Medicare Advantage Plan Ending in 2027? What to Do If Your Plan Is Discontinued
Medicare Advantage Plan Ending in 2027? What to Do If Your Plan Is Discontinued
If your Medicare Advantage plan will not be offered in 2027, do not ignore the notice from your insurer.
A plan ending, leaving your county, reducing its service area, or not renewing its Medicare contract can force you to make a coverage decision before the new year.
The good news is that Medicare provides special enrollment protections when a Medicare Advantage contract or plan is terminated or not renewed.
Depending on exactly why your coverage is ending, you may be able to switch to another Medicare Advantage plan, return to Original Medicare, join a stand-alone Medicare Part D drug plan, and—in qualifying situations—use federal or state Medigap guaranteed-issue protections.
What to Do If Your Medicare Advantage Plan Is Ending: Quick Checklist
- Read the plan notice carefully. Determine whether your plan is being terminated, not renewed, or leaving your service area.
- Check the exact coverage end date.
- Compare 2027 plans in Medicare Plan Finder.
- Check whether your doctors, hospitals and prescriptions are covered by any replacement plan.
- Understand your Special Enrollment Period.
- Compare Medicare Advantage with Original Medicare.
- If considering Original Medicare, investigate Part D and Medigap immediately.
- Save every termination or nonrenewal notice.
Is Medicare Advantage Disappearing in 2027?
No. CMS projects about 5,532 Medicare Advantage plans nationally in 2027, compared with 5,553 in 2026. More than 99% of Medicare beneficiaries are expected to have access to at least one Medicare Advantage plan, and 97% are expected to have 10 or more choices.
CMS also estimates that approximately eight in 10 current Medicare Advantage beneficiaries can remain in their current plan with the same or a lower premium.
But Medicare Advantage is local. A stable national plan count can coexist with major changes in individual counties because insurers can leave one market while expanding in another.
For the broader market outlook, see our Medicare Advantage 2027 Changes guide.
First: Find Out Exactly What Is Happening to Your Plan
Your notice may say that your specific plan will not be offered next year, the contract with Medicare is not being renewed, the insurer is leaving your service area, your county is being removed from the plan’s service area, Medicare terminated the contract, or the plan is continuing but changing costs and benefits.
If the plan is simply changing premiums or benefits but still exists, your rights may differ from those of someone whose plan is disappearing completely.
Review Your Annual Notice of Change
Medicare says plans send an Annual Notice of Change, or ANOC, each fall. The ANOC explains changes that take effect in January, including premiums, deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, drug coverage and other plan rules.
Medicare says beneficiaries should receive the ANOC in September. If you did not receive it, contact your plan.
What Happens If You Do Nothing?
If your Medicare Advantage plan’s contract ends or is not renewed and you do not join another Medicare Advantage plan before your current coverage ends, Medicare says you generally will be enrolled in Original Medicare.
Original Medicare does not automatically recreate the prescription-drug coverage you had in an MA-PD plan. If you want drug coverage after returning to Original Medicare, you may need to choose a stand-alone Part D plan.
Your Special Enrollment Period If the Plan Is Not Renewed
For a plan contract that is not renewed, Medicare currently states that your opportunity to switch coverage runs from December 8 through the last day of February of the following year.
If your 2026 plan is not renewed for 2027, this window extends beyond the normal December 7 end of Medicare Open Enrollment.
If Medicare Terminates the Plan’s Contract
If Medicare itself terminates your plan’s contract, Medicare says the Special Enrollment Period begins one month before the contract ends and continues through two full months after the contract ends.
If the Plan Ends Its Contract With Medicare
When the plan ends its Medicare contract, or the plan and Medicare agree to end it, Medicare currently states that the Special Enrollment Period begins two months before the contract ends and continues through one full month after the contract ends.
Option 1: Switch to Another Medicare Advantage Plan
Do not select a replacement based only on monthly premium. Check doctors, hospitals, prescriptions, prior authorization, specialist copays, hospital copays, drug deductible, annual out-of-pocket maximum and supplemental benefits.
CMS projects the weighted average Medicare Advantage monthly premium to fall from $14.37 in 2026 to $12 in 2027, but the lowest premium is not necessarily the lowest total cost.
Use Medicare Plan Finder
Use the official Medicare Plan Finder to compare local options. For a step-by-step review process, use our Medicare Open Enrollment 2027 checklist.
Option 2: Return to Original Medicare
Original Medicare generally provides broad provider access among clinicians and hospitals that accept Medicare, but it does not include a standard annual out-of-pocket maximum for Part A and Part B services.
Many people who return to Original Medicare therefore consider a stand-alone Part D plan and a Medigap policy.
Option 3: Add a Stand-Alone Part D Plan
For 2027, CMS has finalized the defined-standard Part D deductible at $700 and the defined-standard out-of-pocket threshold at $2,400.
Compare premium, deductible, formulary, drug tiers, preferred pharmacies and estimated annual drug costs.
See our Medicare Part D 2027 costs guide.
Option 4: Consider Medigap
If you switch from Medicare Advantage to Original Medicare because your plan is ending, you may have important Medigap protections.
Outside your original Medigap Open Enrollment Period, insurers can often use medical underwriting unless you have a federal or state guaranteed-issue right.
Medigap Guaranteed-Issue Rights When a Medicare Advantage Plan Ends
Medicare says certain beneficiaries whose Medicare Advantage coverage is ending can have a guaranteed-issue right to buy Medigap if they switch to Original Medicare.
Under Medicare’s current guidance, the application window can begin 60 days before your Medicare Advantage coverage ends and continue until 63 days after the coverage ends.
The exact federal rights depend on the reason coverage ended, your Medicare eligibility date and other circumstances. States may provide additional rights.
Contact Medicare, your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), and your state insurance department before giving up a guaranteed-issue window.
Save Your Plan Termination Letter
Keep the plan termination or nonrenewal notice, your ANOC, Medicare letters and enrollment confirmations. You may need proof of your situation when applying for Medigap outside your original enrollment period.
Medigap Plan G or Plan N?
Plan G generally offers broader standardized cost-sharing coverage than Plan N, while Plan N can have lower premiums but includes certain copays and does not cover Part B excess charges.
See our Medigap Plan G vs. Plan N 2027 guide and our Medigap 2027 Changes guide.
What If Your Doctor Is Leaving the Network but the Plan Is Staying?
A provider leaving your network is different from the entire plan disappearing. Medicare has Special Enrollment Period rules for some significant provider-network changes and exceptional circumstances.
Do not assume the same SEP applies. Check your notice and contact Medicare.
What If Your Plan Premium Is Going Up but the Plan Is Not Ending?
If the plan continues in 2027, you normally use Medicare Open Enrollment to decide whether to stay or switch.
Open Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, with changes generally taking effect January 1, 2027.
Check the 2027 Star Rating Too
CMS released the 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Star Ratings on October 8, 2026.
Approximately 37% of MA-PD contracts offered in 2027 earned four stars or higher. Weighted by enrollment, approximately 71% of MA-PD enrollees are currently in contracts that will have four or more stars in 2027.
Only 15 MA-PD contracts earned five stars for 2027.
Star ratings can help compare quality, but they should not replace checking your doctors, prescriptions and total costs.
What If a 5-Star Plan Is Available?
Medicare provides a special enrollment opportunity for 5-star plans. If a 5-star Medicare Advantage, Cost, or drug plan is available in your area, Medicare says you can generally use the 5-Star Special Enrollment Period once between December 8 of the year before the plan year and November 30 of the plan year.
Do Not Assume a $0 Premium Means $0 Cost
Many Medicare Advantage plans advertise a $0 additional monthly premium, but beneficiaries generally still pay the Medicare Part B premium and can face copays, drug costs, out-of-network costs and annual out-of-pocket limits.
Higher-income beneficiaries should also review our 2027 Medicare IRMAA Brackets guide.
What to Compare Before Choosing a Replacement Plan
| Item | Question to Ask |
|---|---|
| Monthly premium | What is the total premium beyond Part B? |
| Doctors | Are my primary doctor and specialists in-network? |
| Hospitals | Are my preferred hospitals included? |
| Prescriptions | Are my drugs covered, and on what tier? |
| Drug deductible | What deductible applies? |
| Maximum out-of-pocket | What is my worst-case annual medical spending? |
| Prior authorization | Which services require approval? |
| Travel | What happens when I need non-emergency care away from home? |
| Extra benefits | What are the real limits on dental, vision and hearing? |
| Star rating | How did the specific contract score for 2027? |
Five Mistakes to Avoid
1. Assuming Medicare Will Choose the Best New Plan for You
Do not assume a replacement Medicare Advantage plan will be automatically selected for your needs.
2. Looking Only at Premium
Provider networks, drug costs and hospital cost sharing can matter more than a $0 headline premium.
3. Missing a Medigap Guaranteed-Issue Window
If you qualify, the right can be time-limited.
4. Forgetting Part D After Returning to Original Medicare
Original Medicare does not automatically recreate your old MA-PD prescription coverage.
5. Throwing Away Your Termination Notice
The notice may be important evidence of your enrollment rights.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if my Medicare Advantage plan is discontinued in 2027?
You can generally switch to another Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare. Medicare provides Special Enrollment Period protections when a plan contract terminates or is not renewed.
Will Medicare automatically put me in another Medicare Advantage plan?
Do not assume that. Medicare says beneficiaries whose plan contract ends are generally enrolled in Original Medicare if they do not join another Medicare Advantage plan before current coverage ends.
What if my plan is not renewed for 2027?
Medicare’s current guidance says the nonrenewal SEP runs from December 8 through the last day of February of the following year.
Can I buy Medigap if my Medicare Advantage plan ends?
You may have federal guaranteed-issue rights if you switch to Original Medicare. State law may provide additional protections.
When should I apply for Medigap?
For applicable guaranteed-issue situations, Medicare guidance provides a window beginning up to 60 days before MA coverage ends and extending no more than 63 days afterward.
Do I need Part D if I return to Original Medicare?
If you want Medicare prescription-drug coverage, you generally need to evaluate a stand-alone Part D plan.
How many Medicare Advantage plans will there be in 2027?
CMS projects approximately 5,532 plans nationally, compared with 5,553 in 2026. Availability varies by county.
Bottom Line
If your Medicare Advantage plan is ending in 2027, you have options—but deadlines matter.
Identify why the plan is ending, compare another Medicare Advantage plan with Original Medicare, and investigate Part D and Medigap immediately if you are considering Original Medicare.
Medicare’s Special Enrollment Period timing depends on whether a contract is terminated, voluntarily ended or not renewed.
Nationally, Medicare Advantage remains widely available in 2027, but the best decision depends on your local options, doctors, medications, costs and enrollment rights.
