An annual review does not obligate you to change plans. If your current coverage remains your best clinical and financial option, Sarah explicitly advises keeping it.
Sarah Owens
Independent Insurance Specialist • NPN #22361652
NIPR Verified • 16+ Top-Rated Carriers
"Personalized solutions, trusted carriers, and peace of mind for your future—built by comparing 16+ top-rated insurers side-by-side."
When an Annual Review makes the most sense.
Insurance carriers modify benefits, copayments, and provider directories every January. Address your exact situation:
Received September ANOC Notice
Dissecting carrier letters detailing upcoming premium changes, deductible hikes, or benefit reductions taking effect in January.
Doctor or Hospital Dropped Network
Checking whether your primary care physician, specialists, or local hospital system dropped off your plan’s directory.
Prescription Formulary Reclassifications
Reviewing whether your daily maintenance medications were moved to higher copay tiers or subjected to prior authorization.
Out-of-Pocket Cost & MOOP Increases
Auditing increases in specialist copayments, inpatient hospital daily charges, or higher Maximum Out-of-Pocket ceilings.
Relocated to a New Nationwide County
Moving to a new residential address creates a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) to update your service area plan.
Considering Returning to Medigap
Evaluating whether to switch from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare and Medigap, reviewing underwriting requirements.
The Annual Enrollment Period ends December 7 at midnight.
If your plan increased copayments, dropped your primary doctor, or changed prescription tiers, December 7 is the absolute deadline to submit plan adjustments for January 1. Call Sarah directly to audit your options before the window closes.
Comprehensive ANOC forensic review.
We review the fine print of your September carrier notice line by line:
Direct verification that your primary care physician, specialists, and regional hospital systems remain contracted in-network for January.
Auditing tier shifts, new prior authorization mandates, and quantity limits across your exact medication list for the upcoming plan year.
Evaluating increases in specialist copays, daily hospital inpatient charges, and the plan’s Maximum Out-of-Pocket (MOOP) threshold.
Checking whether flex cards, over-the-counter grocery credits, or comprehensive dental allowances were scaled back for next year.
What happens if you do not review.
Medicare plans rely on beneficiary inertia. Failing to review can create major surprises:
If you take no action, you are automatically re-enrolled in the altered plan on January 1, accepting all new copayments, deductibles, and network changes.
If your doctor terminated their contract with your carrier and you did not check, you could face 100% out-of-pocket costs on HMO plans in January.
A daily maintenance medication moved from Tier 2 (generic) to Tier 3 or 4 can easily increase your monthly pharmacy costs by hundreds of dollars.
Once the enrollment period closes, you cannot switch plans until the following October unless you qualify for a special circumstance or MA-OEP.
How your Annual Medicare Review works
A structured 5-stage roadmap that analyzes your ANOC letter, audits doctor networks, models next-year prescription costs, and confirms renewal or transition.
Audit
Review your September Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), updated prescription inventory, and current priority healthcare providers.
Benchmark
Cross-reference newly released plan-year offerings across top Nationwide insurers, checking doctor directories and drug formularies.
Validate
Calculate total projected annual spending—factoring premiums, copays, deductibles, and MOOP limits. If staying put is best, Sarah says so.
Execute
If switching, submit CMS-compliant application before the Dec 7 deadline with electronic Scope of Appointment; if keeping, verify renewal.
Defend
Ensure new ID cards are active for January 1, monitor first-fill prescription copays, and utilize the MA-OEP window if adjustments are needed.
Step into January with total coverage confidence.
Work directly with licensed independent specialist Sarah Owens. We review your coverage objectively so you never get caught off guard by plan changes.
What to have ready for your review
Having these details organized allows Sarah to audit your upcoming plan changes and benchmark alternatives immediately:
- 1Current Plan Member ID Card: Existing carrier name and member identification number.
- 2Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) Letter: Notice mailed by your insurer in September detailing upcoming January modifications.
- 3Complete Up-to-Date Medication Dossier: Brand/generic drug names, milligram strengths, and monthly refill frequencies.
- 4Priority Doctor & Specialist List: Clinic addresses and healthcare systems for all treating physicians.
- 5Medicare Red, White & Blue Card: Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) if a carrier transition is selected.
Supported Medicare organizations
Sarah Owens Insurance is contracted and appointed with top-rated Medicare Advantage, Medigap, and Part D carrier partners nationwide:
Aetna
Mutual of Omaha
Transamerica
Aflac
Americo
Corebridge Financial
Sarah Owens
Independent Insurance Specialist
Personalized Solutions. Trusted Carriers. Peace of Mind for Your Future.
Choosing the right life insurance, annuity, IUL, supplemental health, or Medicare strategy shouldn't mean navigating a high-pressure call center or settling for a single company's rate sheet.
As an independent, NIPR-verified Insurance Specialist (NPN #22361652), Sarah Owens compares 16+ top-rated insurance and financial companies side-by-side—including F&G Annuities & Life, Foresters Financial, Athene, Transamerica, Mutual of Omaha, National Life Group, Corebridge Financial, Americo, Ethos, Ladder, TruStage, Aflac, Aetna, AIG, and John Hancock Vitality—to design protection around your family's exact goals and budget.
Frequently Asked Questions About Annual Review
Key facts about AEP, MA-OEP, the ANOC notice, and plan renewal rules.
Do I have to change my Medicare plan every year?
No. If your current Medicare Advantage or Part D plan continues to cover your doctors, includes your medications on affordable tiers, and maintains reasonable copayments, you can keep your coverage. However, reviewing your ANOC is critical to prevent unexpected changes.
What is the difference between AEP (Oct 15 – Dec 7) and MA-OEP (Jan 1 – Mar 31)?
The Annual Enrollment Period (Oct 15 – Dec 7) is open to anyone on Medicare to switch Advantage plans, enroll in Part D, or return to Original Medicare. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (Jan 1 – Mar 31) is strictly for people already enrolled in an Advantage plan to make one single switch or return to Original Medicare.
Can I change Medigap policies during the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period?
The October 15 – December 7 period primarily governs Medicare Advantage and Part D plans. It does not provide a universal right to switch Medigap policies without medical underwriting. Nationwide, switching Medigap outside open enrollment generally requires passing health underwriting.
What should I look for in my Annual Notice of Change (ANOC)?
Carefully review four primary areas: changes to monthly premiums, increases in medical or drug deductibles, changes to doctor and hospital networks, and reclassifications of your medications to higher formulary tiers or new prior authorization rules.
What happens if I miss the December 7 deadline?
If you miss the December 7 deadline, your current plan choices are generally locked in for the upcoming calendar year, unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (such as moving) or are currently on Medicare Advantage and can utilize the Jan 1 – Mar 31 MA-OEP.
Make keeping or changing coverage an informed decision.
Bring your ANOC notice and questions. Sarah will audit your provider networks, medication formularies, and next-year costs. Leave with a concrete plan and total peace of mind.