Got a Letter That Your Medicare Advantage Plan Is Ending? What to Do Next
If you or a parent just received a letter about your Medicare Advantage plan ending in 2027, here’s the most important thing to know: you are not losing Medicare. Your coverage continues through December 31, and you have more time and more options than that letter makes it sound.
Here’s what the letter means, which deadlines matter, and what to check before you choose a new plan.
Why so many plans are ending this year
Several insurers are cutting Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Humana alone has said about 600,000 members will lose their current plan, mostly in its lower-rated plans. Other insurers are trimming plans in some areas too.
Your plan ending has nothing to do with you, your health, or your claims. It’s a business decision that applies to everyone in that plan.
What the letter actually means
- Your current plan keeps working through December 31, 2026. Keep seeing your doctors and filling prescriptions as usual until then.
- The letter is official. Plan-ending letters are dated October 2. Don’t confuse it with the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), the yearly letter every member gets by September 30 describing changes to plans that are continuing.
- Save it. It’s your proof that your plan ended through no fault of your own, and that proof protects some of your rights below.
- If your letter mentions another plan from the same company, treat it as one option, not your only one. Compare it like any other plan.
Your deadlines
| Window | What you can do | When coverage starts |
|---|---|---|
| October 15 – December 7, 2026 (open enrollment) | Pick any Medicare Advantage or drug plan | January 1, 2027, with no gap |
| December 8, 2026 – February 28, 2027 (special enrollment period) | Extra time just for people whose plan ended | January 1 if you choose in December, February 1 if you choose in January, March 1 if you choose in February |
| About November 1, 2026 – March 4, 2027 | Your guaranteed right to buy a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy | When your new policy starts |
My advice: aim to decide by December 7. The extra window is a safety net, not the plan. Choosing during open enrollment means your new coverage starts January 1 with no gap.
What happens if your Medicare Advantage plan is ending and you do nothing
If you don’t pick a new plan, you’ll automatically go back to Original Medicare (Parts A and B) on January 1. You won’t be left without health coverage, but you won’t have prescription drug coverage or a Medigap policy.
That means paying full price at the pharmacy until a new drug plan starts. And if you go 63 days or more in a row without drug coverage, you may owe a Part D late enrollment penalty added to your premium for as long as you have Medicare drug coverage. (People who get Extra Help generally don’t pay this penalty.)
Your two main paths
Path 1: Choose another Medicare Advantage plan
Many people simply move to a different Medicare Advantage plan. If you go this route, check:
- Doctors and hospitals: are yours in the new plan’s network?
- Your medications: are they covered, and at what tier?
- Your pharmacy: is it in network, and is it a “preferred” pharmacy?
- Extra rules: does the plan require prior authorization (the plan’s approval before it covers something) for care or drugs you use?
Plans that are sticking around are changing for 2027 too, so check the details even if a plan name looks familiar.
Path 2: Switch to Original Medicare, a drug plan, and possibly Medigap
Because your plan is ending, you get a guaranteed right to buy a Medigap policy. Medigap helps pay costs Original Medicare doesn’t, like deductibles and coinsurance. For most people, it’s hard to get a Medigap policy later without answering health questions.
During this window:
- Insurers can’t turn you down or charge you more because of your health history.
- Which plans you can buy depends on when you became eligible for Medicare:
- Eligible on or after January 1, 2020: Medigap Plan A, B, D, G, K, or L
- Eligible before January 1, 2020: Medigap Plan A, B, C, F, K, or L
- You can apply as early as 60 days before your plan ends (about November 1, 2026) and no later than 63 days after it ends (about March 4, 2027). Your Medigap policy can’t start until your Medicare Advantage coverage ends.
- This right only applies if you go back to Original Medicare. It doesn’t apply if you join another Medicare Advantage plan.
Important: Medigap doesn’t cover prescriptions. On this path you’ll also need a separate Part D drug plan.
Some states offer broader Medigap protections than federal law. Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) can tell you what applies where you live.
Before you choose: check your medications first
As a pharmacist, this is the step I see skipped most often, and it’s where people get the biggest surprises in January.
- Make a complete medication list: exact name, strength, and how often you take it, including inhalers, insulin, and injectables.
- Go to Medicare.gov and use the Medicare Plan Finder. Next year’s plans are usually posted around October 1.
- Enter every medication and your pharmacy. Don’t skip this; it changes the results.
- Compare the estimated total yearly cost, not just the monthly premium. A $0-premium plan can cost more than a plan with a premium once your drugs are counted.
- Look for restrictions next to each drug: prior authorization, step therapy (trying a cheaper drug first), or quantity limits.
- Ask your pharmacist whether a 90-day supply or a different pharmacy would lower your cost under the new plan.
Your “before you compare” checklist
- The plan-ending letter
- Your red, white, and blue Medicare card
- Your complete medication list
- Names of your doctors, specialists, and hospital
- Your pharmacy (and a backup)
- What you pay now: premium, copays, and drug costs
- Any upcoming surgery, treatment, or specialist care
If you’re helping a parent
Sit down together, with the letter and their medication bottles on the table. Plan Finder works best when you enter real medications, not a rough list from memory. If you’ll be making calls on their behalf, ask Medicare or the plan what permission they need from your parent first.
Free, unbiased help
- Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) offers free one-on-one Medicare counseling and doesn’t sell plans. Find yours at shiphelp.org.
- 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY 1-877-486-2048.
Licensed insurance agents can also help, but they’re typically paid by the insurers they represent. And be careful with unexpected calls claiming to be “from Medicare” about your plan ending. Medicare won’t cold-call you to sell a plan.
If you get Medicaid or Extra Help with drug costs, you may have additional chances to change plans during the year. Your SHIP counselor can walk you through them.
The bottom line
A plan-ending letter feels like bad news, but it comes with real protections: extra time, a guaranteed right to Medigap, and a fall full of options. Start with your medications and your doctors, compare your total yearly cost, and aim to decide by December 7.
This article is for education only and isn’t medical, legal, or financial advice. Medicare rules and dates can change. Confirm details with Medicare.gov, your plan, or your SHIP before making decisions.