What happens when your plan leaves
Medicare Advantage plans can stop serving a county or leave Medicare at the end of a year. If yours does, your plan must tell you in writing before your coverage ends. Your plan keeps covering you through the end of 2026, so you won't lose coverage mid-year.
You then have a choice to make for 2027. If you don't pick a new plan, Medicare moves you to Original Medicare when your plan ends, and you may be left without drug coverage until you add a Part D plan.
Your options and deadlines
Your options if your plan is leaving
| Option | When | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Join another Medicare Advantage plan | Open Enrollment, or from December 8, 2026 to February 28, 2027 | Check that your doctors and drugs are covered |
| Go to Original Medicare and add a Part D plan | Same windows | Add Part D so you aren't without drug coverage |
| Add a Medigap policy with Original Medicare | From 60 days before to 63 days after your plan coverage ends | Keep your plan's notice as proof |
| Do nothing | Not recommended | You go to Original Medicare with no Medigap or Part D |
Choosing a plan by December 7, 2026 means your new coverage starts January 1, 2027 with no gap. Under Medicare's rules, choices made from December 8, 2026 to the end of December also start January 1, 2027, and later choices start the first of the next month.
Your guaranteed right to buy Medigap
When your Medicare Advantage plan leaves Medicare or stops serving your area and you return to Original Medicare, federal law gives you a guaranteed issue right. Insurance companies can't turn you down or charge more for your health for Medigap Plan A, B, D or G, or Plan C or F if you were eligible for Medicare before 2020.
You can apply as early as 60 days before your plan coverage ends and no later than 63 days after. Your Medigap policy can't start until your Medicare Advantage coverage ends. Keep the letter from your plan, because the insurer may ask for it. See whether you can switch Medigap during Open Enrollment for how Medigap rights work.
If you're moving instead
If your plan is staying but you are moving out of its service area, the rules are different. Medicare.gov says your chance to switch starts when you move and lasts 2 full months after you move. If you tell your plan before you move, it can start the month before.
How to choose your 2027 coverage
- List your doctors, hospitals and prescriptions before you compare plans.
- Compare the plans still offered in your county. Fewer plans may be available in 2027. See are Medicare Advantage plans getting worse in 2027.
- Compare total cost: premium, out-of-pocket maximum, copays and drug costs.
- Decide early. Choosing by December 7, 2026 avoids any gap. See when Medicare Open Enrollment for 2027 is.
Confirm that the notice describes a plan exit
A nonrenewal notice is different from an Annual Notice of Change, a doctor leaving the network or a premium increase. Read the notice's reason, coverage end date and instructions. Keep the entire letter because it can establish the enrollment opportunity or Medigap right you use next. Do not rely on a rumor that the insurance company is leaving when only one plan or county is affected.
Compare two complete coverage arrangements
Another Medicare Advantage plan: Check the specific plan available at your home address, its provider network, medical cost sharing and included drug coverage. Do not assume another plan from the same insurer has the same network or benefits.
Original Medicare: Review medical coverage, a separate Part D policy and whether a Medigap policy is available under your rights. These pieces require coordination. Returning to Original Medicare does not automatically purchase a supplement or drug plan for you.
Prepare for ongoing treatment and prescriptions
- List scheduled procedures, specialist appointments, therapies and durable medical equipment.
- Ask the replacement plan how referrals and prior authorizations will be handled.
- Check every prescription's name, strength, quantity and pharmacy.
- Ask the new plan about its transition procedures if a medication or course of treatment needs review.
- Confirm the new member ID and effective date before appointments after the change.
Keep records of both the old plan's end date and the replacement enrollment. If you are applying for Medigap using a guaranteed issue right, supply the notice and follow the application deadline. Do not assume a health-plan enrollment also submits the Medigap application.
A practical year-end check
Before January, verify the health plan, drug plan and any supplement you chose are all effective on the intended dates. Check premium-payment arrangements, save confirmation numbers and review the new cards. If a card has not arrived, contact the plan to confirm enrollment rather than assuming the absence of a card means you are uninsured.
Our review can help compare the available routes and organize the paperwork. Medicare and the insurers determine enrollment and effective dates, so unresolved notices or conflicting dates should be addressed promptly.
Quick questions
Will I lose my coverage if my Medicare Advantage plan leaves?
No. Your plan covers you through the end of its contract year. If you don't choose a new plan, you're moved to Original Medicare when it ends.
How long do I have to pick a new plan if mine isn't renewed?
You can choose during Open Enrollment, or from December 8, 2026 to February 28, 2027.
Can I buy a Medigap policy if my plan leaves?
Usually yes. You get a guaranteed issue right to buy certain Medigap plans if you return to Original Medicare.
How The Jordan Insurance Agency helps
The Jordan Insurance Agency is an independent agency based in Charlotte, North Carolina. If your plan is leaving, we compare the Medicare Advantage, Medigap and Part D options still available in your county and check your doctors and prescriptions against each one.
There is no fee for our help. Carriers pay the agent, so your premium is the same whether you enroll with us or on your own.
Next steps: read when Medicare Open Enrollment for 2027 is and whether you can switch Medigap during Open Enrollment.
Plan exit and Medigap rules checked October 17, 2026. Sources: Medicare.gov — Special Enrollment Periods, Medicare.gov — Choosing a Medigap Policy (2026 guide), CMS — 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D landscape.
.svg)
.svg)
