Sep 212 min read

What is an Annual Notice of Coverage?

Dear Marci,

When speaking to my insurance company, I was told to look out for an Annual Notice of Coverage in the mail. Can you tell me more about this?

- Sara (Greenville, SC)

Dear Sara,

An Annual Notice of Coverage (ANOC) is sent out by your Medicare Advantage Plan or Part D plan, and provides information about changes to your coverage in the upcoming year. It’s usually sent out around September, since it can help you decide if you want to make changes to your coverage during Medicare’s Fall Open Enrollment period, which runs from October 15th to December 7th.

There are three kinds of changes to look for in an ANOC:

Changes to your plan’s costs like premiums, deductibles, and copays.
Changes to the plan’s network that might affect coverage for your current providers and pharmacies
Changes to the plan’s formulary that might affect coverage of your current drugs or their prices.

After you’ve read about the changes to your coverage coming up in the new year, you can decide if your plan will still meet your needs or if you’ll want to change it during Fall Open Enrollment. If you haven’t received your notice by September 30th, contact your plan to request a copy.

I hope that helps!

-Marci

HEALTH TIP

During the summer months, and in parts of the country that are higher temperatures year round, older adults are at a significantly increased risk for hyperthermia, the name for heat-related illnesses.

Hyperthermia can include heat stroke, heat edema (swelling in your ankles and feet when you get hot), heat syncope (sudden dizziness after exercising in the heat), heat cramps, and heat exhaustion.

The National Institute on Aging makes these suggestions for avoiding hyperthermia:  

Stay indoors on particularly hot or humid days.
Drink plenty of liquids and wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothes in natural fabrics.  
If you do not have a fan or air conditioner, go somewhere else that is cool. A local senior center may provide a cooling center, or you can go to a public air-conditioned place like a mall, movie theater, or library.   
Look for symptoms of heat stroke, which include fainting, a change in behavior, dry, flushed skin with a strong and rapid pulse, and lack of sweating. If you believe someone is suffering from heat stroke, call 911.