It is critically important to know if you need to act during any open enrollment period or your healthcare coverage could be at risk.
The Individual Market
This is a particularly tumultuous year in the individual marketplace due to the full effects of the end of COVID-era subsidies in January 2026 being felt. Open enrollment in the Individual market began on November 1, 2026 and will continue through December 15, 2026 for a January 1, 2027 coverage effective date. There is also an enrollment window between December 16th and January 15th for a February 1, 2026 start date of coverage. It is customary for those covered through individual products to receive a renewal notice from their insurance company in the early fall. It’s important to watch the mail or monitor messages on your portal to know the status of your coverage. Even companies which remain in the individual market may terminate a plan and require currently enrolled insureds to actively enroll in a new plan for 2027.
There are also situations where a company decides to vacate a market and those covered through that insurer MUST enroll in another Plan.
Medicare
Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D markets are also unusually tumultuous this open enrollment season for different reasons which we are not going to discuss today. Today’s message is to remind people that everyone on an individual Advantage or Part D Plan should receive what is referred to as an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). These can be lengthy documents often sent via mail but available via one’s portal if digital preferences were selected when you established access.
This ANOC document describes changes to your plan and will also state if the Plan is being terminated. The Medicare Annual Enrolment Period began October 15, 2026 and extends through December 7, 2026 for a January 1, 2027 effective date. Clearly, you MUST act if your coverage is being terminated but if there are substantial changes to your current coverage, you might also want to consider alternative options.
Every year we receive numerous inquiries about whether one should review their Medicare Supplements or Medigap coverage during annual open enrollment and the quick answer is NO. Annual Open Enrollment has nothing to do with Medicare supplements which are private insurance products. As long as the company remains in business and you pay your premium, your supplement will remain in force like any other private insurance product.
Group Coverage
Many people must make decisions regarding their group coverage through an employer or union at this time of year although group plans can have an anniversary date any month of the year. Know when your open enrollment period begins and ends, do your homework, and complete the process timely.
Finally, glitches do occur. Maintain documentation of your enrollment, track your enrollment, and intervene if something seems amiss.
