Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC)?
The ANOC is a document your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan must send every year, before Annual Enrollment Period, summarizing changes to your coverage and costs for the coming plan year. It covers premiums, deductibles, copays, drug formulary changes, provider network changes, and benefit changes. Medigap plans and Original Medicare do not send an ANOC.
When should my ANOC arrive?
Plans are required to send the ANOC by September 30 each year. If you have not received yours by early October, call your plan's member services number (on the back of your card) or log in to the plan's website — the ANOC is usually available online as well.
What is the difference between the ANOC and the Evidence of Coverage?
The ANOC is a short summary of what is changing. The Evidence of Coverage (EOC) is the full legal description of your plan's benefits and rules for the new year. Read the ANOC first; use the EOC to look up details about anything that affects you.
What if my plan is leaving Medicare or my area?
Plans that will not renew must notify members, and you then have extra time to choose new coverage. If your plan is ending, you can pick a new plan during AEP (October 15–December 7), and a Special Enrollment Period applies in some situations. Call 1-800-MEDICARE or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) if you are unsure what your options are.
Do I have to do anything if the changes look fine?
No. If you are satisfied with the changes, your plan simply continues on January 1. Action is only needed if you want to switch. Even so, a quick Plan Finder comparison is worthwhile, because another plan may now cost less for your specific medications.
The ANOC is the single most useful piece of Medicare mail you will receive all year — and the one most often thrown away unread. It tells you exactly how your plan will differ on January 1. Reading it takes about 15 minutes and can prevent a costly surprise.
The Five Changes That Matter Most
- Monthly premium. Compare the new premium to what you pay now. Remember that a lower premium is not automatically better — look at the other four items too.
- Drug formulary and tiers. Look up each of your medications. A drug that moves to a higher tier, gains prior authorization or step therapy, or is removed from the formulary can cost far more than a premium change.
- Deductible and copays. Check the drug deductible, doctor-visit copays, specialist copays, and hospital cost-sharing.
- Provider and pharmacy network. Confirm that your doctors, hospital, and preferred pharmacy are still in the network. Call the doctor's office to verify — do not rely only on the plan's online directory.
- Extra benefits. Dental, vision, hearing, fitness, and over-the-counter allowances can change or shrink from year to year.
How to Read It Efficiently
Most ANOCs are organized as a side-by-side table: "2026" in one column, "2027" in the other. Go through the table with a highlighter and mark every row where the number changed. Then work through your medication list: for each drug, find its tier and any restriction codes (PA for prior authorization, ST for step therapy, QL for quantity limit) in the plan's 2027 drug list.
Red Flags That Mean You Should Shop Around
- A medication you take daily moved up a tier or now requires prior authorization
- A doctor you rely on is leaving the network
- Your preferred pharmacy lost its preferred status
- The premium rose noticeably and the benefits you actually use shrank
- You received a notice that your plan will not renew
What to Do Next
Once you have marked the changes, open Medicare.gov Plan Finder, enter your medications and pharmacy, and compare total estimated annual cost for your current plan against the alternatives. If another plan is clearly better for your situation, you can switch any time between October 15 and December 7. For unbiased help, your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) offers free counseling.
- Find your ANOC (it should arrive by the end of September) — call your plan if it hasn't
- Highlight every row where the 2027 number differs from 2026
- Check each medication's tier and restriction codes on the 2027 drug list
- Phone your doctors to confirm network status for 2027
- Run a Plan Finder comparison before December 7
→ What's Changing in Medicare for 2027
→ How to Use Medicare Plan Finder
→ Signs It's Time to Switch Plans