Medicare Corner
Common Open Enrollment Notices
cost and coverage that will take effect January 1 of the next year. The ANOC is typically mailed with the plan’s Evidence of Coverage (EOC), which is a booklet that details the plan’s cost and benefits for the upcoming year. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan or Part D plan and do not receive these notices, you should contact your plan. Review these notices to see if your plan will continue to meet your health care needs in the following year. If you are dissatisfied with any upcoming changes, you can make changes to your coverage during Medicare’s Open Enrollment. Here are three types of changes to look for: • Find out what you can expect to pay for services in 2026. Costs such as deductibles and copayments can change each year. For example, your plan may not have a deductible in 2025, but it could have one in 2026. • Check to see if your doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers and pharmacies will still be in network for 2026. Plan networks can change each year, which means your doctor may not be in your plan’s network for 2026. • Look through the plan’s formulary. The formulary is the list of drugs the plan covers. Formulary changes can happen from year to year, meaning your drug may not be covered in 2026 even though it was covered in 2025. Make sure your drugs will still be covered next year. If they are not, then you may want to select a different drug plan that covers all
of your drugs. If the formulary is incomplete, or you do not see your drug(s) on the list, contact the plan directly to learn more. What notices will I receive if I am enrolled in Extra Help? Extra Help is a federal program that helps pay your prescription drug costs if you have limited income and assets. There are many notices people with Extra Help may receive starting in September, depending on the situation. Contact your local SHIP for more information.
What is Medicare’s Open Enrollment?
Medicare’s Open Enrollment occurs each year from October 15 through December 7 . During Open Enrollment, you can make changes to your Medicare coverage. In most cases, this period is the only time you can pick a new Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. Even if you are satisfied with your current health and drug coverage, Open Enrollment is the time to review what you have and compare it with other options in your area to make sure that your current coverage is still best for you in the coming year. What is the Medicare & You handbook? The Medicare & You handbook is mailed to all Medicare households each September. The handbook in- cludes information on Medicare bene- fits, frequently asked Medicare ques - tions, and any changes to Medicare coverage. If you don’t receive your Medicare & You handbook, call 1-800-MEDICARE to request that a copy with information for your area be sent to you. Why are my ANOC and EOC important? The Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) is the notice you receive from your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan in late September. This notice gives a summary of any changes in the plan’s
What is a notice of creditable coverage? If you are enrolled in a prescription drug plan through your or your spouse’s current or former employer, you should receive a notice from your employer or plan around September of each year, informing you if your drug coverage is creditable. Creditable means that the coverage is as good as or better than the standard
Page 6 | September & October 2025, Never Too Late
Pima Council on Aging
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