Ah, the cooler fall breeze is here. The leaves are changing color. ‘Tis the season for…Open Enrollment! I know that is what you were all thinking about: What to do during Open Enrollment, besides a spectacular fall color tour, of course. Many people are intimidated by the Medicare.gov website. Even logging on can feel complicated. Then there is the confusion of how to input the information correctly to be able to compare plans.
Selecting a plan is a very individualized process. Your friend or even your spouse may have a plan that works beautifully for them. They might love their plan, but the same one might be a disaster for you. You may have a different doctor or a specialist that isn’t in network, or you may have a different combination of medications that aren’t covered well or at all. “I’ll have what he or she is having” might, but won’t always, work for you, and what might have been great in 2025 may change so much that it is no longer great for you in 2026.
Every year, insurance companies negotiate coverages, copays, premiums, even their preferred pharmacies. Many will change some or all these elements. Your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) for either your Part D – Prescription Drug Plan or a Part C – Medicare Advantage Plan should have arrived by September 30. It’s an important document. If you haven’t received it or can’t find it, call the number on the back of your card to get one.
Your ANOC makes it easy to see what changes will occur in your plan on January 1. That can occasionally be an announcement that your plan is ending and another needs to be selected. So, please read it to avoid a gap in coverage. Take a close look at how the upcoming changes will affect you, and if you don’t like what you’re seeing, call us.
Free and unbiased Medicare counselors are available to assist you through the State Health Insurance Program (SHIP). They can help you review your plan and ensure you are still on the best plan for your individual needs. You don’t have to make any changes, but it is best to ensure that you review your plan every year.
NOTE: Changes to Part D – Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) coverage can only be made during Open Enrollment, October 15-December 7. However, Part C – Medicare Advantage plans can be changed during the MA Open Enrollment which runs January 1 – March 31. This also helps if you enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan and you find that you don’t like it, or that your doctor decided to no longer participate with that brand. It’s a second chance to make a change.
We have helped clients who have not made any changes for years. We’ve found plans that saved them hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars! It’s worth your time to check, and we’ll do all the work for you.
Call 1 (800) 803-7174 to schedule your free appointment today!
Funding for this article is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS or the U.S. Government.