Medicare Plan Changes for 2027: Is Your Plan Leaving?

If your Medicare Advantage plan is ending in 2027, you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, and the practical deadline to pick a new plan is December 7, 2026. Every year some private insurance companies stop offering Medicare Advantage plans in counties they served the year before. About 1.7 million Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in a contract that will not serve their county in 2027, based on CMS enrollment and plan service area data as of July 2026. When that happens your coverage ends on December 31 and you get extra time to choose something else. Enter your ZIP code below to see which carriers are leaving your county.

How to tell if your own plan is affected

CMS, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, requires carriers to mail an Annual Notice of Change to every member by the end of September. If your plan is ending, that letter says so directly, usually on the first page. It is the most reliable answer you can get, so if you still have the envelope it is worth opening before anything else.

The tool above shows which carriers are pulling out of your county entirely. That is the most common reason a plan disappears, but it is not the only one. A carrier that is staying in your county can still discontinue an individual plan and move its members to a different one. Your mailed notice covers both cases. The tool covers only the first.

If you cannot find the letter, a licensed agent can look your plan up with you in a couple of minutes.

What happens to your coverage if your plan ends

Your current plan runs normally through December 31, 2026. Nothing changes before then, and you keep using it exactly as you do today.

On January 1 one of two things happens:

• If you choose a new plan, your new coverage starts that day with no gap.
• If you do nothing, you return to Original Medicare, Parts A and B. You keep your Medicare, but you lose whatever supplemental benefits your Advantage plan included, and you have no prescription drug coverage unless you add a separate plan.

That second outcome is the one worth avoiding. Original Medicare puts no annual limit on what you can spend, and going without Part D coverage can trigger a late enrollment penalty that is added to your premium permanently, including when that premium comes out of your Social Security payment.

Your options when a plan ends

Because your plan is being discontinued rather than simply changing its benefits, Medicare gives you a Special Enrollment Period, so you are not held to the usual rules about when you can switch. You have three realistic paths.

• Another Medicare Advantage plan. Most counties have several, and the tool above lists what is available in yours. Medicare Advantage is also called Part C, and if you qualify on income or a chronic condition, a Special Needs Plan, or SNP, may cover more than a standard MA plan does. An SNP has its own eligibility rules and the list above does not include them, so ask a licensed agent whether one is open to you.
• Original Medicare with a stand-alone prescription drug plan. This keeps your drug coverage and lets you see any provider in the country who accepts Medicare, with no network to check. CMS sets the rules every one of these plans follows, but each insurer picks its own drug list, so the one that covers your prescriptions cheapest is worth finding before you enroll.
• Original Medicare, a Medicare Part D plan and a Medigap policy. Medigap covers much of what Original Medicare leaves you to pay yourself. It is the most predictable option and usually the most expensive each month. Your right to buy one without health questions is limited, so ask before you assume it is open to you.

Most people in this position should act during the Annual Enrollment Period, which runs October 15 to December 7, 2026. Choosing during Medicare open enrollment means your new coverage starts January 1 with no gap at all. Acting after AEP is still possible, but it usually means a break in coverage while the change takes effect.

You can read more about how the different Medicare enrollment periods work if you want the full picture.

What to compare before you switch

Two plans with identical monthly premiums can cost you very different amounts over a year. Premium is the easiest number to compare and the least useful on its own, because Medicare costs reach you through cost sharing far more often than through the monthly bill. Work through these before you choose.

What to check	Why it matters
Provider networks	MA plans use provider networks, and the cheapest plan may not have your physicians in-network. HMO plans generally require you to stay inside one. PPO plans cost more but let you go outside it.
Drug formularies	Every plan sets its own formulary and its own tiers. The same medication can sit on a low tier with one plan and a high tier with another, so check your prescriptions by name rather than by count.
Out-of-pocket maximum	The most you would pay in a bad year. It varies widely between plans and it is the only figure that caps your exposure.
Everyday cost sharing	This is where most members actually spend. Compare the medical deductible, the drug deductible, and the copays for primary care and specialist visits.
Supplemental benefits	Dental, vision, hearing and over-the-counter allowances differ by plan, and the headline figure is usually a maximum rather than what a typical member receives.
Drug coverage	Most MA plans include it. Some do not. If you pick one that does not, you need a stand-alone Part D plan alongside it to avoid a penalty later.

A licensed agent can check your specific doctors and prescriptions against the Medicare Advantage plans available in your county, at no cost to you.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my Medicare plan is ending in 2027?

Check the Annual Notice of Change your plan mailed by the end of September. If your plan is being discontinued, the letter says so directly. You can also enter your ZIP code in the tool above to see which carriers are leaving your county entirely, which is the most common reason a plan ends.

What happens if my Medicare Advantage plan is discontinued?

Your coverage runs through December 31, 2026. Because the plan is ending, you get extra time to choose outside the usual window. If you do not choose anything, you return to Original Medicare on January 1 with no drug coverage, so most people should pick a replacement before December 7.

Do I have to switch to another Medicare Advantage plan?

No. You can return to Original Medicare, add one of the stand-alone prescription drug plans sold in your area, and consider a Medigap policy. What makes sense depends on your health, your prescriptions and your budget, which is worth talking through with someone licensed before the deadline.

Will I lose my doctor if my plan leaves my county?

Not necessarily. Many physicians are in network with several plans, so another plan in your area may include the same doctors. Check before you choose rather than after, because provider networks differ plan by plan.

When is open enrollment for 2027 coverage?

Open enrollment runs October 15 to December 7, 2026. A plan you choose in that window starts on January 1. If your plan is ending and you miss the deadline, you can still act, but your new coverage will begin later than January 1.

Can I keep my plan if I move to a different county?

No. These plans are sold county by county. A plan that is leaving your county may still be available elsewhere, but you cannot enroll in it from an area it does not serve. Moving is itself a separate qualifying event.

Is there a cost to getting help choosing a new plan?

No. Licensed agents are paid by the insurance carrier, so there is no cost to you for help comparing plans, and no obligation to enroll in anything.