Day 9/100 Losing Benefits
Losing Benefits
Stormin’
- making chili without beans
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAWnYi4xf5g
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87TudZkEDaw
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Due to the evolving nature of earning a living online, I have transitioned from writing books to creating a YouTube channel for seniors.
I have a plan mapped out in detail for the next 4 months.
To begin, I will use nothing but my current computer equipment and not bother to buy a new microphone until after I’ve got some shows in the can.
I’m not sure if I will be using my own voice or one that is AI generated as text-to-speech.
Today I need to do a bit of a brain dump and start doing the things I need to do instead of being lazy.
With Medicare and Medicaid benefits being scaled back by the government, I need to take advantage of everything I can right now before the end of the year.
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For 2026, UnitedHealthcare (UHC) Dual Complete plans include major changes to supplemental benefits and prescription drug coverage due to federal policy adjustments.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is ending the Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) program, which allowed enhanced benefits in the past. [1, 2]
The most significant changes affect monthly allowances for food and utilities and prescription drug costs. [1]
Changes to supplemental benefits
To continue receiving credits for healthy food and utility bills, members must now meet a qualifying condition.
- Qualifying conditions: To use your monthly credit for food and utilities, UHC will need to verify that you have a qualifying chronic condition such as diabetes, chronic heart failure, or cardiovascular disorders.
- Verification: UHC is proactively verifying conditions for current members based on existing records and will notify members if more information is needed. New members will also be verified upon enrollment.
- Over-the-counter (OTC) credit: The monthly credit for OTC products will still be available regardless of a qualifying condition, and can be used on wellness items and in-home support services.
- Important note: This is an industry-wide change affecting all Dual Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs), not just UnitedHealthcare. [1, 3, 4, 5]
Changes to prescription drug coverage
The end of the VBID program also impacts prescription drug costs.
- $0 copayments: Many Part D plans will no longer offer all covered drugs at a $0 copayment. Your copayments will align with your level of Extra Help.
- Continued savings: While the broad $0 copay benefit is ending, UHC will continue to offer $0 copays for all Tier 1 prescriptions on its D-SNPs.
- Part D cap: Thanks to a federal change under the Inflation Reduction Act, your annual out-of-pocket costs for Part D drugs will be capped at $2,100 in 2026. Once you reach this cap, you will not pay for covered drugs for the rest of the year.
- Part D deductible: The federal Part D deductible will increase from $590 in 2025 to $615 in 2026. [6, 7, 8, 9, 10]
Other notable changes
- HMO referrals: Many UHC Medicare Advantage HMO and HMO-POS plans will require a referral from a primary care provider (PCP) to see specialists, even those in the nationwide network.
- National network access: For HMO plans that include access to the UnitedHealthcare Medicare National Network, referrals are now required for any participating network specialist nationwide.
- Provider and pharmacy networks: It is important to check if your doctors and pharmacies will still be in your plan’s network for 2026, as these networks can change. [3, 11, 12]
How to get specific plan information
Details can vary by location and specific plan. You should review your plan’s Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) for a complete list of updates. You can access your plan’s 2026 documents through one of the following methods:
- Sign in to your member account on myuhc.com.
- Check your mail for the ANOC sent by your insurer.
- Use the plan finder at medicare.gov to compare 2026 plan options in your area from October 15 to December 7, 2025.
AI responses may include mistakes.
[2] https://www.uhc.com/medicare/medicare-education/d-snp-enrollment-changes.html
[4] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11152203/
[5] https://collegerecon.com/post-9-11-gi-bill-recipients-must-verify-enrollment/
[6] https://www.uhc.com/medicare/medicare-education/d-snp-enrollment-changes.html
[8] https://www.uhc.com/medicare/medicare-education/part-d-changes.html
[9] https://www.medicare.gov/publications/10050-medicare-and-you.pdf
[10] https://www.uhc.com/medicare/medicare-education/d-snp-enrollment-changes.html
[12] https://www.uhc.com/communityplan/alphadog/CSSD26LP0340961_000
[13] https://www.uhc.com/communityplan/alphadog/PNFL26HM0341423_001
[15] https://www.uhc.com/member-resources/medicare-advantage-dsnp/renewal
[16] https://issuu.com/fbsbenefits/docs/2026_endeavors_employee_benefits_guide
[18] https://retiree.alight.com/prepare-aep
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You can find the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) for your UnitedHealthcare “Florida Dual Complete” (Medicare-Medicaid Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan) by doing the following:
✅ Steps
- Visit the UnitedHealthcare website and go to the Medicare section. For example: the page “2026 Medicare Advantage Member Renewal” says:“Review your 2026 Annual Notice of Changes (ANOC) document for your current Medicare Advantage plan to avoid any surprises.” (UHC)
- On the site, look for pages titled “Annual Notice of Change” or “Annual Notice of Changes” under the Florida Dual Complete plan listings. Examples include:
- For plan FL-Y5 (HMO-POS D-SNP) in Florida: the ANOC document is available. (UHC)
- For plan FL-D005 (Regional PPO D-SNP): an ANOC document exists. (UHC)
- The “Annual Notice of Changes 2026” page for many Florida plans is listed at a UHC site. (Preferred Care Partners)
- You can typically download the PDF of your specific plan’s ANOC. The plan number should match what’s on your membership card or welcome packet.
- If you receive mail from UnitedHealthcare, the ANOC may also be mailed to you (by law, insurers must send these annually). So check your mailbox (including any “Important plan information” envelopes) if you prefer paper.
🔍 Important things to check
- Make sure you select exactly your plan name and plan number (e.g., “Florida Dual Complete FL-Y5” or “FL-D005”) so you get the correct document for your coverage area.
- Verify that the document you open is the correct year (2025, 2026, etc.) for the upcoming plan year.
- Review the changes: benefits, costs (premiums, copays), network/providers, coverage rules — these are what the ANOC covers. (UHC)
- If you cannot locate it online or you aren’t sure which plan number you have, call UnitedHealthcare Member Services (phone number on your card) and ask them to send you the ANOC for your plan.
If you like, I can look up and send you the direct download link for your exact plan number (if you tell me the plan number from your card). Would that be helpful?
