tactics pushing you to enroll before you've had a chance to compare plans.

• Fake "new Medicare card" calls asking for a fee to issue you a replacement card. Medicare cards are always free.



• Unsolicited requests for your Medicare number from anyone claiming to represent a plan you didn't contact first.

How to protect yourself:

• Only work with your existing agent, a licensed agent you contacted, or one referred to you by someone you trust.

• Never give your Medicare number, Social Security number, or bank details to someone who called you unsolicited.

• Take your time — no legitimate plan or agent needs an answer from you in the next five minutes.

• If something feels off, hang up and call us, your plan directly, or 1-800-MEDICARE to verify.

• To report suspected fraud, contact the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) at 1-877-808-2468 — they specialize in exactly this.

As your agent, there's never a cost to you for working with me, and I'm always happy to be the first call you make before making any decision — especially if something doesn't feel right. My job is to help you compare your options clearly, without pressure.

About Paul Cholak

Paul is a licensed, independent health and life insurance agent and has over forty years of benefits experience and specializes in helping Medicare beneficiaries obtain health insurance. However, he offers a complete array of life and health insurance products to individuals of all ages.

He guides Medicare beneficiaries through the steps of getting insurance and is available to help clients both BEFORE and AFTER they've made their purchase decision.

Disclaimer for Part C and D plans: "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 or 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY: 1-877-2048) to get information on all your options."

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