Help your older parent read the 2027 Medicare Annual Notice of Change by comparing each new cost, benefit, and rule with the current plan. The Annual Notice of Change, or ANOC, explains what will change when the new plan year begins. A parent enrolled in a Medicare health or drug plan should receive this notice in September. The changes take effect in January 2027, according to Medicare's ANOC guidance.
Official resources:
- Open Enrollment — Use this page to review requirements and register directly.
- Plan Annual Notice of Change — Use this page to review requirements and register directly.
Table of Contents
- Start with the side-by-side changes
- Match the notice to your parent's actual needs
- Turn plan language into dollar examples
- Decide whether to keep or change the plan
- Get help when the notice is missing or difficult to read
Start with the side-by-side changes
The most useful parts of the ANOC compare 2026 plan terms with 2027 terms. Review each table or summary slowly, marking changes that could affect your parent's care or budget.
Check these items first: Do not judge a change by its size alone. A small increase in a frequently paid copayment may matter more than a larger increase tied to care your parent rarely uses.
- Monthly premiums
- Annual deductibles
- Copayments and coinsurance
- Covered benefits
- Prescription drug coverage
Match the notice to your parent's actual needs
Make a separate list of your parent's prescriptions, pharmacies, doctors, hospitals, and expected care. Then use that list to test whether the changed plan still works in practice. For medicines, compare every current prescription with the 2027 drug information.
Also check the pharmacy rather than assuming that drug coverage settles the question. Some plans cover prescriptions only through in-network pharmacies, while preferred in-network pharmacies may charge less, as Medicare explains in its pharmacy guidance. For health care, check each doctor and hospital your parent wants to keep using. Medicare's comparison tool can estimate out-of-pocket costs, check provider networks, retain drug and pharmacy lists, and show quality and customer-service ratings.
Turn plan language into dollar examples
Translate each relevant change into a simple before-and-after comparison. For example: "This visit costs one amount in 2026 and a different amount in 2027," or "This medicine has a new deductible or cost-sharing rule." Focus on likely use, not every possible service.
If your parent expects regular appointments, recurring prescriptions, or planned care, calculate how often the changed charge could apply. Keep premiums and care costs separate while reviewing them. A plan with a manageable premium can still become less suitable if frequently used services, medicines, or providers become more expensive or harder to access.
Decide whether to keep or change the plan
If the changes remain acceptable, your parent generally does not need to take enrollment action. Existing coverage continues automatically, and the announced costs and benefits begin January 1, 2027. If the plan no longer fits, Medicare Open Enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7, 2026.
During that period, your parent may switch or drop Medicare Advantage or drug coverage, with a timely choice taking effect January 1, 2027, according to Medicare's Open Enrollment guidance. Changing from Medicare Advantage to Original Medicare requires extra care. Your parent may need a separate Part D drug plan, and Medigap enrollment opportunities are restricted. A Medigap policy that is dropped usually cannot be recovered, so investigate that issue before ending coverage.
Get help when the notice is missing or difficult to read
Contact the plan if the ANOC does not arrive in September. Request another copy early enough to review it before Open Enrollment ends.
For language assistance, call 1-800-MEDICARE and request an interpreter. Medicare provides interpreter help 24 hours a day, seven days a week except certain federal holidays; TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048, according to Medicare's language assistance information.