An Annual Notice of Change, or ANOC, is the letter your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan sends every September explaining what will change on January 1. Reading it is the first step to knowing whether your plan still fits.
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Quick Answer
An Annual Notice of Change is the document your Medicare Advantage or Medicare Part D plan sends each fall explaining what will change about your coverage on January 1 of the following year. Medicare says members should receive it in September.
It may show changes to:
Compare your ANOC with your current coverage to see whether the plan will still meet your medical, prescription, and financial needs. Changes can be made during the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, October 15 through December 7, for coverage beginning January 1. CMS specifically encourages members to review both their ANOC and their Evidence of Coverage each year.
The Real Question
Read through it with your own situation in mind — not just the plan's summary. Here's what to look at first.
Check whether your monthly premium is going up, whether deductibles or copays are increasing, and whether the plan's maximum out-of-pocket limit has changed.
Confirm your primary doctors, specialists, and preferred hospitals are still in the plan's network, and that your pharmacy is still a preferred partner for the lowest drug prices.
Check whether your regular medications have moved to a higher-cost tier, and look closely for any drug being dropped from coverage entirely.
Look for reductions in dental, vision, or hearing allowances, and check whether OTC allowances are decreasing for the coming year.
If You're Comfortable With the Changes
If the changes still work for your budget, doctors, and prescriptions, your plan will renew automatically for January 1. No action is required.
If Costs Are Rising or Coverage Is Shrinking
A licensed agent can go through your ANOC with you and compare it against other options available in your ZIP code.
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Scans your ANOC as soon as it's available, flags rising premiums, deductibles, or copays, and checks your prescriptions against the new drug list.
Checks that your doctors and specialists are still in-network and that your preferred pharmacy is still offering the lowest drug prices.
Compares your changed plan against other Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement options available in your ZIP code, and explains whether staying or switching makes sense — with no pressure to enroll.
Common Questions
Bring your ANOC to a quick, no-pressure review. We'll go through what's changing and whether your plan still fits.
No charge for the plan review. No obligation to enroll.
Benefits, formularies, provider networks, and plan rules vary by carrier, plan, and county and are subject to annual change. Lehigh Partners does not offer every plan available in your area. Not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program.
