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$19 one-time · 28 min read · Lifetime access

Open Enrollment Survival Guide

The 30-minute October ritual that saves most retirees $400-$1,000/year. Step-by-step Annual Election Period playbook with the exact actions, timing, and decision criteria.

Best for: Anyone already on Medicare who wants to stop overpaying year-over-year. Most beneficiaries lose $400-$1,000/year by not re-shopping during AEP.

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Who this is for

  • Existing Medicare beneficiaries (Original + Medigap + Part D, OR Medicare Advantage)
  • People who've never read their Annual Notice of Change carefully
  • Anyone whose drug list has changed in the last year
  • People whose plan's premium just went up
  • Caregivers handling Medicare for parents/spouse

What's inside

  • 30-minute annual review process — exact step-by-step
  • September ANOC review checklist — what changes actually matter
  • October Plan Finder workflow — drug list comparison method
  • MA-specific review: provider directory, prior auth, star ratings
  • Medigap re-shop strategy + state-specific switching windows
  • Confirmation + first-fill verification process for January 1
  • Cheat sheet: AEP timeline, key dates, decision tree

Preview — Why annual review matters (and why most people skip it)

Plan formularies change every year. Premiums change every year. Networks change every year. The drug your plan covered as Tier 1 ($5/month) last year might be Tier 4 ($95/month) this year. Your specialist may have left the network. Your monthly premium may have jumped 15%.

The Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) document your plan mails you every September lists everything that's changing. Most beneficiaries don't read it — it's 30+ pages of fine print. So the changes blow past unnoticed, and you wake up in February realizing you're paying $200 more per month than you should.

The fix is a 30-minute October ritual. That's it. Run YOUR drug list against ALL Part D plans in your zip. Compare your current MA plan to alternatives. Check whether a different Medigap carrier is cheaper for the same Plan G. If a different plan saves $100+/year, switch. Old plan auto-disenrolls when new one starts.

Most retirees save $400-$1,000/year doing this. Over a 25-year retirement, that's $10,000-$25,000 of pure waste eliminated. The only reason most people don't do it: no deadline forces them to.

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Full table of contents

  1. Why annual review matters (and why most people skip it)
  2. The Annual Election Period calendar
  3. The 30-minute review process
  4. MA-specific annual review
  5. Medigap re-shop strategy
  6. Confirmation + January 1 verification
  7. When you can change OUTSIDE of AEP
Key takeaways
  • Most retirees lose $400-$1,000/year by not re-shopping during AEP.
  • Read your ANOC in September. Plans tell you everything that's changing.
  • 30-minute annual review: drug list, ANOC, plan finder, top 3 comparison, switch.
  • MA review adds: provider network, formulary, prior auth, star rating.
  • Medigap: check cheapest carrier. Birthday Rule states allow no-underwriting switches.
  • Confirm enrollment + first January fill — don't assume it's clean.
Action steps
  1. Calendar Sept 25, Oct 15, Nov 15, Dec 7, Jan 5 each year.
  2. Sept 25: read ANOC — 30 minutes max.
  3. Oct 15-Nov 15: run drug list comparison + decide.
  4. Nov 15-Dec 7: enroll in new plan if better option exists.
  5. Jan 5: verify confirmation letter + first pharmacy fill on new plan.
  6. Save this guide — it's an annual ritual, not a one-time read.
Cheat sheet — AEP timeline + decision tree
  • · Sept 25 — Read ANOC. Note premium + formulary changes for YOUR drugs.
  • · Oct 1 — Plan Finder updates with new-year data.
  • · Oct 15 — AEP opens.
  • · Oct 15 - Nov 15 — Run drug list comparison + decide.
  • · Nov 15 - Dec 7 — Enroll in new plan if savings >$100/year.
  • · Dec 7 — AEP closes. Last call.
  • · Jan 1 — New plan effective.
  • · Jan 1 - Mar 31 — MA-OEP buffer (only if in MA).
  • · Decision: switch if new plan saves >$100/year for same coverage quality.
  • · Decision: stay if current plan still ranks #1-3 against your drugs.

FAQ

What if I'm on Original Medicare + Medigap + Part D — do I need to re-shop everything?+

Mostly Part D. Medigap is federally standardized, so coverage doesn't change — but premiums do, and a different carrier may be cheaper. Original Medicare itself only changes Part B premium and deductible amounts annually (announced each fall).

Can I switch Medigap during AEP?+

AEP doesn't grant guaranteed-issue Medigap. Outside your initial 6-month OEP, in most states carriers can use medical underwriting. Some states (Birthday Rule states like CA, OR, MO, MA, ME, WA, plus year-round in NY, CT) have specific switching windows. Check your state.

I'm scared to switch plans — what if the new one is worse?+

If you switch and regret it during MA-OEP (Jan 1-Mar 31), you can switch back. For Part D, you're locked in until next AEP. So research carefully. Tools like our $49 comparison or Medicare's Plan Finder give the math upfront.

What's the most common AEP mistake?+

Auto-renewing without checking. Many plans automatically continue you in the same plan unless you change — so doing nothing keeps you in a plan whose premium might have spiked or whose drug coverage got worse.

Pairs well with

Compare My Medicare ($49)
Medicare Course ($49)

Open Enrollment Survival Guide for $19.

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