Your Medicare Plan Letter Just Arrived: What to Check for 2027

If you have a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, you should have received a thick envelope from your insurance company by the end of September. It's called the Annual Notice of Change, or ANOC. Many people set it aside without opening it.

Please don't. That letter explains how your plan will change on January 1, 2027. If you do nothing, you'll stay on your plan with those changes, whether they work for you or not.

Here are the five things that matter most.

1. Your monthly premium

Check whether your premium is going up, going down, or staying the same.

2. Your maximum out-of-pocket

This is the most you would pay for covered medical care in a year. If you had high medical expenses this year, or expect to, this number could matter more than the premium.

3. Your deductibles

Look for both a medical deductible and a drug deductible. A plan that had no deductible this year may add one for 2027.

4. Your copays

Look at what you'll pay for doctor visits, specialists, and your prescriptions. Drug copays are listed by tier, so a medication you fill every month could cost more next year even if nothing else about your plan changes.

5. What the numbers don't show

Premiums, deductibles, and copays are only part of the picture. How a plan actually treats you matters just as much: how quickly claims get paid, how often care needs approval first, and whether someone helpful answers when you call. None of that is in your letter, but it can make a bigger difference in your year than a few dollars on paper. I can help you better understand these elements.

Why this matters in the Treasure Valley and throughout Idaho

Here, it often comes down to which health system your doctors belong to. Many local plans work closely with one system or the other, so a network change can mean losing access to a doctor you've seen for years, even if everything else about your plan stays the same.

The dates to know

October 1: Plan details for 2027 become available to compare.

October 15 to December 7: Annual Enrollment Period. This is when you can switch Medicare Advantage or Part D plans.

January 1, 2027: Your new plan, or your current plan with its changes, takes effect.

If you're happy with what's in your letter, you don't need to do anything. If something changed that concerns you, you can switch plans anytime from October 15 through December 7.

Not sure what something in your letter means?

That's what I'm here for. I'm Mitch Lyman, a licensed independent Medicare broker based in Meridian, and I've helped Treasure Valley residents with their Medicare choices since 2018. I can go through your letter with you, check your drugs and doctors, and let you know whether your plan still fits.

There's no cost to you for my help. I meet clients in their homes or at a local library, and I can also help by phone or video anywhere in Idaho.

Call or text (208) 963-0333 before December 7th.