How Do I Read My Medicare ANOC Letter?

Every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan must send an Annual Notice of Change to its members by September 30. It is a plain listing of what will be different on January 1: premium, deductibles, copays, the drug list, pharmacies, and network rules. It arrives alongside or just before the Evidence of Coverage, which is the full rulebook, but the ANOC is the short document built for comparison.

The ANOC you receive in fall 2026 describes your plan for 2027. CMS announces final 2027 Medicare figures in late September 2026, so this letter is often your first real look at what next year will cost you. If yours never arrives, contact your plan and ask for it.

Start with the monthly premium and the plan's maximum out-of-pocket limit, since those set your best case and worst case for the year. Then check the drug pages closely. A single medication moving to a higher tier, or off the list entirely, can cost you more over a year than any premium change. For 2026, Part D deductibles can run as high as $615 before coverage starts and your out-of-pocket drug costs are capped at $2,100, so watch how your plan's numbers move for 2027.

Finally, look at the network sections: whether your doctors and hospital are still in network, whether your pharmacy is still preferred, and whether any of your services now require prior authorization. These lines change quietly and cause the most surprises in January.

The ANOC lands just before the annual enrollment period, which runs October 15 to December 7, 2026 for coverage starting January 1, 2027. If the changes work against you, that is your window to compare every plan available in your county and switch. If you do nothing, you are automatically renewed into the changed plan.

There are backstops. Medicare Advantage members can make one change between January 1 and March 31. And if a plan rated five stars is offered in your area, a special enrollment period running December 8 through November 30 lets you move to it during most of the year.