What is the Annual Notice of Change and what should I review each fall?
Last updated Jul 19, 2026
Reviewed by Jason Burns, Editorial Steward
Published by Senior Direct Answers · Licensed under Citation License 1.0
The Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) is the document your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan must get to you by September 30 each year describing how the plan will change on January 1. Review the premium, deductible, and copay/coinsurance changes, the drug formulary (is each of your drugs still covered and on what tier), pharmacy and provider network changes, and any benefit additions or cuts. If you don't like the changes, you can switch plans during Medicare Open Enrollment, October 15 through December 7. Virtually everything in the ANOC - premiums, formularies, networks - changes every year.
What the government has said, on the record
“MA organizations and sponsors may send the ANOC separately from the EOC but must send the ANOC for enrollee receipt by September 30”
— William N. Parham, III, Director, Division of Information Collections and Regulatory Impacts, CMS, Federal Register notice, "Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request" (CMS Medicare Advantage/Part D ANOC and EOC information collection, FR Doc. 2025-14479), 2025-07-31 (source)
Editor's note: FLAGGED source type: not testimony - this is a signed Federal Register notice over the name of a named CMS official (permitted fallback; no named-official testimony discussing the ANOC was found in hearing records). Quote is administrative/regulatory wording, not a beneficiary-facing statement. No dollar figures.
Who said this
William N. Parham, III — Director, Division of Information Collections and Regulatory Impacts, CMS (current).
Also asked as
- What is the Annual Notice of Change and what should I review each fall — plain answer
- Definition of the Annual Notice of Change and what should I review each fall.
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Last verified: 2026-07-18