Overview
- Annual Notice of Change packets and the Medicare & You handbook should be arriving now and list specific plan changes such as new premiums, dropped providers, and changes to drug coverage.
- The limited enrollment window that lets people switch Medicare Advantage or Part D plans opens soon and choices made during that period generally set coverage and costs for the entire next calendar year.
- CMS will publish final Part A and Part B deductibles and the Part B premium later in the fall, while Social Security COLA and IRMAA letters arriving after that will fix beneficiaries’ exact net premiums and surcharges.
- If a plan issuer sends a non‑renewal or termination notice at any time, beneficiaries typically get a Special Enrollment Period to choose replacement coverage instead of waiting for the regular window.
- Beneficiaries should compare options on Medicare Plan Finder, review Medicare Summary Notices or EOBs for billing errors, and sign up for my Social Security or Medicare online accounts to receive notices sooner and act before enrollment ends.