Is Your Medicare Advantage Plan Ending? What to Do Before Dec. 7

If a letter from your Medicare Advantage insurer arrived this fall saying your plan “will not be offered” in 2027, you are not alone, and you are not losing Medicare. You are losing one private plan that delivered your Medicare benefits. What you choose in the next few weeks decides which doctors you can see, what your prescriptions cost and how much you could pay out of pocket next year.

Humana said it expects its 2027 plan exits to affect about 600,000 members, and UnitedHealthcare said it is closing a Medicare Advantage plan covering about 390,000, according to CBS News. UnitedHealthcare pointed to higher costs and rising use of care. Both insurers say many affected members will be offered another of their plans, but a replacement plan can have a different network, drug list and price, so it deserves the same scrutiny as any other option.

First, check whether this applies to you

Insurers that are dropping a plan must notify members in writing. Look for a letter that says your plan is ending, not renewing, or leaving your area. Your plan’s Annual Notice of Change, mailed each fall, also lists what changes for next year. If you are unsure, call the member services number on your insurance card and ask one direct question: “Will my exact plan exist on Jan. 1, 2027?”

You may have seen a figure of “5 million” seniors in headlines. That number is real but refers to something else: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, which is restructuring its own 2027 Medicare offerings, says nearly 5 million seniors nationwide have had a Medicare Advantage plan discontinued over the past two years. The 2027 exits announced so far by Humana and UnitedHealthcare total about 1 million.

The dates that matter

The special window is a safety net, not a reason to wait. If you choose a plan by Dec. 7, it starts Jan. 1 with no gap. If you choose in February, the new plan generally starts the month after you enroll, and you spend January in Original Medicare.

What happens if you do nothing

Medicare will move you to Original Medicare, Parts A and B, when your plan ends. That keeps you covered for hospital and doctor care, but it changes three things many people do not expect:

• No prescription drug coverage. Original Medicare does not include Part D. If you go 63 days or more without creditable drug coverage, you can owe a late-enrollment penalty for as long as you have Part D.
• No yearly out-of-pocket limit. Medicare Advantage plans cap your annual spending on covered services; Original Medicare alone does not. Many people add a Medigap policy to fill that gap.
• Different extras. Dental, vision and hearing benefits that came with your Advantage plan are not part of Original Medicare.

How to choose in five steps

1. Make a one-page list: every doctor and hospital you want to keep, every prescription with its dose, your pharmacy, and any surgery or treatment planned for 2027.
2. Open the Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov and enter your drugs and pharmacy. Sort by estimated total yearly cost, which combines premiums, deductibles and drug costs. The plan with the lowest premium is often not the cheapest overall.
3. For each plan you are considering, confirm your doctors are in network by calling the doctor’s office, not only by checking the plan’s website. Directories are not always current.
4. Compare the out-of-pocket maximum and the rules for prior authorization and referrals. These matter most if you have a serious diagnosis.
5. Enroll, then keep proof. Joining a new Medicare Advantage plan automatically ends your old one. Save the confirmation number and the letter announcing your plan’s exit, which you may need to prove eligibility for special enrollment or Medigap rights.

Medicare Advantage or Original Medicare plus Medigap?

If Medigap appeals to you, timing is the whole game. Because your plan is leaving, federal rules give you a guaranteed right to buy certain Medigap policies from 60 days before your Advantage coverage ends until 63 days after. Outside that window, insurers in most states can review your health history and charge more or decline you. Only a handful of states, including Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and New York, require insurers to sell Medigap regardless of health more broadly.

Avoid the costly mistakes

• Choosing on premium alone. A $0 premium plan can cost thousands more if your drugs are on a high tier or your specialist is out of network.
• Assuming the replacement plan is the same. If your insurer moves you to another of its plans, check the network and drug list as if it were a new company.
• Forgetting drug coverage. If you return to Original Medicare, enroll in a Part D plan at the same time.
• Sharing your Medicare number with callers. Medicare will not call to sell you a plan. Hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE if you are unsure.

Where to get free, unbiased help

Every state runs a State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP, with trained counselors who do not sell insurance. Find yours at shiphelp.org. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048) at any hour. Brokers can be helpful, but they are paid by insurers and may not represent every plan in your area.

Frequently asked questions