Medicare Advantage

Sterling Heights Medicare checklist: what your ANOC tells you before you renew for 2027

Sterling Heights, Mich. — The Annual Enrollment Period is open now through Dec. 7, 2026, and the most useful piece of mail in most Medicare households this fall is not flashy. It is the Annual Notice of Change, or ANOC, that your current plan mailed in late September. It spells out exactly what will be different about your coverage on Jan. 1, 2027 — and it is the right place to start before you decide whether to keep your plan or switch.

If you do nothing, nothing dramatic happens: your plan renews as described in that ANOC, assuming it is still offered next year. But "renews" is not the same as "stays the same." Here is a plain checklist Sterling Heights readers can work through before the deadline.

Start with the ANOC — not with a TV ad

The ANOC is a short document your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan is required to send each year. It compares this year's plan to next year's, side by side. Look specifically at:

• The monthly premium for 2027.
• The medical deductible and the drug deductible.
• Primary care, specialist, urgent care and emergency room cost-sharing.
• The plan's maximum out-of-pocket limit.
• Any changes to extra benefits (dental, vision, hearing, over-the-counter, transportation).
• Whether the plan is still offered in Macomb County at all. If a plan is leaving, the notice will say so, and you'll get a Special Enrollment Period to pick something else.

If you cannot find your ANOC, call the plan's member services number on the back of your card and ask them to resend it, or download it from your online account.

Check your doctors and hospitals against next year's network

Sterling Heights is in Macomb County, and networks are set at the plan level, not the city level. A doctor who is in-network in 2026 is not automatically in-network in 2027.

Before you renew, make a short list of the providers you actually see — your primary care doctor, any specialists, and the hospital system you prefer (many local residents use Henry Ford, Corewell Health/Beaumont, Ascension, or McLaren facilities). Then either:

• Search each provider inside the plan's 2027 online directory, or
• Call the provider's billing office and ask which 2027 Medicare Advantage plans they will accept.

Do the same for any facility you expect to use — dialysis center, imaging, physical therapy, home health.

Run your prescriptions through the 2027 drug list

Every Part D and Medicare Advantage drug plan updates its formulary each year. Drugs can move to a different tier, require prior authorization, or drop off entirely.

The fastest way to check is the Plan Finder at medicare.gov. Enter each medication, the dose, and your preferred pharmacy, and it will show 2027 plans that cover your list along with expected yearly cost. Two program-level 2027 numbers to keep in mind while you compare:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026). Once your out-of-pocket drug spending hits that ceiling, you pay $0 for covered Part D drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026). Individual plans can charge less.

The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan — the optional program that lets you spread drug costs across the calendar year in monthly installments — continues in 2027. You can opt in through your drug plan.

Know what CMS has not published yet

Two numbers people ask about every fall are not out yet as of September 2026: the 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets that determine higher-income surcharges for Parts B and D. CMS typically releases those figures later in the fall. Do not make a switch based on a projection you saw online — wait for the official announcement on medicare.gov or CMS.gov.

See how many plans and carriers are available in Macomb County

Plan availability is set by CMS at the county level. Sterling Heights residents choose from the Medicare Advantage and stand-alone Part D plans offered in Macomb County. The county's 2027 lineup — the full list of plans and the carriers behind them — is on the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov once you enter your ZIP code. Star Ratings are shown next to each plan; they are CMS's quality measure and can help you compare, but they are not a recommendation.

If the list feels long, narrow it by what you actually use: your doctors, your hospital, your drugs, and whether you need dental or hearing coverage.

Mark the date: Dec. 7, 2026

Any change you make between Oct. 15 and Dec. 7, 2026 takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. After Dec. 7, you generally cannot switch until:

• The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (Jan. 1 – March 31, 2027), during which people already in a Medicare Advantage plan can switch once to another MA plan or back to Original Medicare, or
• A Special Enrollment Period, if you qualify (moving, losing other coverage, your plan leaving the area, and others).

Where to get free, unbiased help

• medicare.gov — the Plan Finder, plan documents and enrollment.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Michigan MMAP — the state's SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program). Counselors give free one-on-one help and do not sell plans. Call 1-800-803-7174.
• Macomb County Department of Senior Services for local referrals.