2026 AEP Countdown
Begins on October 15
Chris Phillips
703-407-3363
chris@mpgroup.org
The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP)
What is the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP)?
The Annual Enrollment Period is the one time of the year that allows all Medicare enrollees to change their existing Medicare coverage. This enrollment period runs annually from October 15th – December 7th.
✓ Change from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan
✓ Switch from a Medicare Advantage plan to Original Medicare
✓ Switch from a Medicare Advantage plan to another Medicare Advantage plan
✓ Enroll in a Part D prescription drug plan
✓ Switch your Part D prescription drug plan
✓ Drop your Part D prescription drug plan
What is an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC)?
If you are currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage (Part C) or a stand-alone Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Part D), every September you will receive your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), which outlines any changes to your benefits for the upcoming year. You will receive this notification either by mail or email, depending on how you’ve agreed to receive plan communications.
✓ Change in your plan’s premiums, deductibles, copays and coinsurance
✓ Changes in network providers
✓ Changes in services areas
✓ Changes in Part D formulary, tier and cost-sharing
Schedule Your Annual Plan Review
Want to make changes to your Medicare benefits for 2027? Click below to schedule a meeting with me.
Frequently Asked Questions
All current Medicare Advantage (Part C) and stand-alone prescription drug (Part D) plan members should watch closely for the Annual Notice of Change, or ANOC, document from their current plan provider. Carefully review any changes to your current plan for the year ahead, watching for changes in costs (e.g., premiums, deductibles, cost-sharing amounts and annual maximums), as well as for changes to covered medications and participating providers. If you find that you may be impacted by changes to your plan, or if your health and prescription needs have changed since we last met, a plan review is recommended.
This enrollment period does not apply to Medicare Supplement (‘Medigap’) plans; we can discuss these plans with you throughout the year.
If you find that your current plan will continue to work well for you in the year ahead, then no action is needed – you will automatically remain in that plan for 2025 if you do not make a change. If you’d like to let us know that you won’t be making any changes, we’ll make a note of that so that we can stay up to date on your coverage.
If you find that you’d like to make a change to your coverage after 12/7, unfortunately you will have to wait; you will remain enrolled in your 2024 coverage in 2025, and you will not be able to make any changes until the next appropriate enrollment period arrives. Please contact us directly if this occurs, and we will help you determine when the next available enrollment period will open for the change that you’d like to make.
We would be pleased to assist you with any needed changes for the plans we represent, and doing so makes us your ‘agent’ for that coverage, at no additional cost to you, so that we can provide assistance with utilizing that coverage if needed. If you choose to make a plan change without working with us, unfortunately we will not have any ability to follow up on your enrollment, and we will not be authorized to provide guidance or assistance with that coverage in the year ahead.
During AEP you’re likely to see a large increase in Medicare marketing efforts, to include many phone calls from plan providers seeking your enrollment. While you will never actually receive a call from Medicare itself, you will likely receive many from callers representing Medicare plans, and they may catch and keep your attention with appealing features for which you may or may not be eligible. The best rule of thumb for handling these calls is to keep in mind that ‘if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,’ and we’d be happy to clarify whatever we can, with the goal that any changes you might make are thoroughly understood and intended.
Medicare Fraud and Scams
Unfortunately, Medicare scams are everywhere, especially during AEP. The best way we can protect you from them is through education and awareness. Click below for tips on how to protect yourself.
