Why an Annual Medicare Review Matters
Your Medicare coverage can shift every year. Plans change their premiums, deductibles, networks, and which drugs they cover. Reviewing your coverage before or during the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) — which runs October 15 through December 7 for Medicare Advantage and Part D plan changes — lets you check whether your current plan still fits your needs. Having your documents ready makes this process clear and quick.
Gather Your Current Plan Documents
Start by finding your Medicare card and your current insurance card(s). These show your plan names and member IDs.
Next, locate the paperwork your plans mailed to you this fall. Look for two key documents:
- Annual Notice of Change (ANOC): describes important changes to your plan's benefits, costs, and coverage for next year
- Evidence of Coverage (EOC): provides the full, detailed terms of your coverage
If your plan is not renewing for next year, review the non-renewal notice from your plan. All of these documents usually arrive in the mail each fall. You can also find them on your plan's website if needed.
List Your Current Medications
Write down every medication you take regularly. Include these details:
- Drug name
- Strength (for example, 10 milligrams)
- Dosage and frequency (how often you take it)
- Supply quantity and refill frequency (such as 30-day or 90-day supply)
- Your preferred pharmacy
Include both regular daily medications and any as-needed prescriptions. If you take insulin or other specialty medications, note those separately. If you're unsure of the exact strength, bring the pill bottles themselves.
Drug coverage changes year to year. This list helps you understand whether your medications will stay affordable under your current plan.
Prepare a Healthcare Provider List
Make a list of the doctors, specialists, hospitals, and pharmacies you use regularly. Include:
- Your primary care doctor
- Any specialists (cardiologist, dermatologist, therapist, etc.)
- Hospitals where you've received care
- Your regular pharmacy or pharmacies
Write down their names and locations. Plans change which providers they cover each year. Before choosing a plan for next year, verify that your doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies are included in that specific plan's network. Staying in-network usually means lower out-of-pocket costs. You can also confirm participation by calling your provider's office directly.
Gather Optional Medical Information
If it's helpful, collect a few recent medical bills. You can also gather Explanation of Benefits (EOB) statements. An EOB shows what a provider charged, what your plan paid, and what you may owe.
You don't need every bill from the year. Two or three that represent your typical care work fine.
These bills can show you in real numbers what you're actually spending. They may help you think through whether your plan's structure fits your actual care patterns.
If you've had any significant medical events in the past year, jot those down. This might include a hospital stay, surgery, or a new diagnosis. You don't need your full medical record. Just a brief note of what happened helps you think through whether your current plan covered it as expected.
Create Your Checklist
Here's what to gather before your annual review:
- Medicare card and current insurance card(s)
- Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) and Evidence of Coverage (EOC)
- Non-renewal notice (if applicable)
- List of current medications with strength, dosage, frequency, supply quantity, refill frequency, and preferred pharmacy
- List of regular doctors, specialists, hospitals, and pharmacies
Optional:
- A few recent medical bills or EOBs
- Notes on any significant medical events from the past year
You don't need everything perfectly organized. A folder with loose papers works fine. The goal is to have it all in one place so you can find what you need.
Ready for Your Review
Once you have these documents together, you're prepared to think clearly about whether your current plan still meets your needs. The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, with changes taking effect January 1.
An annual review doesn't always mean changing plans. If your current plan continues to meet your needs, keeping it may be the right choice for you.
Taking the time to organize this information puts you in control. You can ask questions about anything that feels unclear. You can compare what's changing to what you have now. Then you can decide what makes sense for you.