REMCARE Insurance Agency

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  • What to Do If You Receive a Medicare Plan Non-Renewal Notice

    A plan non-renewal notice means your Medicare Advantage plan will not be offered in your area next year. The plan is leaving, so you cannot keep it, but you still have good options and enough time to choose one.

    What the notice is

    Insurers send this letter separately from the Annual Notice of Change, typically in the fall. It states that your specific plan will end on December 31 and that you must select new coverage.

    What to do first

    1. Read the notice and note the date your coverage ends.
    2. Do not ignore it. If you take no action, you will be placed in Original Medicare on January 1, which does not include drug coverage.
    3. List your doctors, pharmacy, and prescriptions so you can compare plans accurately.

    Your choices

    You can join a different Medicare Advantage plan, or return to Original Medicare and add a Part D drug plan and, in some cases, a Medicare Supplement. Open Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7, and changes generally begin January 1, 2027. If your plan is ending, you may have additional time to choose new coverage after Open Enrollment closes. Please schedule a call with Rafael for the additional dates and details that apply to your situation.

    Why timing matters

    The sooner you review your options, the more plans and doctors you can compare without pressure.

    Your next step

    Rafael Mendoza is a licensed independent agent who can compare the plans available where you live, in English or Spanish, by phone or by video, at no cost to you.

    Call 904-583-8391, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.

  • Your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC): What to Look For

    Every fall, your insurer mails an Annual Notice of Change, often called the ANOC. It explains what will be different about your plan in 2027. It is easy to set aside, but it is one of the most useful letters you receive all year.

    What the ANOC covers

    It lists changes to your monthly premium, deductible, copayments and coinsurance, your drug formulary, and your network of doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies. It also describes changes to extra benefits such as dental, vision, and hearing.

    What to check, in order

    1. Your doctors and hospitals. Confirm each one is still in the network.
    2. Your prescriptions. Check that each drug is covered and what you will pay.
    3. Your total costs. Look beyond the premium to the deductible and the yearly out-of-pocket maximum.
    4. Your extra benefits. Make sure the ones you use are still included.

    A lower premium is not the whole story

    CMS projects the average Medicare Advantage premium will fall in 2027, but plan details can still change. A plan that worked for you this year may not fit next year, even if your needs have not changed.

    Your next step

    If any part of your letter is unclear, bring it to a licensed agent. Rafael Mendoza will review it with you, in English or Spanish, at no cost to you.

    Call 904-583-8391, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.

  • Will My Doctor Still Be in Network in 2027?

    Medicare Advantage plans contract with specific doctors and hospitals. Those contracts can change from one year to the next, so a doctor you see today may not be in your plan’s network in 2027.

    How to check

    1. Find your plan’s provider directory in your Annual Notice of Change or on the insurer’s website.
    2. Search for each doctor, specialist, and hospital you use.
    3. Call your doctor’s office and ask whether they will be in network with your specific plan on January 1. Directories are not always up to date, so this step matters.
    4. Use the Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov to compare the plans in your ZIP code.

    HMO and PPO plans differ

    HMO plans generally require you to use in-network providers and choose a primary care doctor. PPO plans offer more flexibility but may cost more when you go out of network.

    If your doctor is leaving the network

    You can use Open Enrollment, October 15 through December 7, to choose a plan that includes your doctor, or consider Original Medicare, which is accepted by most doctors nationwide.

    Your next step

    Rafael Mendoza can check which plans include your doctors before you decide, in English or Spanish, by phone or by video, at no cost to you.

    Call 904-583-8391, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.

  • What the 2027 Medicare Premium Numbers Really Mean for You

    Medicare Open Enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7, and the first official figures for 2027 have been released. They can look reassuring at first glance, so this article explains what they actually say and what they do not.

    The headline number

    The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) projects that the average monthly Medicare Advantage premium will fall from $14.37 in 2026 to $12 in 2027. CMS also reports that about eight in ten Medicare Advantage members will be able to keep their current plan at the same or a lower premium.

    What the headline does not show

    The premium is only one part of what a plan costs you. Industry reporting indicates that some insurers are reducing the number of plans they offer and adjusting benefits for 2027. That means deductibles, copayments, doctor networks, and drug coverage may still change, even when the monthly premium looks lower. Plans can also differ from one county to the next.

    Prescription drug costs

    The standard Part D deductible rises from $615 in 2026 to $700 in 2027, and the yearly out-of-pocket limit for covered Part D drugs is $2,400. A temporary federal subsidy that helped hold down premiums for stand-alone drug plans ends after 2026, so premiums for those plans may rise for some people.

    Part B

    The official 2027 Part B premium has not yet been announced. Figures you may see online are projections, not final amounts, and should not be used for budgeting as if they were confirmed.

    Your next step

    Review your options before your plan renews on its own. A plan that suited you this year may not be the right fit for 2027, and the Annual Notice of Change letter from your insurer is the best place to start. Rafael Mendoza is a licensed independent agent who can compare the plans available where you live, in English or Spanish, by phone or by video, at no cost to you.

    Call 904-583-8391, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, or use the no-cost plan review form on this website to choose a time that works for you.

    A personal note: I have spent 25 years helping families make sense of their Medicare coverage. If any part of your plan letter is unclear, please call me. There is no cost and no obligation.