The Annual Notice of Change and Medicare Open Enrollment: a family checklist
By the Folkswise team · Updated · 4 min read · How we write these guides
Fall brings a wave of Medicare mail. Most of it is advertising. One letter actually matters: the Annual Notice of Change from your parent's current plan.
The Annual Notice of Change (ANOC)
If your parent has a Medicare Advantage plan or a Part D drug plan, the plan must send an Annual Notice of Change by September 30. It explains what changes on January 1: premiums, deductibles, copays, which drugs are covered and which doctors and pharmacies are in network.
- Are your parent's doctors and hospitals still in the network?
- Are their prescriptions still covered, and at what cost?
- Did the premium, deductible or out-of-pocket maximum change?
Key dates
- Medicare Open Enrollment: October 15 – December 7. Changes start January 1.
- Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31, for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan (one change).
Free, unbiased help
Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) offers free one-on-one counseling from people who don't sell insurance: shiphelp.org. You can also compare plans with the Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE.
Be wary of anyone who calls offering to “help” and then pushes a specific plan, or asks for your parent's Medicare number. Folkswise explains the notices, but we don't recommend specific plans.