Medicare Advantage Plan Ending? Your 2026–2027 Options
Bottom Line
An ending Medicare Advantage plan leaves two paths: another available Advantage plan or Original Medicare. For a qualifying year-end nonrenewal, arrange replacement before coverage ends; returning to Original Medicare doesn't automatically add Medigap or drug coverage.
If your Medicare Advantage plan is ending, you can choose another available Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare. A year-end nonrenewal also gives you a Special Enrollment Period. Start with the official notice and arrange replacement coverage before your current plan ends, including a decision about prescription drugs.
If you also own a business and are considering an SBA loan, life insurance for an SBA loan is a separate planning question to discuss with your lender. It is unrelated to your Medicare coverage or enrollment requirements.
Confirm what is happening to your plan
As you explore your Medicare plan switching options, distinguish these notices:
- Nonrenewal notice: Your plan is leaving Medicare for the coming year. Medicare lists October as the month to expect this notice from your plan.
- Annual Notice of Change: Usually received in September, this describes coverage and cost changes effective in January. A benefit change alone is different from a plan exit.
- Plan consolidation: Your enrollment may continue in a successor plan. CMS says consolidation alone does not qualify for the nonrenewal Special Enrollment Period.
Record the exact plan name and identification number, why coverage is ending, its final coverage date, and the deadlines in the letter. Keep the notice: it can help document your Medigap rights. If the letter describes an automatic transfer, confirm the receiving plan and effective date before submitting another enrollment.
Know the deadline that protects your start date
The Medicare enrollment windows for plan changes below address a qualifying year-end nonrenewal, with current coverage ending December 31, 2026.
| When the replacement plan receives your enrollment | Enrollment opportunity | New coverage starts |
|---|---|---|
| October 15–December 7, 2026 | Annual Open Enrollment | January 1, 2027 |
| December 8–December 31, 2026 | Nonrenewal Special Enrollment Period | January 1, 2027 |
| January 1–January 31, 2027 | Nonrenewal Special Enrollment Period | February 1, 2027 |
| February 1–February 28, 2027 | Nonrenewal Special Enrollment Period | March 1, 2027 |
Waiting until February does not extend your old plan. If you do not join another Advantage plan before the old one ends, you return to Original Medicare. That return does not itself add Medigap or replace the drug coverage you lost.
The January 1–March 31 Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period applies to people already in Medicare Advantage. If your plan exit leaves you in Original Medicare, do not assume March 31 is your replacement deadline.
For a midyear termination, the window depends on how the contract ends. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) with your notice to confirm the deadline and available start dates; the year-end table does not apply.
Compare your replacement coverage paths
Original Medicare consists of Part A hospital insurance and Part B medical insurance. Medicare Advantage is a private-plan way to receive those benefits, usually with Part D included. Medigap, also called Medicare Supplement Insurance, helps pay your share of Original Medicare costs; it does not supplement Medicare Advantage.
| Replacement option | Why consider it? | Main decision |
|---|---|---|
| Another Medicare Advantage plan | Combines medical coverage and usually drug coverage, with an annual limit on covered medical out-of-pocket costs. | Do the exact plan’s providers, drug coverage, copays, and authorization rules fit your care? |
| Original Medicare + Medigap + standalone Part D | Original Medicare allows access to providers accepting Medicare nationwide; Medigap helps with covered cost sharing. | Can you obtain the Supplement policy you want and afford the combined premiums? |
| Original Medicare + standalone Part D, without Medigap | Provides medical and drug coverage without a Supplement premium. | Can other coverage or your budget handle Original Medicare’s deductibles and coinsurance? |
The provider-access and cost-sharing differences can matter more than a premium alone. Original Medicare has no annual out-of-pocket ceiling by itself.
New Medigap policies do not include prescription coverage. If you choose Original Medicare, arrange standalone Part D unless you have other creditable drug coverage. If you choose an Advantage HMO or PPO, enrolling in a separate Part D plan will disenroll you from that Advantage plan and return you to Original Medicare.
Check Medigap rights before choosing your route
When switching from Medicare Advantage to Medigap, leaving Advantage and qualifying for a Supplement are separate decisions. Annual Medicare Open Enrollment does not generally guarantee Medigap acceptance without medical underwriting—a review of your health history.
Start checking Medigap guaranteed issue rights against the reason in your notice. A plan leaving Medicare or stopping coverage in your area can trigger federal protection when you return to Original Medicare. Under a qualifying right, insurers must sell an eligible policy they offer, cover pre-existing conditions, and cannot increase its price because of your health history.
For an involuntary plan exit, CMS’s model notice describes the application window as beginning when you receive the termination notice and ending 63 days after Advantage coverage ends. For coverage ending December 31, 2026, that outside deadline is March 4, 2027. Apply early enough to arrange a January 1 start instead of leaving cost-sharing gaps.
Protection does not extend to every policy letter. Plan N is not included in the standard federal plan-exit guaranteed-issue choices. Ask which policies are available under your documented right, and get the premium and effective date in writing. Medigap cannot start while your Advantage coverage remains in effect.
States may offer broader protections, and availability for people under 65 requires particular attention to state law. Ask your State Insurance Department about the rule that applies to you.
Compare actual costs, doctors, and prescriptions
Before selecting replacements, review your current Medicare coverage using your notice, recent bills, provider list, and medication list. Search using your ZIP code and county, then compare candidates against the same needs.
For January 2027 coverage, use the replacement’s 2027 documents when available. Do not carry a 2026 premium, copay, network, or advertised benefit into your 2027 comparison without checking.
- Confirm access to care. Ask the plan and each essential provider about the exact plan name, ID, year, and practice location. Include specialists, hospitals, and treatment facilities. If treatment is underway, ask how authorizations and scheduled services will be handled.
- Price your prescriptions. Enter each medication, strength, quantity, and pharmacy in Medicare’s comparison tool. Compare estimated annual drug costs and the plan’s covered-drug list, not just the monthly premium.
- Compare a routine year and a year with substantial care. Add annual premiums to expected medical and prescription costs. For Advantage, inspect hospital, specialist, therapy, and equipment cost sharing alongside its medical out-of-pocket limit. Include the required Part B premium in your budget.
- Get comparable Medigap quotes. Request the same policy letter and effective date from each insurer. Identify your guaranteed-issue situation and ask about pricing method, applicable discounts, and future increases. Medicare’s displayed estimates are not a substitute for a confirmed insurer quote.
Avoid an unnecessary drug-coverage gap: going 63 consecutive days without Part D or other creditable prescription coverage can trigger a late-enrollment penalty. Creditable coverage is expected to pay, on average, at least as much as Medicare drug coverage.
Finish with a documented coverage decision
If you are choosing Medicare coverage for a parent, organize the notices, prescriptions, provider checks, and comparison results. Enrollment decisions belong to your parent or a representative with authority under state law. Medicare’s permission to share health information is a separate authorization.
Keep enrollment confirmations and verify every effective date. For an Original Medicare route, separately confirm the Medigap policy, if selected, and Part D enrollment. Tell your providers and pharmacy which coverage starts next.
Your next step is to compare available local Advantage plans with Original Medicare, adding written Medigap and Part D quotes where appropriate. Bring the plan-exit notice and your care list to that review. Choose the route that fits your doctors, medications, monthly budget, and exposure to larger bills, then complete enrollment in time for the start date you need.