Every September, Medicare plans mail an Annual Notice of Change. It is thin, it looks like junk, and it quietly tells you what your plan is doing to your premiums, copays and drug list next year. Here is how Clovis clients handle it.
Step 1: Find the Annual Notice of Change
It arrives by the end of September. Read the summary table at the front, which compares this year to next year. Look specifically at the drug tiers, the primary care and specialist copays, and the annual out of pocket maximum.
If a number moved and you do nothing, that new number is what you are agreeing to.
Step 2: Re-price your prescriptions
This is where almost all of the savings live. Drug formularies get rewritten every year, and a medication that sat on a low tier can jump two tiers without warning. We routinely find Clovis clients paying an extra $60 to $100 a month for no reason other than the calendar turning.
Bring your medication list and your preferred pharmacy. Pharmacy choice alone can change your annual cost meaningfully.
Step 3: Confirm your doctors for next year
Provider networks around Clovis, Fresno and the surrounding valley change contracts each year. Confirm your primary care physician, your specialists and the hospital you would use are all still in network on the plan for the coming year, not just the current one.
Step 4: Look at the benefits you actually use
Dental, vision, hearing and fitness allowances are the benefits carriers adjust most aggressively. If you use a hearing aid allowance or a dental schedule, compare those line by line rather than trusting the marketing.
- Dental allowance and what it covers beyond cleanings
- Eyewear and exam allowance amounts
- Hearing aid benefit, which can be worth thousands
- Over the counter and transportation benefits, if you use them
Step 5: Decide before December 7
Annual Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7. Any change you make takes effect January 1. Waiting until the first week of December means fighting hold times at every carrier, so early November is the comfortable window.
If you are already on a Medicare Advantage plan and change your mind, you get one more chance between January 1 and March 31 to switch plans or return to Original Medicare.
Step 6: Get a second set of eyes
A review with an independent local agent is free and takes under an hour. You get your drug list priced across every plan available in Fresno County, your doctors verified, and a plain answer on whether staying put is actually your best move. Often it is, and that is a fine outcome too.
Frequently asked questions
When is Medicare Annual Enrollment?
October 15 through December 7 every year. Changes you make take effect January 1.
What happens if I do nothing during Annual Enrollment?
Your current plan renews with next year's costs and drug list, including any increases described in your Annual Notice of Change.
Can I change my Medicare Advantage plan after December 7?
Yes. Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment runs January 1 through March 31 and lets you switch plans once or return to Original Medicare.
Want your own plan reviewed?
Free, local and no obligation. Serving Fresno, Clovis and the Central Valley.