Medicare Advantage Plan Ending in 2027? Your Options

By Austin Tyler · Tyler Insurance Group · Updated August 2026

 

In September, roughly 600,000 people will open an envelope telling them their Medicare Advantage plan will not exist next year. Humana announced on its July 29, 2026 earnings call that it is exiting plans covering about 8 percent of its 7.2 million Medicare Advantage members for 2027, and it is not the only carrier trimming its map.

 

If one of those letters is sitting on your kitchen table, here is the part almost nobody tells you: losing your plan hands you a right you will probably never get again. It is worth real money, and it expires.

 

Quick answer. Your plan ending triggers two things. A Special Enrollment Period to pick new coverage, and a guaranteed-issue right to buy certain Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policies with no health questions asked. That second one has a 63-day clock on it. Doing nothing is the one choice that can cost you both.

 

First, read what the letter actually says

Three different letters get mailed in the fall and people mix them up constantly. The wording decides which rights you have, so find your letter and check which one you are holding.

 

A plan non-renewal or termination

Your specific plan is being discontinued in your county for next year. This is the one that triggers everything below. The letter will use language like "will no longer be offered" or "is being discontinued."

 

The carrier is leaving your county entirely

Same practical effect for you, and the same rights. Worth knowing the difference only because a carrier can pull one plan while keeping others in your area, which changes what is available to switch into locally.

 

An Annual Notice of Change

This is not a termination. Your plan continues, but the premium, drug list, provider network or copays are changing. Everyone in a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan gets one by September 30. It deserves a careful read, but it does not give you a guaranteed-issue Medigap right.

 

The right that expires, and the two lists

When a Medicare Advantage plan terminates, federal law gives you a guaranteed-issue right to buy a Medigap policy. An insurer must sell it to you, cannot ask about your health, and cannot charge you more because of your medical history. Outside of a protected window like this one, most states let insurers underwrite Medigap applications and turn people down.

 

The 63-day clock. You generally have 63 days from when your coverage ends to apply under this protection. Keep the termination letter. Insurers routinely ask for proof of the qualifying event, and that letter is the proof.

 

Which Medigap plans an insurer must sell you depends on when you first became eligible for Medicare, because of a 2015 law called MACRA. There are two answers and most articles only print the old one:

 

Guaranteed-issue Medigap plans on plan termination

If you first became eligible for Medicare	Plans an insurer must sell you
Before January 1, 2020	A, B, C, F, K, L
On or after January 1, 2020	A, B, D, G, K, L

If you are turning 65 now, you are always in the second row. Plans C and F were closed to newly eligible people in 2020 because they covered the Part B deductible, and Plans D and G took their place as the guaranteed-issue options. Anyone who tells you a terminated member can get Plan F is working from an outdated list.

 

These are the federal minimums. Several states are more generous, with broader guaranteed-issue windows or year-round protections, so check your own state insurance department before assuming the federal floor is all you get.

 

What happens if you ignore the letter

You will usually be automatically enrolled in another plan from the same carrier, or dropped back to Original Medicare with no drug coverage. Neither outcome is chosen for your benefit, and both quietly burn the guaranteed-issue window while you wait.

 

If you land in Original Medicare with no Part D plan, you also start accruing a late enrollment penalty that is added to your drug premium permanently once you do sign up.

 

Your four options, side by side

 

What you can do, and what each one costs you

Option	What to know
Another Medicare Advantage plan	Usually the easiest switch. Check that your doctors, hospital and prescriptions are all covered under the new plan, not just the premium.
Original Medicare plus a Medigap policy	This is where the guaranteed-issue right applies. Higher monthly premium, no network, very predictable costs. You will also want a separate Part D plan.
Original Medicare plus Part D only	Lowest premium, but Original Medicare has no annual out-of-pocket maximum. A serious year can get expensive.
Do nothing	You get whatever you are assigned, and the guaranteed-issue window closes.

What to do this month

1. Find the letter and confirm it says your plan is being discontinued, not merely changing.
2. Write down the date your coverage ends. That starts the 63-day clock.
3. Decide whether you want a network or no network. That single question separates Medicare Advantage from Medigap and it is easier to answer than comparing dozens of plans.
4. If Medigap is even a maybe, price it now while no one can ask about your health. You can always decline it. You cannot always get it back.
5. Check that any Advantage plan you are considering covers your doctors, your hospital and every prescription you take, by name.

Our licensed agents run that comparison for people in this exact situation every fall, at no cost. For a look at how this plays out in one specific market, our local Kentucky team walked through it in their guide to what to do when a Medicare Advantage plan ends (https://www.bluegrassmedicarehelp.com/articles/medicare-advantage-plan-ending-kentucky/) .

 

Quick recap

• About 600,000 Humana members are affected for 2027, with letters arriving in September.
• A plan termination gives you a Special Enrollment Period and a guaranteed-issue right to buy Medigap with no health questions.
• You generally have 63 days from the end of coverage. Keep the letter as proof.
• Eligible before January 1, 2020: Plans A, B, C, F, K, L. Eligible on or after: Plans A, B, D, G, K, L.
• Doing nothing usually means an automatic assignment and a closed window.

Frequently asked questions

 

Is my Medicare Advantage plan really ending, or just changing?

Check the letter's wording. A termination or non-renewal notice says the plan will no longer be offered, and that triggers a Special Enrollment Period and guaranteed-issue Medigap rights. An Annual Notice of Change means the plan continues with different costs or benefits next year, which does not create those rights. Everyone in a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan receives an Annual Notice of Change by September 30.

 

Can an insurance company turn me down for Medigap if my plan was discontinued?

No, not during the guaranteed-issue window. When your Medicare Advantage plan terminates, insurers must sell you certain Medigap policies regardless of your health history, cannot apply a pre-existing condition waiting period, and cannot charge you more because of your medical history. You generally have 63 days from the end of your coverage to apply, and you should keep the termination letter as proof of the qualifying event.

 

Which Medigap plans can I buy if my plan is ending?

It depends on when you first became eligible for Medicare. If that was before January 1, 2020, the guaranteed-issue plans are A, B, C, F, K and L. If you became eligible on or after January 1, 2020, they are A, B, D, G, K and L, because a 2015 law called MACRA closed Plans C and F to newly eligible people and substituted D and G. Some states offer broader rights than this federal minimum, so check with your state insurance department.

 

What happens if I do nothing when my plan ends?

You will typically be automatically enrolled in another plan from the same carrier, or returned to Original Medicare without drug coverage. Neither is chosen for your benefit, and both let the 63-day guaranteed-issue window close. If you end up without Part D coverage, you may also begin accruing a late enrollment penalty that is permanently added to your drug premium once you enroll.

 

Do I have to wait for the Annual Enrollment Period to switch?

No. A plan termination gives you a Special Enrollment Period, so you are not limited to the October 15 to December 7 window. You can also use the Annual Enrollment Period if that timing suits you better, but the guaranteed-issue Medigap right runs on its own 63-day clock tied to when your coverage ends, not to the enrollment calendar.

 

Talk it through with a licensed agent

Our licensed agents compare every plan available where you live, check your doctors and your prescriptions by name, and tell you plainly when the plan you already have is the right one. There is no cost to work with us.