Medicare Minute: Common Fall Open Enrollment Notices

In the month or two leading up to Medicare’s Open Enrollment that runs from October 15 to December 7, expect some important letters about your Medicare! These notices will tell you how your coverage and costs are changing next year. During this Medicare Minute, you’ll learn what to look out for in these notices so that you can evaluate how well your coverage will meet your needs in 2025. For details and a quick reference guide, a handout by the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is available for download.

Common Open Enrollment Notices include:

• Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) and Evidence of Coverage (EOC) – sent to people who have a Medicare Advantage Plan or Part D plan, look for any changes to the plan’s provider network, costs, and formulary (list of drugs)
• Medicare & You Handbook – sent to everyone enrolled in Medicare, it includes information about Medicare-covered services and lists Medicare Advantage Plans and Part D plans in your area
  • If you did not receive a Medicare & You handbook, you can call 1-800-MEDICARE to request that your region’s copy be sent to you.
• Plan Non-Renewal Notice – you will receive this notice in October if you are enrolled in a plan that is leaving the Medicare program in the coming year
• Consistent Poor Performance Notice – you will receive this notice in late October if you are enrolled in a plan that has received a low rating for three or more years in a row and is sent to encourage you to look at other plan options in your area

Reminder to Read Your Medicare Statements

It is important to read your Medicare statements especially during Open Enrollment as you may be switching plans.

You should receive Medicare Summary Notices (MSNs) if you have Original Medicare (You can also review your MSNs on your online Medicare.gov account).

You should receive Explanation of Benefits (EOBs) if you have a Medicare Advantage Plan or Part D plan.

MSNs and EOBs provide a summary of the services and items you have received and how much you may be billed for them. Remember that MSNs and EOBs are not bills. If you need help reviewing your Medicare statements, you can contact your local SHIP or Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP). 

Reading your MSNs and EOBs is an important strategy for detecting potential Medicare fraud, errors, or abuse. Keep the following tips in mind:

• Review yours or your loved one’s Medicare statements as soon as they arrive.
• Keep notes of your medical appointments and compare these to your statements to ensure that your MSN or EOB is accurate.
• Confirm that everything listed on the statement is accurate—in other words, that you actually received all listed services or items.
• Contact your health care provider or plan if you have any questions or notice any mistakes on your MSNs or EOBs.
• Contact the SMP for a My Health Care Tracker (helps you keep track of your appointments) or to receive assistance on how to read your Medicare statements.

For more help, contact your local SHIP, also known as SHINE in Florida (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders). Call 866-413-5337 or email shineinfo@aaaswfl.org.

Contact your local SMP if you receive any notices or Medicare statement charges that seem suspicious. SMP representative can teach you how to spot and protect yourself from potential Medicare fraud, errors or abuse. Your local SMP can be reached at 66-413-5337 or by emailing shineinfo@aaaswfl.org.

The Medicare Rights Center is the author of portions of the content in these materials but is not responsible for any content not authored by the Medicare Rights Center. This document was supported, in part, by grant numbers 90SATC0002 and 90MPRC0002 from the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living policy. [July 2024]