My Medicare Advantage plan is ending. What now?

If you got a letter saying your Medicare Advantage plan is leaving Medicare or won't be offered in your area next year, you still have Medicare. You also have extra time and some extra rights. Here's what the letter means and what to do before the deadlines.

If your Medicare Advantage plan is ending: you can switch plans Oct 15 to Dec 7, you get an extra window Dec 8 to the end of February, if you do nothing you go to Original Medicare, and you have a short guaranteed right to buy Medigap.

A lot of people are getting this letter this fall. Humana alone is ending plans that cover about 600,000 members at the end of 2026, though it expects to move some of them into its other plans. (Healthcare Finance News)

First, read which letter you got

Plans send a Plan Non-Renewal Notice in October when the plan is leaving Medicare for the coming year. (Medicare.gov) Some companies move members into a different plan of their own instead, so check whether your letter says you've been moved, and to what. If you get Extra Help with drug costs, Medicare also sends a separate notice in late October or early November about the drug plan it will put you in if you don't choose one. (Medicare.gov)

Your two windows to choose

  1. Medicare Open Enrollment, October 15 to December 7. Anyone with Medicare can change plans in this window.
  2. A special window just for people whose plan is ending, December 8 to the last day of February. (Medicare.gov)

Timing matters for when new coverage starts. If you join a new plan by December 31, it starts January 1. If you join in January, it starts February 1, and in February it starts March 1. (Medicare Interactive)

What happens if you do nothing

If you don't join another Medicare Advantage plan before yours ends, you're put in Original Medicare. (Medicare.gov) You keep health coverage. But Original Medicare doesn't include drug coverage, so most people would need to join a separate drug plan. (People with Extra Help are placed in a drug plan automatically.) (Medicare Interactive)

Going 63 days or more in a row without Medicare drug coverage or other creditable drug coverage can mean a late enrollment penalty that lasts as long as you have Medicare drug coverage. (Medicare.gov)

If you want Original Medicare plus a Medigap policy

Usually, a Medigap insurer can turn you down or charge more because of your health. When your Medicare Advantage plan leaves Medicare or stops covering your area, you get a guaranteed right to buy a Medigap policy sold in your state. Medicare.gov says to apply as early as 60 days before your Medicare Advantage coverage ends and no later than 63 days after it ends. (Medicare.gov) Some states give more protection than this, so ask your state insurance department or your SHIP.

Before you pick a new plan, check three things

  • Are your doctors and hospital in-network with that exact plan for next year? Ask the office, and check the plan's directory.
  • Are your drugs on the plan's list (formulary), and at what cost?
  • Does the plan need prior authorization for care you already get?

You can compare plans at Medicare.gov Plan Finder.

Free help

Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) gives free, unbiased one-on-one Medicare counseling. Find yours at shiphelp.org or call 1-877-839-2675. (ACL SHIP flyer) You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

If you're weighing Medigap against another Medicare Advantage plan, your SHIP can walk you through both side by side, for free. Our Medigap or Medicare Advantage? Decision Kit also has a side-by-side cost worksheet and a 50-state rules table.

More free help, by type of coverage: Who will help me for free?

This is general educational information, not legal or medical advice. Rules and deadlines vary by plan and state, so always follow the instructions on your own letters and notices. The Denial Desk is not affiliated with any insurer, hospital, or government agency.

AI disclosure: This post was drafted with help from AI tools, then reviewed and fact-checked by our founder, a certified medical coding professional.

Last reviewed: October 2026

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