Your Medicare Advantage Plan Is Ending in 2027 — Here’s Exactly What to Do

If an envelope from your Medicare Advantage plan arrived this fall with words like “non-renewal” or “your plan will not be offered in 2027,” you are not alone. This year insurers are cutting back on Medicare Advantage in a big way. Industry reports show UnitedHealthcare exits affecting roughly 615,000 members and Humana exits affecting roughly 549,000, with Aetna, Centene, and several Blue Cross plans also shrinking where they sell. Estimates of the total number of people whose plans are ending run from 2 million to 5 million.

Even people whose plans are staying are seeing fewer choices. The average person now has about 28 Medicare Advantage drug plans to pick from for 2027, down from 32 last year. Many plans that stayed raised out-of-pocket maximums or trimmed extras like dental, vision, and over-the-counter allowances.

The good news: losing your plan does not mean losing Medicare. You still have Original Medicare (Parts A and B) no matter what an insurance company decides. And when a plan leaves, the law gives you special rights and extra time. The bad news is that those rights come with deadlines — and doing nothing is the most expensive option.

At JKJ Enterprises, this is exactly the kind of situation we help people through. Here is what you need to know.

Step One: Confirm What Is Actually Happening to Your Plan

Not every scary-looking letter means your coverage is ending. Plans send three different kinds of notices, and they mean very different things:

• Annual Notice of Change (ANOC): Your plan is staying, but benefits, costs, or the drug list are changing for 2027. You do not have to do anything, but you should read it.
• Non-renewal notice: Your plan is ending on December 31, 2026, or it is leaving your county. This is the letter that gives you special rights.
• “Crosswalk” or plan-change notice: Your insurer is closing your plan but moving you into a different plan it offers. You are covered, but the new plan may have a different network, drug list, or costs.

If you are not sure which one you got, look up your plan on Medicare.gov’s Plan Finder, call the number on your plan card, or call us. Do not assume — confirm.

Your Deadlines at a Glance

Write these down:

• October 15 – December 7, 2026: Annual Enrollment Period. Pick a new plan by December 7 and your coverage starts January 1, 2027 with no gap. This is the best time to act.
• December 8, 2026 – February 28, 2027: Special Enrollment Period for people whose plan is not renewing. You can still join a new Medicare Advantage plan or a standalone Part D drug plan. Coverage generally starts the first day of the month after you enroll — so if you wait until January, you could spend weeks without the coverage you want.
• Up to 63 days after your plan ends (about March 4, 2027 for plans ending December 31): Your guaranteed right to buy certain Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policies with no health questions, if you go back to Original Medicare. You can apply as early as 60 days before your plan ends.

The Do-Nothing Trap

This is the part that worries us most. If your Medicare Advantage plan ends, you do nothing, and your insurer does not move you into another plan, here is what happens on January 1:

• You are automatically returned to Original Medicare.
• You have no prescription drug coverage, because Original Medicare does not include it.
• You have no cap on what you pay for Part A and Part B services — Original Medicare alone has no out-of-pocket maximum.
• You lose the extras your plan included, like dental, vision, or hearing benefits.

And if you go 63 days or more without creditable drug coverage, you could owe a Part D late enrollment penalty that is added to your premium for as long as you have Medicare.

If you take nothing else from this article: do not let January 1 make the decision for you.

Option 1: Choose Another Medicare Advantage Plan

For many people, the simplest path is moving to a different Medicare Advantage plan that is still offered in their county. This often keeps premiums low and keeps extras like dental and vision.

Before you pick, check three things:

• Your doctors and hospitals. Networks vary a lot from plan to plan. Confirm that your primary doctor, your specialists, and the hospital you prefer are in-network for 2027.
• Your prescriptions. Enter every medication and dose into the plan comparison. A plan with a $0 premium can still cost you more if your drugs are on a higher tier.
• The out-of-pocket maximum. This is the most you would pay in a bad health year. Many limits went up for 2027.

It can also help to look at 2027 Star Ratings, which came out in October. Ratings are not everything, but a low-rated plan deserves a closer look.

Option 2: Go Back to Original Medicare and Add a Medigap Policy

This is the option most people do not know about — and the one with the biggest deadline attached.

Normally, if you want to switch from Medicare Advantage to a Medigap policy, insurance companies in most states can ask health questions and turn you down or charge you more because of your medical history. But when your Medicare Advantage plan leaves, you get a guaranteed issue right. For a limited time, insurers must sell you certain Medigap policies:

• They cannot turn you down because of your health.
• They cannot charge you more because of health conditions you already have.
• They generally cannot make you wait for coverage of those conditions.

Which policies you can buy depends on when you became eligible for Medicare. If you became eligible before January 1, 2020, you can buy Plan A, B, C, F, K, or L. If you became eligible on or after January 1, 2020, you can buy Plan A, B, D, G, K, or L. (Plan G is the most popular choice for people in that second group.)

This right ends 63 days after your Medicare Advantage coverage ends. Miss it, and you may have to answer health questions to get a Medigap policy later — and with a serious health condition, you might not be approved.

Two important notes:

• Medigap does not include prescription drugs. If you go this route, you also need a standalone Part D plan, and you should enroll in it at the same time so there is no gap.
• Keep your non-renewal letter. It is your proof that you qualify for guaranteed issue. Some insurers will ask for a copy with your application.

Original Medicare plus a Medigap policy usually costs more each month than a Medicare Advantage plan. In exchange, you can see any doctor in the country who accepts Medicare, with no network and no referrals, and your costs are much more predictable. For people with serious or ongoing health conditions — or people who travel or split time between states — that tradeoff is often worth it.

Which Option Is Right for You?

There is no single right answer, but here is a general way to think about it:

• Medicare Advantage may fit if you are generally healthy, your doctors are in a local plan’s network, you want a low monthly premium, and you value extras like dental and vision.
• Original Medicare with Medigap and Part D may fit if you have significant health needs, see specialists often, want freedom to see any doctor who accepts Medicare, or simply want to stop worrying about networks and plans leaving your area.

The important thing is that this year, the Medigap door is open for you without health questions. That door may not open again.

What If Your Plan Moved You Into a Different Plan?

If your insurer is moving you to another one of its plans, you will have coverage on January 1 — but do not assume it is the same. Check that your doctors are in the new network and that your drugs are still covered at similar costs. If the new plan does not fit, you can still change during the Annual Enrollment Period through December 7. And once you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31 lets you make one more change if needed.

Watch Out for Scams

Plan exits are a gift to scammers. Medicare will not call you out of the blue asking for your Medicare number, Social Security number, or bank information to “keep your coverage.” Be careful with TV ads and unsolicited calls promising “new benefits” or cash back. Work with a licensed agent you can verify, or go directly to Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.

Your Plan-Ending Checklist

1. Read the letter. Is it a non-renewal, a plan change, or just an Annual Notice of Change?

2. Keep it. Your non-renewal letter is your proof of special enrollment and Medigap rights.

3. Make your lists. Write down every doctor, hospital, and prescription (with doses).

4. Compare both paths. Look at other Medicare Advantage plans and Original Medicare with Medigap and Part D.

5. Decide by December 7. That gives you coverage on January 1 with no gap. The extra time through February 28 is a safety net, not a plan.

6. If you choose Medigap, enroll in Part D too. Do both at the same time.

Let’s Find Your Next Plan Together

If your Medicare Advantage plan is going away, you do not have to figure this out alone — and you should not wait until the last week of enrollment. We will look at your doctors, your prescriptions, and your budget and compare your options side by side, including whether a Medigap policy makes sense while your guaranteed issue window is open. Call JKJ Enterprises at (323) 677-4660, email [email protected], or book a free, no-pressure review at book.jkjenterprises.com/team/jkjent.

Disclaimer: Kenny Johnson of JKJ Enterprises is a licensed Medicare and life insurance agent (CA License #0F12966). This article is for general educational purposes only. Figures reflect publicly reported information as of October 27, 2026; plan availability varies by county. Medigap rules can vary by state. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 6 organizations which offer 36 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options. Not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program.