THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 2022 Page 21 What is an Annual Notice of Change? Dear Savvy Senior, Last year I received a “notice of change” letter from my Medicare provider. Should I expect another one this year, and what should I do with it? Medicare Rookie Dear Rookie, The letter you’re asking about is actually referred to as the Annual Notice of Change (or ANOC), which is a letter you receive from your Medicare Advantage or Medicare Part D prescription drug plan in late September. (People with only a Medigap plan don’t receive these because Medigap plans do not have benefit changes from year to year). So yes, you should expect to receive another letter next month. The ANOC gives a summary of any changes in your plan’s costs and coverage that will take effect Jan. 1 of the next year. The ANOC is typically mailed with the plan’s “evidence of coverage,” which is a more comprehensive list of the plan’s costs and benefits for the upcoming year. You should review these notices to see if your plan will continue to meet your health care needs in 2023. If you are dissatisfied with any upcoming changes, you can make changes to your coverage during fall open enrollment, which runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. Here are three types of changes to look for: Costs: If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, fi nd out what you can expect to pay for services in 2023. Costs such as deductibles and copayments can change each year. For example, your plan may not have had a deductible in 2022, but it could have one in 2023. A deductible is the amount of money you owe out-of-pocket before your plan begins to cover your care. Another example is that your plan may increase the copayments you owe for visits to your primary care provider or specialists. Coverage: If you have an Advantage plan with prescription drug coverage check to see if your doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers and pharmacies will still be in network for 2023. You have the lowest out-of-pocket costs if you go to providers and pharmacies that are in your plan’s network. If you see an out-of-network provider, your plan may not cover any of the cost of your care, leaving you to pay the cost out-ofpocket. You should also contact your providers directly to confi rm that they will still be accepting your plan in the coming year. Drugs: If you have prescription drug coverage, look through the plan’s formulary, which is the list of drugs the plan covers. Formulary changes can happen from year to year, so make sure the medications you’re taking will be covered next year, and that they’re not moved to a higher tier which will aff ect your copay. If you see any changes that will increase your costs, you may want to select a diff erent drug plan that covers all of your medications. If the formulary is incomplete, or you do not see your drug(s) on the list, contact the plan directly to learn more. If you have not received an ANOC by the end of September, you should contact your Medicare Advantage Plan or Part D plan to request it. This notice can be very helpful in determining whether you should make any changes to your coverage during the fall open enrollment. Reading your ANOC can also prevent any surprises about your coverage in the new year. Shopping, comparing and enrolling in a new Medicare Advantage or Part D plan during the open enrollment period can easily be done online at Medicare’s Plan Finder Tool at Medicare.gov/fi nd-a-plan. Or, if you don’t have a computer or Internet access, you can also call Medicare at 800633-4227 and they can help you out over the phone. Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), which provides free Medicare counseling, is also a great resource to help you make any changes. To fi nd a local SHIP counselor, visit ShipHelp.org or call 877839-2675. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. RHS Class of ’67 offi cers Class Vice President Anthony DeLisio and Class Secretary Janis Ackerman DelGaizo. Mayor and City of Revere Partner with Roads Consulting Group to deliver small business technical assistance to Broadway businesses ‘Business Strategy’ Seminar scheduled for Sept. 14 T he City of Revere through its Department of Planning & Community Development has partnered with Roads Consulting Group to deliver small business technical assistance to qualifying small business owners who operate a business on Broadway. Roads Consulting Group will be providing tailored, one-on-one small business technical assistance related to fi nancial management, marketing & merMEMORIES FROM Page 18 chandising and expansion of business operations. Currently, ambassadors from Roads Consulting Group are actively engaging with small business owners of the Broadway Business District, conducting assessments of individual business’s needs. The assessments will be matched with small business technical assistance at no cost to business owners through the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CLFRF)/ American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). This funding is designated to stimulate the economic growth of this key business district. The City of Revere and Roads Consulting Group will cohost a free Small Business Seminar – ‘Business Strategy’ – on Wednesday, September 14 at 6:00 p.m. at Revere City Hall. The seminar is open to all Revere small busiBUSINESS | SEE Page 23 Making memories: Reunion Committee member Dale Averill by the reunion poster. Marguerite (Terenzio) Upton and her guest, Robert Upton, who graduated from RHS in 1970, slow danced on the dance fl oor. Reunion Committee members, pictured from left to right: Lorraine Eydenberg DiGiovanni, Laura Barrett Arsenault and Donna (Costa) (Wood) Pruitt. Not pictured: Dale Averill. Disc Jockey Kevin Phelan also provided entertainment for their 50th reunion. Saugus resident Laura Flynn, who graduated from Revere High School in 1986, and her mother, Laura Barrett Arsenault, also of Saugus, who graduated from Revere High in 1967
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