Every fall, your Medicare Advantage or standalone Part D plan mails you an Annual Notice of Change, the document that tells you how your costs and coverage shift on January 1. It's the one piece of mail people set aside and then regret ignoring when a January copay or a dropped drug catches them off guard. This guide walks through what the Annual Notice of Change shows, how it differs from the Evidence of Coverage that arrives with it, and what to actually do once you've read it.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Plan Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 24, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/basics/forms-publications-mailings/mailings/costs-and-coverage/upcoming-plan-changes
What the Annual Notice of Change is
If you're enrolled in a Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan or a standalone Medicare Part D drug plan, your plan is required to tell you each year how it will change for the coming year. It does that through the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), the fall summary of every cost and coverage change that takes effect on January 1.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Plan Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 24, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/basics/forms-publications-mailings/mailings/costs-and-coverage/upcoming-plan-changes
One point clears up a common confusion: only Medicare Advantage and standalone Part D plans send an ANOC. If you have Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) without a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, you won't receive one. Your annual update instead comes through the Medicare & You handbook that Medicare mails each fall.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Plan Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 24, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/basics/forms-publications-mailings/mailings/costs-and-coverage/upcoming-plan-changes
The ANOC is a summary, not the full rulebook. It lays out the differences between your plan this year and your plan next year, side by side, so you can see at a glance what's moving. Those changes take effect on January 1. The kinds of things it covers include:Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Plan Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 24, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/basics/forms-publications-mailings/mailings/costs-and-coverage/upcoming-plan-changes
- Your monthly premium, deductible, and copays or coinsurance.
- The drug formulary, meaning which medications the plan covers and what tier each one sits on.
- The provider and pharmacy network, including whether your doctor or pharmacy is staying in the plan.
- Extra benefits, such as dental, vision, hearing, or over-the-counter allowances, that the plan may add, change, or drop.
CMS requires the ANOC to reach current enrollees by September 30, and the plan must also post it on its website by October 15. That timing is deliberate: it lands before the Medicare Open Enrollment Period, also called the Annual Election Period, so you have time to read it and act if you need to.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Plan Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 24, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/basics/forms-publications-mailings/mailings/costs-and-coverage/upcoming-plan-changes
How the Annual Notice of Change differs from the Evidence of Coverage
The ANOC rarely shows up alone. It usually arrives alongside a second, much thicker document: the Evidence of Coverage (EOC). People sometimes glance at the heft of the EOC, assume the whole packet is too dense to bother with, and put it all away. That's the mistake, because the two documents do very different jobs.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Plan Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 24, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/basics/forms-publications-mailings/mailings/costs-and-coverage/upcoming-plan-changes
The Annual Notice of Change is the short summary of what's changing. The Evidence of Coverage is the long, detailed reference that explains exactly what the plan covers, how much you pay for each service, and the rules for getting care. Think of the ANOC as the "what's different this year" document and the EOC as the "everything about how this plan works" document.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Plan Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 24, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/basics/forms-publications-mailings/mailings/costs-and-coverage/upcoming-plan-changes
For an annual review, the ANOC is where you start. It's built to be read quickly. You only need to reach for the EOC when the ANOC flags a change you want to understand in full, or when you have a specific question about how a benefit works.
What to check in your Annual Notice of Change
When you open the ANOC, you're answering one question: does this plan still fit my life next year? Work through it with your own situation in front of you, checking each category the notice reports.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Plan Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 24, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/basics/forms-publications-mailings/mailings/costs-and-coverage/upcoming-plan-changes
| What the ANOC shows | What to check |
|---|---|
| Next year's premium, deductible, and cost sharing | Whether the new monthly and out-of-pocket costs still fit your budget |
| The drug formulary for next year | Whether each medication you take is still covered, and on what tier (a drug moving to a higher tier usually means a larger copay or coinsurance at the pharmacy) |
| The provider and pharmacy network | Whether your doctors, specialists, and pharmacy are staying in network |
| Extra benefits being added, changed, or dropped | Whether a benefit you rely on, like dental or vision, is changing |
| Whether the plan is being discontinued | Whether you need to choose a new plan to keep coverage |
Pull out your list of prescriptions and your regular doctors, and read the ANOC against them, not in the abstract. Here's the thought process on a typical year. Suppose your ANOC shows two changes: your monthly premium ticks up a little, and one prescription you take moves from a lower tier to a higher one. For the premium, multiply the monthly increase by 12 to see the real yearly cost; a couple of dollars a month is rarely worth switching plans over. The tier change is the one to price out, because a drug jumping a tier can add real money to every refill. Look up the new tier's copay in the same ANOC, multiply by how often you fill that prescription, and weigh that against what a different plan would charge on the Medicare Plan Finder. The point of the review is to catch the changes that affect you specifically.
One change deserves special attention: if the ANOC says your plan won't be offered next year, that's not optional reading. A discontinued plan means you'll need to pick a new one during Open Enrollment to keep the coverage you're counting on.
What to do after you read it
Once you've gone through the ANOC, you'll land in one of two places.
If the plan still fits, you do nothing. As long as your plan is being offered again next year and you're satisfied with the changes, you stay enrolled automatically. There's no form to sign and no box to check. This is worth saying plainly, because people sometimes assume they have to re-enroll every year, and they don't.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Plan Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 24, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/basics/forms-publications-mailings/mailings/costs-and-coverage/upcoming-plan-changes
If the plan no longer fits, you switch during the Medicare Open Enrollment Period, which runs October 15 to December 7. During that window you can move between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage, change Part D drug plans, or pick a different Medicare Advantage plan. Whatever you choose takes effect January 1, the same day your current plan's changes would have.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Open Enrollment. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 23, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/open-enrollment To compare your options, use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov/plan-compare, where you can enter your drugs and pharmacies and see how plans stack up on total cost. If you'd rather not use the online tool, you can call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and a representative can walk you through your options.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Plan Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 24, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/basics/forms-publications-mailings/mailings/costs-and-coverage/upcoming-plan-changes Each plan's Star Ratings, which measure quality and member experience on a 1-to-5 scale, also show up on the Plan Finder and can help you weigh one plan against another.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Medicare Health and Drug Plans Receive Star Ratings - CMS press release. cms.gov. Retrieved Jun 24, 2026, from https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/high-quality-care-medicare-beneficiaries-continues-medicare-health-and-drug-plans-receive-star
If you miss the December 7 deadline, your options narrow. People already in a Medicare Advantage plan get a second, more limited window, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, from January 1 to March 31, during which they can make one change.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Open Enrollment. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 23, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/open-enrollment For the full set of windows and how they interact, see the enrollment periods guide.
If your plan is the one being discontinued, that can feel unsettling, especially if you've been with it for years and it's worked well for you. The reassuring part is that you have a route to replacement coverage: losing a plan to non-renewal opens a Special Enrollment Period, so you can choose a new plan outside the regular windows if you need to, and the enrollment periods guide explains how that works.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Open Enrollment. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 23, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/open-enrollment
What to do if your ANOC never arrives
If it's early October and nothing has come, don't assume your plan is unchanged. Because the ANOC is due to you by September 30, a missing one is worth chasing down before Open Enrollment is underway. Check your mail and any spam folder if you get plan documents by email, then confirm your plan has your current mailing address. Your plan also posts the ANOC on its website by October 15, so you can read it there. If you still can't find it, call your plan's member-services number on the back of your insurance card, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) for help.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Plan Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 24, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/basics/forms-publications-mailings/mailings/costs-and-coverage/upcoming-plan-changes
The mistake to avoid
The single most common Medicare-coverage surprise is entirely preventable. Someone keeps the same plan year after year, never opens the ANOC, and then in January discovers their copay jumped, a medication dropped off the formulary, or their doctor is no longer in network. By then Open Enrollment has closed, and they're often stuck with the plan until the next window.
The fix takes maybe twenty minutes once a year. When the fall mail arrives, find the ANOC, read it against your own prescriptions and doctors, and decide whether to stay or switch before December 7, when Open Enrollment closes. That habit is the difference between choosing your coverage and being surprised by it.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Open Enrollment. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 23, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/open-enrollment
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Annual Notice of Change arrive?
CMS requires your plan to get the ANOC to you by September 30, and to post it on the plan's website by October 15. That timing is deliberate, so it reaches you before the Medicare Open Enrollment Period that runs October 15 to December 7 and gives you time to compare plans if you want to switch.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Plan Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 24, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/basics/forms-publications-mailings/mailings/costs-and-coverage/upcoming-plan-changes
What should I do if I never received my ANOC?
If it's early October and your ANOC hasn't arrived, check your mail and any email spam folder, then make sure your plan has your current mailing address. Your plan also posts the ANOC on its website by October 15, so you can read it there. If you still can't locate it, call your plan's member-services number on the back of your insurance card, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Plan Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 24, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/basics/forms-publications-mailings/mailings/costs-and-coverage/upcoming-plan-changes
Do I have to re-enroll in my plan every year?
No. If your plan is offered again next year and you're satisfied with the changes in the ANOC, you stay enrolled automatically. You only need to take action if you want to switch to a different plan or if your current plan is being discontinued.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Plan Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 24, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/basics/forms-publications-mailings/mailings/costs-and-coverage/upcoming-plan-changes
What's the difference between the ANOC and the Evidence of Coverage?
The Annual Notice of Change is a short summary of what's changing in your plan for next year. The Evidence of Coverage is the longer, detailed document that explains exactly what the plan covers, what you pay, and the rules for getting care. Start with the ANOC; reach for the EOC when you need the full detail on a specific benefit.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Plan Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 24, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/basics/forms-publications-mailings/mailings/costs-and-coverage/upcoming-plan-changes
What if my plan is being discontinued?
If the ANOC says your plan won't be offered next year, you'll need to choose a new plan during Open Enrollment to keep coverage, and a non-renewal also opens a Special Enrollment Period so you can act outside the regular windows. You can compare your options on the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov/plan-compare or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Open Enrollment. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 23, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/open-enrollment
Learn More
Find personalized help reviewing your Medicare plan's annual changes at brevy.com.
The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.