Big shifts are coming to Medicare - from higher premiums and deductibles to new prescription caps - and beneficiaries shouldn’t sleep on the details, according to licensed Medicare agent Debra Stroup.

During an appearance on “Live In The D,” Stroup urged viewers to dig into their Annual Notice of Change, the thick mailer that spells out what’s different for 2026. “This document is the thing that you want to read because it goes over every single thing that is changing or being eliminated from your specific plan for 2026,” she said.

Why the urgency? Some Michigan plans will disappear, Stroup said, and members who don’t act could wake up January 1st without coverage that fits their needs. Benefits such as prescriptions, gym memberships, preferred pharmacies or dental offerings can change - or be cut - from one year to the next.

Her bottom line: don’t guess, and don’t go on autopilot. “It’s really important to find a plan based on facts and not emotion,” Stroup said. That means verifying that your doctors, prescriptions and pharmacy are in-network — and comparing options before re-upping out of habit.

Open enrollment’s “soft opening” is underway, with the official Medicare window starting Oct. 15. Stroup, who represents Legacy Partners Insurance Services, said her team reviews any Michigan Medicare plan at no cost and stays with clients year-round for billing questions, doctor changes or moves. “We are not plan-driven. We are customer-driven,” she added.

For more information, visit legacypartnersins.com or call 248-227-0347.

To watch the segment, click on the video above.