What to Do If Your Medicare Advantage Plan Is Discontinued
Key Takeaways
- Insurers must notify you by October 2, 2026 if your Medicare Advantage plan is ending December 31. Humana has confirmed about 600,000 affected members; UnitedHealthcare projects roughly 1.1 million fewer MA enrollees for 2027 (24/7 Wall St. / Yahoo Finance, retrieved 2026-09-07).
- For last year's cohort (the 2025-to-2026 transition), forced plan exits climbed to roughly 10% of enrollees (2.9 million people), up from about 1% a year from 2018-2024 and 6.9% in 2025 (JAMA research letter, Feb 2026, retrieved 2026-09-07).
- You get a Special Enrollment Period: December 8 through the last day of February to pick a new plan or switch to Original Medicare.
- Switching to Original Medicare unlocks a guaranteed-issue right to buy Medigap, no medical underwriting, if you apply within 60 days before to 63 days after your coverage ends.
- Last year's proof this usually works out: of the 2.6 million people whose plan ended for 2026, 98.9% had at least one replacement plan available, averaging 25 options (KFF, retrieved 2026-09-07).
If you received a letter saying your Medicare Advantage plan won't be offered next year, you're not alone, and you're not out of options. This is playing out on a larger scale than usual right now. Here's exactly what the notice means, what you're entitled to, and the specific steps to take before the window closes.
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On this page
- Why this is happening right now
- Your two Special Enrollment Period windows
- Your three paths after a termination notice
- The Medigap right you get here, and don't normally have
- Proof this usually works out
- Your step-by-step checklist
- Frequently asked questions
Why This Is Happening Right Now
Medicare Advantage plan exits used to be rare. From 2018 through 2024, forced disenrollment, losing your plan because the insurer pulled out, hit only about 1% of MA enrollees in a typical year. That jumped to 6.9% in 2025, and climbed again to roughly 10%, about 2.9 million people, for the 2026 plan year (Meiselbach et al., JAMA research letter, February 2026, retrieved 2026-09-07). PPO enrollees have been hit hardest. They made up about half of forced disenrollments despite being under a third of overall MA enrollment.
| Plan year | Share of MA enrollees forced to switch |
|---|---|
| 2018-2024 average | ~1% |
| 2025 | 6.9% |
| 2026 | ~10% (2.9 million people) |
That trend is continuing into the next cycle. Insurers must mail non-renewal notices by October 2, 2026, for any Medicare Advantage plan ending December 31, 2026. Humana has confirmed roughly 600,000 affected members. UnitedHealthcare, the largest MA insurer, has projected about 1.1 million fewer enrollees as it drops lower-rated plans (24/7 Wall St. via Yahoo Finance, September 2026, retrieved 2026-09-07). If your plan is one of them, you'll know well before Open Enrollment starts on October 15. If you're new to how Medicare's enrollment windows fit together generally, see our plain-language Medicare guide first.
Your Two Special Enrollment Period Windows
Which window applies to you depends on why your coverage is ending, not just that it's ending.
| Situation | Special Enrollment Period | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| CMS terminates the plan's contract mid-cycle | 1 month before the contract ends through 2 full months after | Switch to another Medicare Advantage plan or Part D plan |
| Insurer chooses not to renew (the scenario in this article) | December 8 through the last day of February | Switch to another Medicare Advantage plan, or to Original Medicare plus a standalone Part D plan |
You don't have to wait for either SEP to start acting. The regular Medicare Open Enrollment window, October 15 to December 7, is open before your SEP begins and works just as well for picking a replacement plan.
Your Three Paths After a Termination Notice
- Pick a new Medicare Advantage plan. If you liked the structure, low premium, bundled drug coverage, extra benefits, you can shop for another MA plan in your area during Open Enrollment or your SEP. Use the Medicare Plan Finder and re-check your doctors and prescriptions against the new plan's network and formulary; they will differ from your old plan's.
- Switch to Original Medicare plus a standalone Part D plan. This is the path that unlocks a guaranteed-issue Medigap right, explained below. It trades your MA plan's extras for nationwide provider access and no network.
- Do nothing. If you take no action, you default into Original Medicare with no drug coverage and no Medigap, which usually costs more and leaves you exposed to a coinsurance bill with no cap. CMS doesn't publish a breakdown of how many people default this way versus actively choosing, but doing nothing is the one path that reliably costs more.
If your plan is being folded into another plan from the same insurer rather than dropped outright, CMS may automatically "crosswalk" you into the replacement with no action required. A true non-renewal, the case this article covers, has no automatic replacement; you have to choose.
The Medigap Right You Get Here, and Don't Normally Have
Normally, buying a Medigap policy after your first six months on Medicare means passing medical underwriting in most states. See the real cost math on this: 90% of Medicare Advantage enrollees have no year-round guaranteed-issue right at all.
Your plan being discontinued is one of the exceptions. This applies if your Medicare Advantage plan leaves Medicare, stops covering your area, or its network changes significantly. If you respond by switching to Original Medicare, you get a guaranteed-issue right: the insurer must sell you Medigap Plan A, B, D, G, or (for those eligible before 2020) C or F, no health questions asked. You can apply as early as 60 days before your MA coverage ends, and as late as 63 days after (Medicare.gov / CMS, "Choosing a Medigap Policy," 2026 edition, retrieved 2026-09-07). Your new Medigap coverage can't start until your MA coverage actually ends.
This guaranteed-issue right only applies if you move to Original Medicare. Switching to a different Medicare Advantage plan doesn't trigger it, and doesn't need to, since MA plans don't use medical underwriting.
Proof This Usually Works Out
Here's what happened to the roughly 2.6 million people whose Medicare Advantage plan was terminated for the 2025-to-2026 transition, the most recent full cycle with published outcomes:
| Outcome for affected enrollees (2025 to 2026 cycle) | Share |
|---|---|
| Had at least one replacement Medicare Advantage plan available (averaging 25 options) | 98.9% |
| Had an option from both their original insurer and a competitor | 68.7% |
| Had no Medicare Advantage plan available in their area at all | 1.1% (about 28,000 people) |
The impact wasn't spread evenly. Rural enrollees made up 23% of those affected despite being only 14% of all Medicare Advantage enrollees. A handful of low-population states saw the largest share of their residents affected: Vermont at 93%, Wyoming at 65%, South Dakota at 64% (KFF, retrieved 2026-09-07). If you live in a rural area, budget extra time to compare your options. You may have fewer plans to choose from even if you have at least one.
A note on which numbers apply to you: these 2.6 million / 98.9% figures describe last year's cycle, reported after the fact. A similar report for the 2026-to-2027 cycle currently underway won't be published until roughly March 2027. Treat last year's data as reassurance that most people land on their feet, not as a guarantee about your specific plan and area this year.
Your Step-by-Step Checklist
- Read the notice carefully. It should state your plan's exact end date (December 31) and may list replacement options in your area.
- Decide: new MA plan, or Original Medicare plus Medigap. Revisit the two paths' real cost math if you're unsure.
- If choosing Original Medicare, apply for Medigap within the guaranteed-issue window. That's 60 days before your coverage ends through 63 days after. Missing this window means facing medical underwriting later.
- Enroll in a standalone Part D plan if you're moving to Original Medicare, since it doesn't include drug coverage on its own. If you're a higher earner, remember Part D carries its own IRMAA surcharge alongside Part B's.
- Use Open Enrollment (October 15 to December 7) or your Special Enrollment Period (December 8 to the last day of February) to make the switch official.
- Get free help if you want it. Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) can walk through your specific notice and options at no cost. Find yours at shiphelp.org.
Caregiver tip: if you're helping a parent, ask to see the actual termination letter rather than relying on their summary of it. The letter states the exact end date and sometimes lists specific replacement plans, which changes how urgent the timeline is.
Want plan-change alerts before the notice even arrives? We plan to extend PlanAlert's plan monitoring to Medicare Advantage. Join the early-access list to be notified when it is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I do nothing after getting a termination notice?
You default into Original Medicare with no Part D drug coverage and no Medigap policy. You can still act later during your Special Enrollment Period, through the last day of February, but you may face a Part D late-enrollment penalty for the gap. You'll also have missed the easiest window to secure guaranteed-issue Medigap.
Does losing my accumulated deductible matter if I switch mid-year?
No, in this specific case. Medicare Advantage plan terminations take effect December 31, at the natural end of the plan year, so you won't lose progress toward an annual deductible or out-of-pocket maximum by switching.
How do I know for certain if my plan is being discontinued?
You'll receive a written non-renewal notice from your insurer, required by October 2 for coverage ending that December 31. If you're unsure whether a notice you received means full discontinuation versus a benefit change, call your plan directly or contact your SHIP counselor to confirm.
Can I get Medigap without medical underwriting if my Medicare Advantage plan is discontinued?
Yes, but only if you switch to Original Medicare, and only within 60 days before to 63 days after your coverage ends. This is a specific guaranteed-issue right tied to your plan leaving the market. It's separate from, and more generous than, the underwriting most people face if they try to switch to Medigap on their own timeline.
What if there's no replacement Medicare Advantage plan in my area at all?
In last year's cycle, this happened to about 1.1% of affected enrollees. If it happens to you, switching to Original Medicare plus a standalone Part D plan is your fallback, and it comes with the same guaranteed-issue Medigap right described above.
The Bottom Line
- Non-renewal notices for plans ending December 31, 2026 are due to you by October 2, 2026.
- You get a Special Enrollment Period from December 8 through the last day of February to choose a new plan.
- Switching to Original Medicare unlocks guaranteed-issue Medigap if you apply within 60 days before to 63 days after your coverage ends.
- Last cycle, 98.9% of affected beneficiaries had a replacement Medicare Advantage plan available. Rural areas and a handful of states were hit harder than average.
- Doing nothing is the one option that reliably costs more. Read your notice, and act within the window.
Related Reading
- Medicare Advantage vs. Medigap: The Real Cost Comparison - the guaranteed-issue Medigap gap most people don't know about until it's too late.
- Medicare Explained: A Plain-Language Guide for Turning 65 - Parts A to D and the two coverage paths from scratch.
- The Medicare Loyalty Tax - why re-shopping every year, not just after a termination notice, protects you.
This article is for general education and is not medical, legal, or insurance advice. Figures were checked against KFF, CMS/Medicare.gov, and a peer-reviewed JAMA research letter on 2026-09-07; enrollment rules and dollar figures change every year. Verify current details at Medicare.gov or with a licensed advisor or SHIP counselor before making a decision.