Your Medicare Advantage Plan Was Canceled for 2027. Here's What to Do.
If you got a letter saying your Medicare Advantage plan won't renew for 2027, you're not alone. UnitedHealthcare and Humana are ending plans that cover close to 1 million people across the country, and other carriers have pulled back too. Your Medicare isn't going away. The plan is. Here's what happens next and how to pick what comes after it.
What happens if you do nothing
If you don't choose a new plan, you'll go back to Original Medicare when your Advantage plan ends. Original Medicare covers hospital and doctor care, but it doesn't include prescription drugs. Unless you have drug coverage from somewhere else, like the VA or a former employer, you'll need to pick a separate Part D drug plan or you'll have no drug coverage.
The deadlines that matter
October 15 to December 7: Medicare's annual enrollment period. Pick a new plan by December 7 and it starts January 1.
Through the end of February: because your plan isn't renewing, you also get a special enrollment period. A plan you pick after December starts the first of the next month, so waiting can leave a gap in your drug coverage.
Your non-renewal letter lists your exact dates. Keep it handy.
Your two choices
You can switch to another Medicare Advantage plan, or you can move to Original Medicare and add a Medicare Supplement plan and a Part D drug plan. If you're not sure how the two compare, we break it down in Medicare Advantage vs. Medicare Supplement in Colorado.
Why this is a good time to look at a Medicare Supplement
Normally, if you buy a Medicare Supplement after your first enrollment window, the insurance company can ask health questions and turn you down. When your Medicare Advantage plan leaves Medicare or stops being offered in your area, you may get a guaranteed issue right. That means you can buy certain Supplement plans without health questions. The right lasts up to 63 days after your Advantage coverage ends. Which plans you can get depends on your situation, so we check before you apply.
With a Supplement, you can see any doctor or hospital in the country that accepts Medicare, with no network to worry about, and your costs are easier to predict. You'll pay a monthly premium for the Supplement and a separate one for your Part D plan.
What we'd do in your shoes
Find your non-renewal letter and note the date your plan ends.
Write down your doctors, your hospital and your prescriptions.
Compare a Supplement plus Part D against the Advantage plans still offered in your county.
Enroll by December 7 if you can, so nothing lapses on January 1.
We can help
We don't sell Medicare Advantage plans. As an independent Medicare broker, we focus on Medicare Supplement and Part D plans, and our help is free. If a Supplement isn't the right fit for you, we'll tell you. Call 970-685-2066 or get a free quote.
Comments