10/14/2026
Worthen Wednesday: The Annual Notice of Change ๐
โ๐ ๐ด๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐บ๐ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ป๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ก๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ. ๐๐ผ ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐?โ
I get it. By October, your mailbox is already overflowing, and a dense packet full of charts and fine print is easy to set aside for โlater.โ But this is one piece of mail Iโd gently ask you to move to the top of the pile.
Hereโs whatโs usually going on:
Itโs your planโs โhereโs whatโs changingโ letter. Medicare plans send the Annual Notice of Change (often called the ANOC) every fall. It spells out what will be different about your plan starting January 1. Plans can and do change from year to year, even if you didnโt change anything yourself.
The changes can hit your wallet. The ANOC covers things like your monthly premium, deductibles, and what youโll pay at the doctor or pharmacy. A plan that worked beautifully this year might cost more next year, or it might cost less. Either way, you want to know before January, not after.
Your prescriptions might be affected. Plans update their drug lists every year. A medication you take could move to a different cost tier, pick up new requirements, or come off the list entirely. This is one of the most common surprises I see in January, and itโs usually avoidable.
Doing nothing is still a decision. If you donโt make a change, youโll generally stay in the same plan next year, with all of its new costs and rules. That might be exactly right for you. The point is to choose it on purpose.
What do I do about it?
Open it up and look for the summary near the front. Most ANOCs include a side-by-side of this year versus next year. Check your premium, check your drugs, and check any benefits you use regularly. If something looks off or confusing, jot it down.
Timing matters here too. The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, and it starts tomorrow. Thatโs your window to make changes for next year if your plan no longer fits.
If that envelope has been sitting on your counter, thatโs not a failure on your part. Itโs a lot of paper and a lot of jargon. Reading it now still gives you plenty of time.
Have questions about whatโs in yours? Drop them in the comments or send me a message. No question is too small, and thereโs never any pressure.