My Medicare Advantage Plan Is Ending. What Do I Do Now?

By David Huff, licensed Florida health insurance agent #W371813 · Updated October 5, 2026

Direct answer: A non-renewal letter means your Medicare Advantage plan ends December 31; your Medicare does not. Pick a new plan from October 15 to December 7 for a January 1 start. Because your plan is ending, you also get a Special Enrollment Period through the last day of February. If you return to Original Medicare, check your Medigap guaranteed-issue rights first.

CMS’s Florida 2027 landscape sheet lists 560 Medicare Advantage plans, down from 611 in 2026. That statewide drop is one reason more Polk County members are opening letters this fall. The letter does not cancel Part A or Part B. It changes how your medical and drug coverage is delivered after December 31.

What a non-renewal letter means (and what it doesn’t)

A non-renewal notice means that specific Medicare Advantage plan will not be offered in your area next year. Medicare.gov treats this as a qualifying event for a Special Enrollment Period. It is not a notice that you have lost Medicare.

Read the letter for the plan name, the last day of coverage, and any next step the plan describes. Then confirm the same facts on Medicare Plan Finder. The Medicare Rights Center reported on October 1, 2026 that Plan Finder now shows prominent messages about changes to a current plan for 2027, with links to formularies and Summary of Benefits.

Ending vs. “moved to another plan”: read which letter you got

Not every “your plan is changing” letter is a non-renewal. KFF’s October 1, 2026 review of 2027 Medicare Advantage options notes two different outcomes when a plan leaves:

Some members are enrolled in another plan from the same company.
Others must choose a new plan or default to Original Medicare.

Those are different January 1 results. A crosswalk into another plan still requires a doctor, drug, and pharmacy check. A default to Original Medicare does not automatically add a Medigap policy or a stand-alone drug plan. If the wording is unclear, call the number on the letter or 1-800-MEDICARE before you assume coverage continues.

Your deadlines: October 15–December 7, then December 8 through the last day of February

Annual Enrollment

October 15 – December 7, 2026

CMS confirmed this window for 2027 coverage in its September 28, 2026 press release. A change made here generally starts January 1. You can compare Medicare Advantage plans, return to Original Medicare, and join, switch, or drop a drug plan during this period.

Non-renewal Special Enrollment Period

December 8 through the last day of February

Medicare.gov lists a Special Enrollment Period when a plan is not renewing. It starts December 8 and runs through the last day of February. Use it if you still need to choose after December 7. Confirm the exact options that apply to your letter on the Medicare.gov Special Enrollment Periods page.

People who already have a Medicare Advantage plan also have Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment from January 1 to March 31, which allows one change. That window is separate from the non-renewal Special Enrollment Period. See when you can switch Medicare plans in Florida and the Polk County Annual Enrollment checklist.

If you do nothing on January 1

Doing nothing is a decision. If the letter says you will be enrolled in a replacement plan, that plan’s 2027 network, drug list, and costs apply on January 1 unless you choose something else. If the letter does not assign a replacement, KFF notes that some people who do not choose default to Original Medicare.

Original Medicare pays for Part A and Part B services under Medicare’s rules. It does not include the extra benefits some Medicare Advantage plans advertise, and it does not include Part D drug coverage unless you join a stand-alone drug plan. Hospital and doctor bills can look different without a Medigap policy.

Going back to Original Medicare: your Medigap guaranteed-issue window

If you return to Original Medicare because the Medicare Advantage plan is leaving, Medicare.gov’s Medigap timing page describes a guaranteed-issue right. You can apply as early as 60 days before the plan ends and as late as 63 days after it ends. That window is for buying Medigap when you switch to Original Medicare. It is not a promise that every policy will be issued in every situation.

Apply during that window if you want Medigap. Do not drop the Advantage plan and wait to “see what happens.” Underwriting can apply outside a guaranteed-issue right. For the broader leave-Advantage path, see leaving Medicare Advantage for Original Medicare.

Drug coverage: avoid a Part D gap

Medicare Advantage plans that include drug coverage end with the medical plan. If you go to Original Medicare, you need a stand-alone Part D plan unless you have other creditable drug coverage. A gap of more than 63 days without creditable drug coverage can trigger a Part D late-enrollment penalty.

Check every prescription, dose, and pharmacy on the 2027 plan before you enroll. Use the prescription check before you enroll and the provider and prescription checklist.

Check doctors, drugs, and pharmacy on the replacement plan

Doctors and hospitals do not carry over because the insurer’s name looks familiar. Participation is set by the exact 2027 plan ID. In Polk County, confirm Lakeland Regional Health, Watson Clinic, and any other system you use by the facility name, location, and specialty in that plan’s provider directory. Then check each drug and your pharmacy on the same plan year.

See keeping your doctor when you switch Medicare plans and whether Lakeland Regional Health takes the plan.

What to bring to a review

The non-renewal or plan-change letter, including any replacement-plan name it lists.
Your Medicare card and current plan ID card.
Every doctor, specialist, and facility you want to keep, with locations.
Every prescription, including dose, form, and pharmacy.
The Annual Notice of Change, if you received one, and any Plan Finder printout.

David Huff is a licensed Florida health insurance agent (FL #W371813). A review organizes the letter, the enrollment window, and the doctor and drug checks. It does not enroll you or change your coverage. Medicare is discussed for Florida residents only.

Want help reading the letter before October 15?

Call (863) 640-3102 or email david@lakelandhealthinsurance.com. You can also request a review online. Bring the notice and your prescription list.

Get plan help (online) Call (863) 640-3102

Common questions

Will I lose Medicare if my Advantage plan isn't renewed?

No. A non-renewal letter means that Medicare Advantage plan ends on December 31. Your Medicare (Parts A and B) continues. You still need to choose how you want medical and drug coverage to work starting January 1.

Do I have to wait until October 15 to choose a new plan?

Annual Enrollment for 2027 coverage runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and a change made in that window generally starts January 1. Because your plan is not renewing, Medicare also gives you a Special Enrollment Period from December 8 through the last day of February. Check Medicare.gov for the options that apply to your letter.

What happens on January 1 if I don't pick anything?

It depends on the letter you received. Some people whose plan is leaving are enrolled in another plan from the same company. Others who do not choose a plan default to Original Medicare. Read the notice and confirm the January 1 result on Medicare.gov or with 1-800-MEDICARE before you assume coverage will continue as-is.

Can I buy a Medigap policy without health questions after my plan ends?

If you return to Original Medicare because your Medicare Advantage plan is leaving, Medicare.gov describes a guaranteed-issue window: you can apply as early as 60 days before the plan ends and as late as 63 days after it ends. That right is for Medigap when you switch to Original Medicare. It is not a guarantee that every policy will be issued in every situation. Confirm the current rule on Medicare.gov.

Will my doctors and prescriptions carry over to a replacement plan?

Not automatically. Networks, drug lists, and pharmacies are set by the exact 2027 plan. Check Lakeland Regional Health, Watson Clinic, your specialists, each prescription, and your pharmacy against that plan's directory and formulary before you enroll.

We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 8 organizations which offer 65 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.

Company inventory note: The counts above reflect the licensed company inventory for the 2027 plan year in the Lakeland/Polk County service area, confirmed for ZIP 33812, as of October 1, 2026. They are not CMS counts or statewide Florida totals. Counts and available products vary by ZIP code, service area, plan year, and current company authorization. Confirm the ZIP code and current approved platform inventory before relying on these figures. Plan availability, benefits, networks, formularies, pharmacies, and costs are subject to the applicable plan documents and service area.