Seniors Are Losing Their Medicare Advantage Plans in Droves (Here’s What To Do Instead)

About 3.8 million Medicare Advantage members face losing their current plan for 2027, compared with roughly 2.9 million the previous year, according to reporting summarized by AARP. Meanwhile, KFF identifies 187 counties without any Medicare Advantage plans available for general enrollment. Losing your plan doesn't mean losing Medicare, but it does mean making decisions you probably weren't planning on.

Your next decision involves more than picking another insurance company. You'll need to check whether your doctors and prescriptions are covered and what you might pay out of pocket. A plan exit could also give you access to benefits for seniors you hadn't considered, including the right to buy certain Medigap policies without medical underwriting. Here's what to check before choosing.

Major insurers are pulling back

UnitedHealthcare is leaving Wyoming, pulling standard plans from roughly 140 counties, and cutting 34 PPO plans. Its discontinued plans cover about 390,000 members. Humana's exits affect roughly 600,000.

Aetna is leaving Maryland and New Hampshire, while Molina is exiting the standard individual Medicare Advantage prescription drug market nationwide. Molina still offers special needs plans, which have specific eligibility requirements. These withdrawals don't necessarily mean every member of those insurers needs to switch.

Medical costs are squeezing insurers' margins

Insurers say government payments aren't keeping pace with medical and pharmacy costs. When members need more care and that care costs more, plans become less profitable. Companies may respond by leaving markets, dropping plans, or changing benefits.

UnitedHealthcare cited that funding gap when explaining its 2027 changes. That leaves members shopping again, sometimes for coverage that costs more or includes fewer benefits.

Start with the plans still available locally

Enter your ZIP code in Medicare's Plan Finder and compare the remaining 2027 options. Another Advantage plan could work, but don't stop at the monthly premium.

Compare deductibles, specialist copays, hospital costs, and the annual out-of-pocket maximum for covered medical services. Consider what you'd pay during a difficult health year, too. A plan that looks inexpensive during routine checkups could feel very different after a hospital stay.

Check your doctors before enrolling

Even another plan from your current insurer might not cover your doctors. Before choosing a replacement, confirm that your primary care doctor, specialists, and preferred hospital participate in that exact plan for 2027.

Check with both the insurer and the provider's billing office. Ask about referrals and prior authorization for ongoing treatment, too. Ask about the exact plan name. 'We take that insurance' isn't specific enough.

Check what your prescriptions would cost

Enter each medication, dosage, and preferred pharmacy into Plan Finder. Medicare's comparison tool uses that information to estimate monthly and yearly drug costs.

Check the plan's covered-drug list and any approval requirements. Don't assume a medication carries over because another plan from the same insurer covered it. Compare pharmacy options as well; the convenient location you've used for years might not offer the lowest costs under your replacement coverage.

Ask about Medigap before choosing another Advantage plan

A plan exit could open another option: Original Medicare paired with Medicare Supplement Insurance, commonly called Medigap.

When your Advantage plan leaves Medicare or stops serving your area, you generally receive guaranteed-issue rights to buy certain Medigap policies without medical underwriting. That matters if health problems would otherwise make a policy harder to obtain. Ask which Medigap policies you're entitled to buy under this protection.

Add up the cost of Original Medicare and supplemental coverage

Medigap comes with a separate premium, on top of your Part B premium and any standalone Part D coverage. Get actual quotes before deciding whether this option fits your budget.

There's a reason to consider that extra expense: Original Medicare alone has no annual out-of-pocket limit. Medigap helps pay certain costs Medicare leaves to you, so compare the monthly expense with the bills you could otherwise face.

Keep the termination letter and watch the window

Your plan's nonrenewal notice should explain your rights. Keep it with your coverage records, and start requesting Medigap quotes before your Advantage coverage ends.

According to the Center for Medicare Advocacy, the guaranteed-issue protection extends up to 63 days after the nonrenewing plan's coverage ends. Don't confuse that deadline with annual enrollment. Ask the Medigap insurer to confirm your application deadline and coordinate the policy's start date.

Doing nothing could leave a prescription coverage gap

If your plan ends and you don't choose replacement coverage, you generally default to Original Medicare. Your old plan's prescription benefits don't automatically follow you.

Most people taking this route need to select a separate Part D plan unless they have other qualifying drug coverage. People receiving Extra Help may have different enrollment arrangements.

Aim to finish before December 7

Annual enrollment closes December 7, with changes effective January 1. A plan ending at year-end generally covers you through December 31.

Nonrenewal also provides a special enrollment period from December 8 through February 28, 2027. That extra time helps, but waiting until January could leave a temporary coverage gap for prescriptions. For help comparing options and confirming Medigap rights, contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program or call 1-800-MEDICARE.

Bottom line

If your Medicare Advantage plan is ending, check the remaining plans and your Medigap rights before choosing a replacement. The goal is coverage that fits your doctors, prescriptions, and budget, not simply another card from the same insurer.

You don't have to sort through the choices alone. Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program offers free, personalized Medicare counseling. Have your termination letter, medication list, and doctors' names ready when you call. If you're trying to save money in retirement, that gives the counselor something more useful to work with than premiums alone.

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