Medicare Part D
Goodyear Part D: why a covered drug can change on Jan. 1, and what the ANOC will tell you
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — The fall envelope from your Part D plan is not junk mail. It is the Annual Notice of Change, and for anyone in Goodyear who takes a regular prescription, it is the single best clue to what a familiar drug may cost — or how hard it may be to fill — starting January 1, 2027.
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Will your prescriptions still be covered in 2027?
Part D plans rewrite their drug lists every year — tiers move, pharmacies change, drugs drop off. One call checks your exact medications against the 2027 plans in your area.
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Speak to a Licensed Insurance Agent
Click to call 855-729-3240Key takeaways
- Part D plans can change tiers, add prior authorization, set quantity limits, or require step therapy every plan year, and the ANOC mailed in September explains what is changing on January 1.
- The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, which is your window to switch Part D or Medicare Advantage coverage if the changes do not work for you.
- The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. The maximum Part D deductible is $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027. The optional Medicare Prescription Payment Plan continues to let enrollees spread drug costs across the year.
- Goodyear is in Maricopa County, where residents have many Part D and Medicare Advantage options; medicare.gov's Plan Finder lets you compare using your actual drug list.
Every Part D plan, whether stand-alone or built into a Medicare Advantage plan, can rewrite its drug list (formulary) each year. A medication that sits on a low tier today may move up next year. A refill that has been routine for years may suddenly require prior authorization, a quantity limit, or step therapy. None of that is unusual. What matters is catching the change before you walk up to the pharmacy counter in January.
What the ANOC actually is
The Annual Notice of Change is a document your plan is required to send each fall, usually arriving in September. It compares your 2026 plan to your 2027 plan — premium, deductible, pharmacy network, and, importantly, the formulary and the rules attached to each drug.
If you keep only one piece of Medicare mail this fall, keep this one. Set it next to your current pill bottles and read it drug by drug.
Tiers: same drug, different shelf
Most Part D plans sort covered drugs into tiers. Lower tiers usually mean lower cost sharing; higher tiers usually mean more. Plans can move a drug from one tier to another between plan years. The pill in the bottle is identical; the shelf it sits on is not.
When you read the ANOC, look for two things: is your drug still on the formulary at all, and if so, has its tier changed?
Prior authorization, quantity limits, and step therapy
These are called utilization management tools. In plain English:
- Prior authorization means your prescriber has to get the plan's approval before the plan will pay.
- Quantity limits cap how much of a drug the plan will cover in a given time — for example, a set number of tablets per month.
- Step therapy means the plan wants you to try a preferred (often lower-cost) drug first. If that does not work, you can "step up" to the drug your prescriber originally wanted.
Any of these can be added, removed, or changed from one year to the next. A drug that filled with no questions in 2025 may need paperwork in 2027, even if the price on paper looks the same.
What is different about 2027
A few program-level facts apply to every Part D plan in 2027, no matter which one you are in:
- The out-of-pocket cap is $2,400 in 2027 (it is $2,100 in 2026). Once your covered drug spending reaches that amount, you pay nothing for covered Part D drugs for the rest of the year.
- The maximum Part D deductible is $700 in 2027, up from $615 in 2026 (plans can charge less).
- The old coverage gap — the "donut hole" — was eliminated in 2025. Part D now has three phases, not four.
- The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan is available to anyone in Part D who wants to spread drug costs into monthly bills instead of paying large amounts at the pharmacy.
- IRMAA surcharges on Part B and Part D premiums start above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.
These pieces are set by Medicare and do not vary plan to plan. What varies is which drugs a plan covers and on what terms — which is exactly what the ANOC spells out.
How to read your ANOC in about 20 minutes
1. Gather every prescription you take, including doses and how often. 2. Open the ANOC to the formulary changes section. 3. For each drug, check three things: Is it still covered? Has the tier changed? Are there new restrictions (PA, QL, ST)? 4. Flip to the pharmacy section — a preferred pharmacy in 2026 is not automatically preferred in 2027. 5. If anything looks off, compare plans on medicare.gov's Plan Finder using your drug list, or call 1-800-MEDICARE.
You have until December 7 to switch Part D or Medicare Advantage coverage during the Annual Enrollment Period. If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31) gives you one more chance to change Medicare Advantage plans or return to Original Medicare.
If you get caught by a change in January
Part D plans generally must provide a transition fill — usually at least a one-month supply — for people already taking a drug that is no longer covered the same way. That is meant to give you and your prescriber time to request an exception or switch medications. It is not a permanent fix, but it keeps you from going without while you sort it out.
Goodyear-area help
Goodyear is in Maricopa County, where Medicare Advantage shoppers can compare 79 plans from 16 carriers in 2027 (down from 88 plans from 16 carriers in 2026), alongside stand-alone Part D options. For personalized help — including reviewing your specific ANOC — Arizona's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), known locally as SHIP/SMP through the Arizona Department of Economic Security, offers free one-on-one counseling.
By the numbers
Medicare Part B premium, 2006–2026
The standard monthly Part B premium has climbed from $88.50 in 2006 to $202.90 in 2026. Hover any point for that year’s premium.
Source: CMS. Standard premium shown; in some hold-harmless years many existing enrollees paid less. Confirm at Medicare.gov.
By the numbers
How people get Medicare in Maricopa County
(MA penetration in Maricopa County)
MA penetration from CMS enrollment data; Medigap share is an estimate. U.S. average is about 54% Medicare Advantage. These are area-level figures, not plan-specific.
Key dates
Medicare enrollment periods at a glance
- Around your 65thInitial Enrollment PeriodA 7-month window around the month you turn 65 — your first chance to sign up.
- October 15 – December 7Annual Enrollment PeriodAnyone with Medicare can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.
- January 1 – March 31Medicare Advantage Open EnrollmentIf you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can make one change.
- January 1 – March 31General Enrollment PeriodFor people who missed their first chance to sign up for Part B.
- VariesSpecial Enrollment PeriodTriggered by life events like moving or losing other coverage.
Dates are set by Medicare and apply nationwide. Confirm your personal windows at Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.
Try it
How the 2026 Part D drug cap works
Slide to your estimated yearly prescription costs and see how the new $2,100 out-of-pocket cap protects you. This illustrates the standard Part D benefit; your plan may structure costs differently.
Once your out-of-pocket spending on covered drugs reaches $2,100, you pay nothing more for the rest of 2026. Confirm details at Medicare.gov.
Explore
When can you enroll? An interactive year
Enrollment windows are federal and the same nationwide. Confirm your personal dates at Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
When will I get the Annual Notice of Change?
Can my plan drop a drug in the middle of the year?
What is a formulary exception?
Do I have to do anything if my ANOC looks fine?
- CMS — Medicare Part D program rules (medicare.gov)
- CMS — Medicare enrollment periods (medicare.gov)
For personalized answers, contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local SHIP.
Also for Goodyear
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This page was last updated: October 6, 2026.