Your Medicare Advantage plan is being discontinued. Now what?
Every fall some Medicare Advantage plans leave a county or leave Medicare altogether, and in the last two years it has happened to far more people than usual. If you've received a non-renewal letter, you have more time and more options than the letter makes obvious. Here is what it means and what to do, in order.
What the letter means
Medicare Advantage plans contract with Medicare one year at a time. When a plan won't be offered next year in your county, the company must send a non-renewal notice by October 2. It tells you the plan ends December 31, describes your rights, and sometimes names a replacement plan the company would move you into. It is not a cancellation of your Medicare; Parts A and B continue regardless.
Why it happens: carriers reprice every county every year. A plan that lost money on its network contracts, or that Medicare's star ratings or payment changes made unprofitable, gets withdrawn. For 2026, KFF counted about 2.6 million people, 13% of everyone in a Medicare Advantage drug plan, whose plan was terminated without an automatic replacement, the most in any recent year. The letters for 2027 will land by early October 2026. It says nothing about you and nothing you did.
Your windows
| Window | Dates | Coverage starts |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Enrollment Period | October 15 to December 7 | January 1, no gap |
| Non-renewal Special Enrollment Period | December 8 to the last day of February | First of the month after you enrol |
| Medigap guaranteed-issue right (federal) | 60 days before to 63 days after the plan ends | Date you choose |
Use the first window. Choosing by December 7 means no January gap. The Special Enrollment Period is a safety net, not a plan.
Your four options
1. Another Medicare Advantage plan
Usually the closest like-for-like move, and often what people want. But don't assume the replacement the carrier suggests is the best one: the plans still available in your county for next year may have different networks, drug lists and out-of-pocket maximums. Check your doctors and prescriptions against each of them, not against the plan you're losing.
2. Original Medicare plus a Medigap plan plus Part D
A non-renewal is one of the few moments when this route is open to everyone, because the federal guaranteed-issue right means no health questions and no pre-existing condition waiting period. In New York you can buy Medigap any time, but the waiting-period waiver is worth having if you've had a coverage gap. If you've been frustrated by networks, referrals or prior authorization, this is the moment to make the change. The Medigap in New York page and the Plan G vs Plan N guide cover the choice; you'll also need a standalone Part D plan.
3. Original Medicare plus Part D only
Cheaper, and it keeps provider freedom, but it leaves you with 20% of Part B costs and no yearly cap. It suits people who qualify for the Medicare Savings Program or Medicaid, which pick up the cost-sharing; for most others it's a risk not worth running.
4. Let the carrier move you
If the letter names a replacement plan, doing nothing enrols you in it. Treat that plan as new. Read its Annual Notice of Change, check the network and drug list, and compare it against the alternatives. Sometimes it's fine; sometimes it's a materially worse plan wearing a familiar name.
A January with no drug coverage
If your plan included drug coverage and you don't enrol in something with Part D for January 1, you're uncovered. After 63 days without creditable coverage the late-enrollment penalty starts accruing, permanently. Whatever you decide about medical coverage, make sure drug coverage is in place for January 1.
The order to do things in
- Read the letter twice. Note whether a replacement plan is named, and the date the plan ends.
- List your doctors and prescriptions. Every specialist, every drug, the pharmacy you use. This is the comparison input, and the non-renewal changes nothing about it.
- Decide the structure first: Advantage again, or Original Medicare with Medigap. Then pick the specific plan within that structure.
- Enrol before December 7 for a January 1 start. If you're leaning toward Medigap, apply for the policy and the Part D plan together so they start the same day.
- Confirm in January. New cards, first pharmacy fill, first doctor visit. If anything is wrong, the Special Enrollment Period is still open until the end of February.
What I do
Bring me the letter. I'll tell you which plans in your county are genuinely comparable to the one you're losing, which of your doctors each one includes, what your prescriptions would cost through each, and what Original Medicare with a Supplement would cost by comparison. If the answer is "take the replacement the carrier offered", I'll say so. No fee, and I stay your point of contact after January when the first bill comes. Request a review, or start with the Annual Enrollment Period guide.
- Buying a Medigap policy, including guaranteed issue rights (medicare.gov) — plan leaves Medicare or stops serving your area
- Special Enrollment Periods (medicare.gov) — plan non-renewal
- Avoid late enrollment penalties (medicare.gov) — 63-day Part D rule
- Medicare Advantage 2026 spotlight: plan terminations (KFF) — 2.6 million in terminated plans
- Protections for Medicare beneficiaries residing in New York (NY DFS)
I do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information I provide is limited to the plans I do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program for information on all of your options. Not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government, the Social Security Administration or the federal Medicare program.
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask before they call.
What happens if I do nothing?
Your plan ends December 31. Unless the letter says the company is moving you into a replacement plan, you'll be back in Original Medicare on January 1 with no drug coverage and no supplement: Part A and Part B, 20% coinsurance, no yearly cap. You can still fix that during the Special Enrollment Period, but a January without drug coverage is avoidable.
How long do I have to choose a new plan?
Two windows. The Annual Enrollment Period, October 15 to December 7, gets you a new plan for January 1 with no gap. If you miss that, the non-renewal gives you a Special Enrollment Period from December 8 through the last day of February, and coverage starts the first of the month after you enrol.
Can I get a Medigap plan instead?
Yes. Federal law gives you a guaranteed-issue right to Medigap Plans A, B, D, G, K or L (C or F if you were eligible for Medicare before 2020) from 60 days before your plan ends until 63 days after, with no waiting period for pre-existing conditions. In New York you can buy Medigap any time anyway, so the federal right matters mainly because it also waives the waiting period.
My letter says I'm being moved to another plan automatically. Is that fine?
It might be. Carriers sometimes consolidate plans and transfer members into a similar one. Read the new plan's Annual Notice of Change as carefully as you would a brand-new plan: the network, the drug list and the out-of-pocket maximum can all be different. You still have the same windows to choose something else.
Is there a fee for help with this?
No. Comparing plans and enrolling through a broker costs you nothing; the carrier pays a commission and your premium is identical whichever way you enrol.
Let's talk it through
A phone call or a message is all it takes. The first conversation is just a conversation.