Like the first tree to turn color in the fall, the Annual Notice of Changes, also known as the ANOC, is the first sign of the season – Annual Enrollment season, that is. Reviewing and understanding this important document is the first step in making sure you get the coverage you need from your Medicare plan next year.

1. What is your Medicare plan’s Annual Notice of Changes?

If you have a Medicare Advantage, Cost or Drug plan, the Annual Notice of Changes (ANOC) tells you about Medicare changes that will take effect Jan. 1, impacting your current plan benefits and costs.

The ANOC makes reviewing your plan simple so you can determine if it’s still meeting your needs. This will help you decide if you want to stick with your current plan, make changes to your coverage or switch between plans during the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period.

Changes to premiums, covered services and costs

Medicare is always changing. That’s why each fall, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announces adjustments to plan costs and coverage for the following year. Depending on your Medicare plan, this may affect your:

• Premium (the amount you pay each month)
• Deductible (the amount you pay before your plan kicks in)
• Copay (a flat fee that you pay for each service)
• Coinsurance (as opposed to a flat fee, this is a percentage you have to pay for each service)
• Maximum out-of-pocket cost (the most you’ll have to pay for covered expenses in a given year before your plan begins to pay 100 percent, including your deductible, copays or coinsurance)

This announcement can also include new services that will be covered, services that will no longer be covered and changes to coverage of existing benefits.

Changes to drug coverage

If you have Medicare Part D (prescription drug) coverage, your plan’s drug list (formulary) will most likely change as new medicines are added and certain medicines are moved to a different cost tier or removed from the list. Stay up to date on drug formulary changes so you know what your plan covers and how much you’ll pay for medicines.

Changes to your provider and pharmacy network

You’ll want to make sure your doctor, hospital, pharmacy and other health care providers are still on the list of providers your Medicare plan will help pay for (network). Your ANOC will most likely say that there are changes, but you’ll have to check your plan’s provider and pharmacy directories to find out exactly what changed. Your ANOC packet will include information on how to access the directories online or how to order a paper copy.

2. When does the ANOC arrive?

You should receive your ANOC from your plan in the mail, via email or however else a plan chooses to make this information available by Sept. 30. Key dates include:

3. What should you do when you get your ANOC?

To prevent surprises in January, you should review your ANOC and understand the changes being made to your plan. If you have a friend or family member who’s had problems with their current plan, check with them to see if they need help understanding the changes.

• Review the benefit and cost changes and contact your plan if you need help understanding what the changes mean to you.
• Check the drug formulary to make sure the drugs you’re currently taking are listed and what costs apply to the assigned drug tier.
• Check the provider and pharmacy directories to make sure your doctor and pharmacy are still in your plan’s network.
• If you decide your current plan no longer meets your needs, contact the plan to see if they have other options that may be a better fit. Also, you can visit medicare.gov and use the Medicare Plan Finder to compare plans available in your area.
• Contact your plan to sign up for paperless delivery of your ANOC and save a tree!