Medicare Advantage

Before Dec. 7: Your Neenah Medicare Review Checklist

NEENAH, Wis. — The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period is open through Dec. 7, 2026, and any change you make now takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. If you do nothing, your current plan renews for next year — but only after applying the changes spelled out in the notice your insurer mailed you in late September. That is why a short review this fall is worth the time, even if you like the plan you have.

Here is a plain checklist for Neenah residents, in the order most people find useful.

Step 1: Read the Annual Notice of Change

Every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan is required to send an Annual Notice of Change, or ANOC, by the end of September. It shows next year's premium, deductible, copays, drug tier changes and any change to the provider or pharmacy network — side by side with this year's numbers.

If you cannot find the paper copy, log in to your plan's member site or call the number on your card and ask for it. Do not skip this step. Most surprises in January trace back to an ANOC that nobody opened.

Step 2: Check your doctors and hospitals

Networks can change from one year to the next. Before Dec. 7, confirm that:

• Your primary care doctor is in the 2027 network.
• Any specialists you see regularly are in-network for 2027.
• The hospital you would want to use — for many Neenah residents that means ThedaCare Regional Medical Center–Neenah or an Ascension facility — is contracted with the plan for next year.

You can check on the plan's own provider directory (ask for the 2027 version, not the current one) or call the plan and ask them to confirm each provider by name and address.

Step 3: Run your prescriptions against the 2027 formulary

Drug lists — formularies — get updated every year. A medication that is a low tier in 2026 can move up, get a new prior-authorization rule, or come off the list entirely for 2027.

Make a written list of every prescription you take, the dose, and how often. Then use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov to price those drugs against your current plan's 2027 formulary and against any other plans in Winnebago County. The tool will show you the yearly total, tier by tier.

Two 2027 figures to keep in mind while you compare:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap will be $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026). Once your covered drug spending hits that cap, you pay $0 for covered Part D drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D maximum deductible will be $700 (up from $615 in 2026). Plans can charge less; they cannot charge more.

If paying at the pharmacy counter is a strain, ask about the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which spreads your drug costs across the year in monthly bills.

Step 4: See what else is offered in Winnebago County

Neenah is in Winnebago County, and Medicare Advantage and Part D availability is set at the county level. Even if you are happy with your plan, it is worth seeing what else is on the shelf, especially if your ANOC included changes you do not like.

The Medicare Plan Finder (medicare.gov/plan-compare) will show every Medicare Advantage plan and stand-alone Part D plan available at your ZIP code, from every carrier serving the county. Enter your drug list once and it will do the math for each option.

Step 5: Know the deadline — and what happens if you do nothing

Dec. 7, 2026 is the last day to switch plans, drop a plan, or add drug coverage for a Jan. 1, 2027 start. If you take no action and your plan is offered again next year, you stay in it with the ANOC's changes applied automatically. If your plan is not returning, the insurer must tell you in writing, and you will have a special window to pick something else.

One more window worth knowing: if you are on a Medicare Advantage plan and want to change your mind after Jan. 1, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs Jan. 1 – March 31, 2027, and lets you switch to another Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare once.

Where to get free, unbiased help

• Medicare Plan Finder: medicare.gov/plan-compare
• Medicare: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), 24/7
• Wisconsin SHIP (Medigap Helpline / Board on Aging & Long Term Care): 1-800-242-1060 — free one-on-one Medicare counseling from trained volunteers, no sales pitch.
• Winnebago County Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC): local help with Medicare questions and benefits screening.

The 2027 Part B premium and deductible, along with the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, have not been announced yet. CMS typically publishes those figures in November — check medicare.gov before finalizing your decision if Part B costs factor in.