Before You Make Any Changes
Every fall, Medicare beneficiaries get a window to change their coverage for the year ahead — the Annual Enrollment Period, running October 15 through December 7. It’s easy to feel like you need to make a decision fast, but the plans that serve you best usually come from a few unhurried steps rather than a rushed comparison the night before the deadline.
Here’s a step-by-step way to work through AEP 2026 without missing anything important.
1. Read Your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC)
If you’re already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, your carrier mailed you an ANOC in September. It spells out exactly what’s changing about your specific plan for the coming year — premium, deductible, copays, and any changes to your provider network or drug formulary. This is the single most important document to read before deciding whether to stay put or shop around.
2. List Every Medication You Take
Write down each prescription, including dosage and how often you fill it. Formularies change every year, and a drug that was on a low tier this year could move to a higher tier — or off the list entirely — next year.
3. Confirm Your Doctors Are Still In-Network
Networks shift constantly. Don’t assume your cardiologist or primary care doctor is still contracted with your plan just because they were last year.
4. Decide What Matters Most to You This Year
Is it a low premium? Comprehensive dental and vision? Predictable copays for regular specialist visits? Your priorities can shift year to year as your health changes, and it’s worth pausing to name them before you start comparing plans.
5. Compare Total Costs, Not Just Premiums
A plan with a $0 premium isn’t necessarily cheaper once you factor in deductibles, copays, and coinsurance for the services you actually use. For a deeper walkthrough on this, see our guide on how to compare Medicare Advantage plans during AEP.
6. Check the Plan’s Star Rating
CMS rates Medicare Advantage and Part D plans annually on a five-star scale covering quality and member satisfaction. It’s not the only factor to weigh, but it’s a useful cross-check.
7. Ask About Extra Benefits
Many Medicare Advantage plans include benefits beyond what Original Medicare covers — things like dental, vision, hearing, or an over-the-counter allowance. Confirm what’s actually included for the coming plan year, since these extras can change annually too.
8. Understand the Enrollment Deadline
AEP runs October 15 through December 7. Changes made during this window take effect January 1. Miss it, and your next opportunity in most cases won’t come until the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period in January, which has more limited options.
9. Avoid Common AEP Mistakes
It’s worth reviewing our post on 5 Medicare mistakes to avoid during AEP before you finalize anything — a surprising number of enrollment regrets come from the same handful of avoidable errors.
10. Talk It Through With a Licensed Agent
You don’t have to work through all of this alone. A licensed agent can walk through your specific medications, doctors, and budget with you over the phone and help you understand your options without any pressure to enroll in a particular plan.
Give Yourself Time
AEP can feel like it sneaks up every year, but working through even a few of these steps ahead of time — starting with your ANOC and medication list — puts you in a much stronger position to make a confident decision by December 7.
Ready to Talk Through Your Options?
Have questions? Schedule a free review with Kayla Price, a licensed insurance agent at Price Services Group. Call 866-648-1578 or visit priceservicesgroup.com/schedule. For the full step-by-step version of this checklist plus current AEP 2026 dates and Plan Year 2027 changes, see our AEP 2026 review guide.
Price Services Group, LLC is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program. NPN: 18530055 | Agency NPN: 20387435