Start with your Annual Notice of Change

Your plan mails an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) by the end of September, so it should already be in your mailbox. It lists everything changing on your plan for 2027, including premiums, copays, deductibles, covered drugs, and which doctors are in network.

If you read it and you're happy with what you see, you don't have to do anything. Unless your ANOC says your plan is ending, your coverage continues automatically on January 1.

When it's worth a second look

A plan that fit you well last year can still fit you well this year. The time to compare is when something in your own life has changed, such as:

• A new doctor or specialist you want to keep seeing
• A new prescription, or a change in dose
• A new diagnosis or a change in your health

If your ANOC shows a higher copay, a new deductible or a reduced benefit, try not to panic. Changes like these are often happening across most plans in the market, not only yours, and a short conversation with your agent can show you how the industry is adjusting and whether a different plan would leave you better off.

Check your prescriptions

The yearly out-of-pocket cap on Part D drug costs goes from $2,100 in 2026 to $2,400 in 2027. Once you reach the cap, you pay nothing more for covered drugs for the rest of the year, so a higher cap means you could pay up to $300 more before that protection starts.

Plans also change which drugs they cover and which tier each drug sits on. If you take several medications, or one expensive one, compare what each plan would charge you for your exact list before December 7.

Be careful with ads and cold calls

From mid-October on, expect a steady stream of TV commercials, mailers and phone calls about Medicare. Many call centers are paid when they move someone into a new plan, and the person on the line doesn't know your doctors, your prescriptions or your history.

If a caller, an ad or even a friend suggests a different plan, talk to your own agent first. A good agent will put the new offer side by side with what you have now, so you can see what you'd gain and what you'd give up.

Plan for the cost of a hospital stay

On many Medicare Advantage plans, a hospital stay is one of the highest out-of-pocket costs you can face, because inpatient copays are usually charged per day. A stay of several days can add up quickly, right when you're least able to deal with bills.

A hospital indemnity plan pays you a set cash benefit when you're admitted. The money comes to you, and you can use it for those daily copays or for anything else you need while you recover, from groceries to rides home. For many people, it costs less than they expect, and it's one of the most practical ways to lower the financial risk of a hospital stay.

Let us take a look with you

Our licensed Medicare specialists at MyCarePro can review your ANOC with you, check your prescriptions against the 2027 plans we offer in your area, and put together a hospital indemnity quote at no cost and with no obligation. We can cover all three in one conversation, and if you help a parent with their coverage, you're welcome to join them.

Get started at mycarepro.net/medicare-2026, or call our office at (248) 581-4720.

We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.