Watch Out for your ANOC!

Written by David Sharpe, SHIBA Volunteer for Whidbey Island

 

What is an ANOC? Is that some kind of scary monster? No, it stands for the Annual Notice Of Change mailed by your Medicare Part D plan or Medicare Advantage Plan. This is a VERY IMPORTANT document usually mailed in September, but often thrown out as junk mail. During the next few months we will be entering Medicare Open Enrollment, so insurance companies will flood your mailbox with advertising – but it’s important to watch for anything from your current insurance company. Keep in mind that some insurers have gone paperless – so watch your email (including Spam folders) for this notice.

Once you receive your ANOC, read it carefully. This is a required notice from your insurance company advising you of any changes in price or coverage. Insurers may add or reduce services, drop plans, raise (or lower) prices, add or take away certain drugs from their list of covered meds, etc.

Medicare Open Enrollment occurs each year from Oct 15 to Dec 7th. This is your best opportunity to make changes, such as enrolling in a different Medicare Advantage Plan or Part D plan for drug coverage. Any changes take effect on Jan 1 AFTER Open Enrollment has already closed. This means you may remain stuck your old Part D plan even if your costs have gone up. If you’re in a Medicare Advantage Plan you will still be able to make changes from Jan1 to Mar 31, but many clients who have not read their ANOC may not know about policy changes in time to meet this deadline.

Once you’ve read through your ANOC, head over to www.medicare.gov/plan-compare to see what plans are available next year. (This will be updated during Open Enrollment to show next year’s plans, but you can always take look at it now to get familiar with the site.) Compare prices and coverage and even sign up for a new plan online (during Open Enrollment.) You can also call SHIBA anytime at (360) 321-1600 for a free appointment with one of our trained volunteers to help you make sense of all of this.

 

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Watch Out for your ANOC!

By David Sharpe, SHIBA Volunteer for Whidbey Island

 

What is an ANOC? Is that some kind of scary monster? No, it stands for the Annual Notice Of Change mailed by your Medicare Part D plan or Medicare Advantage Plan. This is a VERY IMPORTANT document usually mailed in September, but often thrown out as junk mail. During the next few months we will be entering Medicare Open Enrollment, so insurance companies will flood your mailbox with advertising – but it’s important to watch for anything from your current insurance company. Keep in mind that some insurers have gone paperless – so watch your email (including Spam folders) for this notice.

Once you receive your ANOC, read it carefully. This is a required notice from your insurance company advising you of any changes in price or coverage. Insurers may add or reduce services, drop plans, raise (or lower) prices, add or take away certain drugs from their list of covered meds, etc.

Medicare Open Enrollment occurs each year from Oct 15 to Dec 7th. This is your best opportunity to make changes, such as enrolling in a different Medicare Advantage Plan or Part D plan for drug coverage. Any changes take effect on Jan 1 AFTER Open Enrollment has already closed. This means you may remain stuck your old Part D plan even if your costs have gone up. If you’re in a Medicare Advantage Plan you will still be able to make changes from Jan1 to Mar 31, but many clients who have not read their ANOC may not know about policy changes in time to meet this deadline.

Once you’ve read through your ANOC, head over to www.medicare.gov/plan-compare to see what plans are available next year. (This will be updated during Open Enrollment to show next year’s plans, but you can always take look at it now to get familiar with the site.) Compare prices and coverage and even sign up for a new plan online (during Open Enrollment.) You can also call SHIBA anytime at (360) 321-1600 for a free appointment with one of our trained volunteers to help you make sense of all of this.