Watch for Your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC)
From NOW until September 30, 2026, Medicare Advantage (MA), Medicare supplement (Medigap) and Medicare Part D (Rx) or stand-alone plan enrollees, will receive an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) letter from their insurance companies or company plan administrators notifying them of changes made to their 2026 healthcare insurance policies for plan year starting January 1, 2027.
ANOC letters inform you about any benefit changes or changes to premiums, deductibles, copays, coinsurance or out-of-pocket maximums. However, if your ANOC or another letter informs you that your plan is not being renewed or is being terminated effective December 31, 2026, you should read it carefully!
Why Should You Be Concerned?
In 2025, 1.6 million and in 2026, 2.6 million seniors’ insurance companies nonrenewed or terminated their MA, Medigap or Rx plans. UnitedHealthcare has announced that it expects to discontinue MA plans affecting 1.1 million seniors and Humana plans to shutter plans that will impact 600,000 seniors on January 1, 2027. Other healthcare insurers will most likely announce more terminations by September 30.
If your ANOC includes a nonrenewal or termination notice for a MA, Medigap or Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, it should also include Guaranteed Issue Right (GIR) and Supplemental Enrollment Period (SEP) notices required by federal law. This also applies to company sponsored healthcare plans that will be discontinued. The same rules apply if you move to another county or state and your current plan is not available there.
What are GIRs and SEPs?
A GIR prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage or overcharging an applicant for Medigap, MA or Part D policies, regardless of pre-existing health conditions. A SEP allows you to shop for the best deal possible for a replacement Medigap or MA or Part D plan (you can switch).
Keep in mind that a GIR is your “Golden Ticket”! It protects you from being denied coverage due to health conditions when shopping for a new plan and assures you of an opportunity to shop for a new plan, at best market prices available at your age. Without a GIR, you may not be accepted! A SEP provides you with a guaranteed time period that you have to shop for a replacement plan.
Healthcare insurance companies may say you do not need a GIR and SEP because it has another plan to offer you. For example, Humana’s Chief Financial Officer has stated it expects to “bring back” about 240,000 people in other plans from the 600,000 seniors whose plans will be dropped. This is called “cross-walking’ by the State Health Assistance Program (SHIP). Insurers must grant GIRs and SEPs.
If the ANOC Does Not Include GIR or SEP, What Can I Do About It?
If your plan will not continue in 2027 and your ANOC does not provide for a GIR and SEP, you should contact your healthcare insurance provider or company benefits staff immediately and request the GIR and SEP notification you are entitled to receive.
Demand a GIR from your local agent or insurance company, call State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) at 877-839-2675 or call Medicare direct at 800-633-4227. See your 2026 Medicare and You Book for contact numbers or read or download a copy.
If your healthcare insurance plan is not going to be renewed, you should go to Medicare’s “Find health and drug plans” to shop for the best deal you can get. The annual deadline for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to post 2027 plans and premiums on its website is October 1, ahead of the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period October 15 – December 7.
Check the NRLN website homepage at www.nrln.org on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month for the latest episode of the NRLN podcast 2026 series, Creating a Better Life for Seniors. The August 25 podcast will be our Medicare Enrollment episode.
Bill Kadereit, President
National Retiree Legislative Network
