Health Plans Member Communications

ANOC is an acronym for the Annual Notice of Change, a document sent to members of a Medicare Advantage Plan to announce important changes to an existing plan for the coming plan year. The ANOC summarizes changes in the plan’s costs and coverage that will take effect Jan. 1 of the following year. For employer group plans, the changes will take effect at the beginning of the group’s plan year, which sometimes varies from the traditional calendar year. The ANOC provides timely updates to changes in plan benefits, to support members’ plan evaluations when considering a change or to stay enrolled with their current plan. For support and additional information, explore our solutions for Health Plans Regulated Communications.

The Evidence of Coverage is a document delivered by a health plan to its members each year, for Medicare Advantage or Part D plans. The EOC provides comprehensive plan details for the plan year such as benefits information, out of pocket costs, a member’s rights and responsibilities and tips on a plan’s operations including how to file for an appeal. The EOC also provides contact information for regulatory and state departments, as well as contact information for the plan’s customer service and other internal areas. For support and additional information, explore our solutions for Health Plans Regulated Communications.

Specific to plans offered under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) is a required document based on a model template issued by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to outline in plain language information about each health plan’s benefits and coverage. This document serves as a standardized health plan comparison tool with coverage examples similar to the Nutrition Facts label required for packaged goods. These examples illustrate how the insurer would cover care for common benefits scenarios. The SBC is not to be confused with the Summary of Benefits document, which is required for Medicare Advantage and Part D plans, and other plans subject to the Medicare Communications and Marketing guidelines. For support and additional information, explore our solutions for Health Plans Regulated Communications.

As part of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act, Section 508 outlines responsibilities for access to people with disabilities. According to Section 508 guidelines, federal agencies and their contractors are required to make public documents accessible to people with physical, sensory or cognitive disabilities. This includes companies that provide goods and services to federal agencies and contractors, including healthcare providers and software companies. Overlooking this requirement has serious consequences for companies that work with federal agencies or contractors. Health plans that fail to include accessible documentation may be found non-compliant under U.S. law, incurring penalties for the responsible companies. As a result, Section 508 compliance has emerged as a primary concern in preparation of PDF documentation intended for public release. For support, explore our ADA solutions.