Here's the short answer. If your Medicare Advantage plan is leaving Medicare, you have to join another Medicare health plan or go back to Original Medicare. You get extra time to do it. When Medicare ends your plan's contract, your chance to switch starts 1 month before the contract ends and runs until 2 full months after it ends. If you do nothing, you'll be enrolled in Original Medicare. If you want a Medigap policy, you have a short window to buy one: from 60 days before your plan ends to no more than 63 days after.
What the letter means
Private insurers decide each year whether to keep offering a plan in your area. When a plan stops, your coverage under that plan ends on its end date, usually December 31. Your Medicare Part A and Part B do not end. Only the private plan layer goes away.
This is different from a plan that only changes its prices or doctors. It is also different from choosing to leave Medicare Advantage on your own. Because the plan itself is ending, you get special switching rights that you would not have otherwise.
Your three choices
- Join another Medicare Advantage plan. Plan Finder shows the plans sold where you live. Check that your drugs, doctors, and pharmacies are covered. See Switching Medicare Advantage plans: what to check first.
- Go back to Original Medicare. You can then add a Part D drug plan and, in some cases, a Medigap policy. Original Medicare does not cover most prescriptions on its own, so a drug plan matters.
- Do nothing. If you don't join another Medicare Advantage plan before your plan ends, you'll be enrolled in Original Medicare. You would have no drug coverage until you join a Part D plan, and no Medigap unless you buy one.
MediPrimer does not tell you which choice is best. See Choosing Coverage for a neutral comparison.
The special enrollment window
Medicare calls this a Special Enrollment Period. It applies when Medicare ends your plan's contract. You can switch to another Medicare Advantage plan or a Medicare drug plan. Your chance to switch starts 1 month before the contract ends and ends 2 full months after.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| October 15 to December 7 | Regular Open Enrollment. You can switch plans as usual. |
| December 31, 2026 | Your plan ends, if that is the end date on your letter. |
| Up to 2 full months after the plan ends | The special window closes. For a December 31 end date, that is the end of February 2027. |
Your letter lists your plan's exact end date. Count from that date, not from this page.
Medigap rights when your plan ends
Medigap is extra insurance sold by private companies. It helps pay costs that Original Medicare leaves. You can only use it with Original Medicare. Our Medigap guide explains the lettered plans.
Normally, outside your first six months with Part B, a Medigap company can look at your health and say no. When your Medicare Advantage plan is leaving Medicare, you have a guaranteed issue right instead. That means the company must sell you a policy. Here is what Medicare says about the timing and the limits:
- The timing. You must apply from 60 days before your plan coverage ends to no more than 63 days after it ends.
- You must switch to Original Medicare. You only have this right if you switch to Original Medicare, not if you join another Medicare Advantage plan.
- The start date. Medigap coverage can't start until your Medicare Advantage plan coverage ends.
- Which plans. Medicare lists the right to buy Medigap Plan A, B, C, D, F, G, K, or L that's sold in your state in some of these situations. Ask Medicare or your SHIP which plans apply to you.
- State rules. These are federal rights. Your state may offer more.
Keep your plan's letters and notices. You may need to show that your coverage ended. Because the window is only 63 days after your plan ends, decide early if you want Medigap. For the full steps, see switching from Medicare Advantage to Original Medicare.
A short action list
- Find the end date on your letter and write it down.
- List your drugs, doctors, and pharmacies. You will need them to compare plans.
- Compare plans for 2027 in Medicare Plan Finder.
- Decide about Medigap early if you might return to Original Medicare. Count the 63 days.
- Call your State Health Insurance Assistance Program. It gives free, unbiased help and has no tie to any insurer. Find yours in the SHIP directory. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
See Medicare Open Enrollment 2027 for this year's dates and checklist.
Common questions
Will I lose Medicare if my plan ends?
No. Your Part A and Part B stay. If you don't join another Medicare Advantage plan before yours ends, you'll be enrolled in Original Medicare.
How long do I have to pick a new plan?
The special window starts 1 month before your plan's contract ends and ends 2 full months after. Open Enrollment, October 15 to December 7, also applies.
Can I get a Medigap policy if I have health problems?
If your plan is leaving Medicare and you switch to Original Medicare, you have a right to buy a Medigap policy within the 60-day-before to 63-day-after window. Outside that window, a company may be able to turn you down based on your health.
Do I need to cancel my old plan?
No. Your old plan ends on its own date. When you join a new Medicare Advantage plan, you are moved out of the old one. Watch the start date of the new plan so you have no gap.
Official sources
- Medicare.gov: Special Enrollment Periods
- Medicare.gov: When can I buy a Medigap policy?
- Medicare.gov: Your health plan options