Medicare Advantage Plan Ending in 2027? What Happens Next

If you received a Medicare Advantage plan non-renewal notice in October 2026, your current plan may not be available in 2027. The notice is not just a warning that a premium or copayment will change. Medicare says a non-renewal notice means the plan is leaving the program for the coming year, and you need to consider replacement coverage.

For a plan ending December 31, 2026, doing nothing generally returns you to Original Medicare on January 1, 2027, rather than placing you in another Medicare Advantage plan. But Original Medicare is not the same package: prescription drug coverage and supplemental protection need separate attention. Medicare explains the automatic return to Original Medicare when a Medicare Advantage contract is not renewed.

First, identify which notice you received

A Plan Annual Notice of Change normally arrives in September and explains changes to next year’s costs or coverage. A Plan Non-Renewal Notice normally arrives in October and says the plan will not continue. If your letter is unclear, call the plan using the number on your membership card and ask whether your specific plan will be available at your address on January 1, 2027.

This distinction matters: a plan that continues with different benefits is not the same as a plan that stops offering coverage. Do not assume every annual change gives you the special enrollment rights described below.

Three choices if your Medicare Advantage plan ends

• Choose a different Medicare Advantage plan. Use the official Medicare Plan Finder to compare plans available at your address for 2027. Check your doctors, hospitals, prescription drugs, pharmacies, premiums, and annual out-of-pocket exposure—not just the advertised premium. Many, but not all, Medicare Advantage plans include Part D drug coverage.
• Move to Original Medicare and arrange other coverage. Original Medicare includes Part A and Part B, but you may want a separate Part D drug plan and, if eligible, a Medigap policy for some out-of-pocket costs. Original Medicare generally does not provide the routine dental, vision, and other extras that some Medicare Advantage plans advertise.
• Make no new plan selection. When the non-renewed Medicare Advantage plan ends, Medicare says you will be enrolled in Original Medicare if you have not joined another Medicare Advantage plan. Do not assume that automatically supplies a replacement Part D plan or Medigap policy. Check your actual drug and supplemental coverage before January.

The Medicare coverage comparison explains the differences between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage. If you have Medicaid, Extra Help, employer coverage, or another special arrangement, ask Medicare how those benefits interact before changing plans.

The December 7 deadline and the non-renewal extension are different

During the regular Medicare Open Enrollment period, October 15–December 7, 2026, you can select replacement coverage for January 1, 2027. Your plan must receive the enrollment request by December 7. That is the straightforward way to avoid waiting until the old plan has already ended.

A separate Special Enrollment Period applies when a plan’s Medicare contract is not renewed: Medicare lists December 8 through the last day of February of the following year. For a plan ending in 2026, that is December 8, 2026 through February 28, 2027. This is a backup opportunity to change coverage, not a guarantee that a plan selected later will begin on January 1. Confirm the effective date before relying on the new plan.

If your notice describes a different event—such as a move out of a service area, a midyear termination, or a Medicare drug plan rather than Medicare Advantage—the applicable Special Enrollment Period may differ. Use the event-specific choices on Medicare’s page or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048).

If you return to Original Medicare, check Medigap rights immediately

Losing a Medicare Advantage plan because it leaves Medicare or stops covering your area can create a federal guaranteed-issue right to buy certain Medigap policies if you switch to Original Medicare. Medicare’s Medigap eligibility guide says the application window for this situation can begin 60 days before Medicare Advantage coverage ends and close 63 days after it ends.

That protection is not a blanket right for everyone who voluntarily leaves a continuing Medicare Advantage plan. Eligible policies, age-related rules, and additional state protections can vary; federal law does not generally require insurers to sell Medigap to people under 65. Keep the non-renewal notice as proof and check your situation with the insurer, your state insurance department, or a State Health Insurance Assistance Program before the window closes.

Medigap does not replace prescription drug coverage. Medicare explains that people using Original Medicare generally obtain drug coverage through a separate Part D plan, unless they have other qualifying coverage. A long gap without creditable drug coverage can create a Part D late-enrollment penalty, so check that part of the transition too.

A practical example: your plan ends December 31

Suppose your Medicare Advantage plan sends a non-renewal notice in October 2026 and ends December 31. If you enroll in a different Medicare Advantage plan by December 7, that choice can take effect January 1. If you choose Original Medicare, separately review a Part D plan and any Medigap rights. If you make no new Medicare Advantage selection, Medicare says you return to Original Medicare when the old plan ends—but your prescription coverage still needs checking.

If you only start shopping after December 7, the non-renewal Special Enrollment Period may still let you change plans through February 28, 2027. Do not assume the same effective date or benefits as a choice completed in fall Open Enrollment. These dates describe a standard December 31 non-renewal, not every kind of plan termination.

What to check before you enroll

• Keep the plan’s non-renewal letter and confirm the exact termination date with the plan.
• Compare available 2027 plans on Medicare.gov using your actual medications, preferred pharmacies and providers.
• If you will use Original Medicare, confirm whether a separate Part D plan and Medigap policy are appropriate, available and effective when you need them.
• For free individualized help, contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) or call 1-800-MEDICARE. Bring the non-renewal notice and current medication list.

For the broader annual decision process, see our 2027 Medicare Open Enrollment guide. This article focuses specifically on the different consequences and deadlines when an existing plan will not renew.

Prepared with AI assistance using the linked Medicare.gov and SHIP guidance, checked October 29, 2026. The December 31 example is illustrative; no individual plan or enrollment record was reviewed.