Most people don’t pay much attention to what’s in the mail these days, but each September, those on Medicare should be on the lookout for an ANOC!

Each August and September, most insurance carriers send out an “Annual Notice of Change”, or ANOC, letter. It usually arrives by mail, and in rare cases by e-mail, followed by a mailed letter. This notice details any plan changes for the year ahead starting in January, and in recent years, it’s rare that a Medicare plan has no changes at all.

Regardless of whether you have a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy or a Medicare Advantage plan, changes usually come. However, the amount and severity of those changes depend on your plan type, where you live, and various company, market, and use factors that vary by insurer.

This letter matters because you and your care team decide whether to switch to a new insurance plan or stay where you are during the upcoming Annual Enrollment Period. It’s also important to us to know which plan you are on, what they want to change, and what is important to you that is changing and driving your need to explore other options.

So be on the lookout for this letter in our mailbox usually before September 30th each year. If you don’t receive it by then, contact your carrier or us to confirm it was sent and what might have happened, and to understand what to expect from that letter. We are always available to guide you through this letter and beyond: