Back to Learning CenterHow-To

What to Review Every Year

3 min readPlain-English guide

A 10-minute yearly check-up to make sure your plan still fits — Annual Enrollment is October 15 – December 7.

Medicare plans change every year. So does your health, your medications, and the drugs on each plan's formulary. A quick yearly review can save you hundreds — or thousands — of dollars.

When to review: Every year between October 15 and December 7 (Annual Enrollment Period). Changes take effect January 1.

What to check — it takes 10 minutes:

1. Did your premium go up? Insurance companies change premiums every year. Open your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) — the packet they mail in September — and look for changes.

2. Did your drugs change tiers? Plans shuffle formularies every year. A drug that was Tier 1 this year could be Tier 3 next year, doubling or tripling your cost.

3. Are your doctors still in-network? For Medicare Advantage, network changes are common. Confirm each doctor you see is still covered for the next year.

4. Did your health or medications change? If you started a new prescription, your current plan may not be optimal anymore.

5. Is there a better plan available? New plans launch every year. Check your full set of options — not just your current plan's renewal offer.

Good news: Reviewing your options doesn't change your coverage. You stay on your current plan unless you actively choose to switch. You can compare freely and decide at the end.

Have questions about your specific situation?

A licensed advisor can walk you through your options in plain English — for free, with no obligation.

Get Free QuotesCall 855-255-6512
Keep Learning

Related guides

How-To

How to Compare Plans

A simple checklist for comparing Medicare Supplement, Advantage, and Part D plans apples-to-apples.

Read Guide
Basics

Medicare Basics

A plain-English overview of the four parts of Medicare and what each one covers.

Read Guide
Plan Comparison

Supplement vs. Advantage

The single most important Medicare decision — compared side by side, in plain language.

Read Guide

Ready to see your options?

Get personalized plan comparisons for your ZIP code in under 2 minutes.

Get My Free QuotesSchedule a Free Call

SeniorPlanFinder.com is operated by Direct to Consumer Insurance Services, LLC and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Government or the federal Medicare program. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all your options.