AEP

Your 5-Step AEP Checklist Before October 15

Annual Enrollment (Oct 15 – Dec 7) is the one time each year almost everyone with Medicare can make a change. Here's exactly what to review — before an agent, a mailer, or a TV ad tells you what to think.

1. Re-read your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC)

Every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan mails this in September. It quietly lists changes to your premium, deductible, and drug formulary for next year. Most people never open it.

2. Recheck your medication list against the plan's formulary

Formularies shift every year — a drug that was Tier 2 this year could jump to Tier 4 next year. Pull your current medication list and compare it line by line, or have an advisor do it with you.

3. Confirm your doctors and hospital are still in-network

Networks narrow more often than people expect. If you have a specialist you'd hate to lose, verify — don't assume.

4. Compare total cost, not just premium

A $0 premium plan can still cost more overall once you factor in deductibles, copays, and out-of-pocket maximums. Look at the full picture for your actual usage, not the sticker price.

5. Talk it through with someone who isn't selling you anything

This is the step most people skip — and the one that matters most. A ten-minute conversation with an agency-neutral advisor catches things a mailer never will.