Preparing for Your Medicare Plan Review

Start with a folder, not a decision

If Medicare mail is collecting on your kitchen table, begin by putting it in one place. Label a folder “Medicare review” and add a blank page for questions. The goal of this first session is to get ready for a useful conversation, rather than choose a plan immediately.

Our free one-page checklist gives you a place to record what you have gathered and what is still missing. It does not recommend a plan, calculate costs or tell you which coverage to choose.

Collect the notices from your current plan

If you have a Medicare plan, look for its Annual Notice of Change, often called the ANOC. It describes changes to costs and coverage for the coming year. Medicare.gov says to review it and contact your plan if it has not arrived.

Keep the notice with other plan materials. Write down the page numbers you want to ask about so you can find them again.

Make three short lists

• Medicines: names, doses and how often you take them. Note the pharmacies you use.
• Care: the doctors, facilities and services you want to ask about.
• Questions: anything you do not understand in the notice, including costs or coverage changes.

Keep these details private. There is no need to upload a completed checklist to Ellis or post it in a social-media group.

Use the right enrollment information

Annual Medicare Open Enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7. Changes made during this period generally take effect January 1 of the following year. The choices available depend on your current coverage.

This annual period is different from first enrolling in Medicare. It also does not give everyone an unrestricted right to buy or switch Medigap coverage. Use the official links below to check which rules apply to your situation.

Finish with one next step

Choose a time to use the official Medicare comparison tools or speak with a State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) counselor. Take your lists and questions with you. Put any unanswered question back in the folder with a note about who you will ask.

You can complete the gathering step today, even if you are not ready to make a coverage decision.

Your printable starting point

Download the free Medicare preparation checklist (PDF)

Choose only the parts that help today. Keep completed pages in your own secure records.

If you would like a longer guide

For a longer explanation of claiming choices, coverage and deadlines, explore Social Security & Medicare by Margaret K. Ellis. The paperback also includes its own worksheets. This free preparation sheet is a separate Ellis resource.

Sources and further help

• Medicare.gov: Open Enrollment
• Medicare.gov: Annual Notice of Change
• SHIP: Find local Medicare counseling

Published by Ellis Family Guides, the independent publishing brand for books by Margaret K. Ellis. Official resources are linked for further reading; no affiliation or endorsement is implied.

Educational information and organizing suggestions, not legal, financial, tax or medical advice. Confirm decisions with the appropriate professional or agency.

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