4.3 Million Medicare Plans End on December 31: Check Yours Before December 7

4.3 Million Medicare Plans End on December 31: Check Yours Before December 7

Direct answer: A KFF analysis of federal plan data finds that 4.3 million Medicare beneficiaries will have their Medicare Advantage or stand-alone Part D drug plan terminated on December 31, 2026 — 3.1 million in Medicare Advantage drug plans and 1.2 million in stand-alone drug plans. If your plan is ending and you do nothing, you will be moved to Original Medicare, generally without prescription drug coverage. Medicare open enrollment ends December 7, 2026, so check your plan now.

What is happening?

Private insurers change their Medicare offerings every year, but the scale of this year's exits is large. KFF analyzed Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plan data, based on June 2026 enrollment, and published its findings on October 27, 2026. The terminations include plans that end entirely and plans that stop serving specific counties.

This is a different story from premiums. Earlier this fall we covered the 2027 average Medicare Advantage premium of $12 and the possible Part D average of $51 if enrollees stay put. Those were price stories. This one is about whether your plan exists at all next year — and a low premium means nothing if the plan is gone.

Group	People affected	Share of that group
Medicare Advantage drug plans (MA-PD)	3.1 million	14% of general-enrollment MA-PD enrollees (2.8 million), plus about 300,000 in special needs plans
Stand-alone Part D plans (PDP)	1.2 million	6% of PDP enrollees — double last year's 3%
Plans consolidating, not ending	1.4 million	Moved automatically to another plan from the same insurer

The 1.4 million people in consolidating plans are not losing coverage — their insurer moves them to a different plan. But they should still review the new plan, because costs, benefits, networks, and drug lists can change. The average beneficiary will have 28 Medicare Advantage drug plans and 9 stand-alone drug plans to choose from in 2027; the drug-plan choice count is down from 11 in 2026.

Which insurers are ending the most plans?

Four parent organizations account for half of the people losing an individual Medicare Advantage drug plan:

Insurer	Share of affected MA-PD enrollees	People
Humana	19%	530,000
UnitedHealth Group	13%	367,000
CVS Health	9%	254,000
Aware Integrated (Blue Cross plans in Minnesota)	9%	249,000

On the drug-plan side, the concentration is even sharper: 81% of the 1.2 million people losing a stand-alone Part D plan — about 950,000 people — are in the SilverScript Choice plan sponsored by CVS Health, which is ending in 13 drug-plan regions. Another 190,000 people (16%) are in HealthSpring Extra Rx, ending in 16 regions.

What happens if you do nothing?

If your Medicare Advantage plan ends and you do not choose another plan, you will be switched automatically to Original Medicare (Parts A and B). That switch does not include prescription drug coverage, so you would need to enroll in a stand-alone Part D plan separately if you want drug coverage. Your insurer may instead assign you to another Medicare Advantage plan it offers — check your mail for a notice explaining which outcome applies to you.

There is one protection worth knowing: people whose Medicare Advantage coverage is terminated generally qualify for a special enrollment period for Medigap with guaranteed issue rights, meaning they cannot be denied a Medigap policy or charged more because of a pre-existing condition, according to KFF. The exact window is in your termination notice — ask 1-800-MEDICARE if it is unclear.

Minnesota: the sharpest example

Minnesota shows how concentrated the exits can be. On November 2, 2026, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison warned that nearly 400,000 Minnesotans — nearly one-third of the state's 1.2 million Medicare beneficiaries — will lose their current Medicare Advantage plan for 2027.

In 18 Minnesota counties, there will be no Medicare Advantage coverage in 2027. In 15 of those counties, Medicare Cost plans and Original Medicare remain available. In three counties — Crow Wing, Lake of the Woods, and Wadena — there will be no Medicare Advantage or Medicare Cost plan at all, so Original Medicare is the only option, and residents there must select a Part D drug plan to keep drug coverage. Minnesota Aging Pathways, the state's free counseling service, can be reached at 800-333-2433.

What should you do before December 7?

• Open the Annual Notice of Change letter from your plan. It states whether your plan continues, changes, or ends for 2027.
• Log in at Medicare.gov and use the Plan Finder: enter your prescriptions and your pharmacy to compare the plans available in your county.
• Check three things in any new plan: whether your doctors are in network, whether your prescriptions are covered, and what your total out-of-pocket costs would be.
• If your plan is ending, enroll in a new plan by December 7 so coverage starts January 1, 2027. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (available 24/7) or your state's free SHIP counseling program for help.
• Keep your termination letter. It documents your right to a special enrollment period and to Medigap guaranteed issue rights.

What if you miss December 7?

Missing open enrollment is not the end of the road if your plan is ending. People whose plan is not renewed get a special enrollment period that runs from December 8, 2026 through February 28, 2027. To have new coverage start on January 1 with no gap, enroll by December 31. Enrolling in January means coverage starts February 1, and enrolling in February means it starts March 1 — so December 7 is still the simplest deadline to aim for.

Frequently asked questions

Have I lost Medicare?
No. Your plan is ending, not your Medicare. Your Part A and Part B coverage continues through Original Medicare unless you enroll in a new Medicare Advantage plan.

How do I know if my plan is ending?
Your insurer was required to send an Annual Notice of Change and, if the plan is ending, a non-renewal notice. You can also check your plan's 2027 status by logging in at Medicare.gov.

What is the difference between a terminated plan and a consolidated plan?
A terminated plan ends and you must choose a replacement. A consolidated plan moves you automatically to another plan from the same insurer — about 1.4 million people are in this group — but you should still review the new plan's costs and coverage.

I am in Minnesota. What is different for me?
Nearly 400,000 Minnesotans are affected, and in 18 counties there will be no Medicare Advantage plan in 2027. In Crow Wing, Lake of the Woods, and Wadena counties, Original Medicare is the only option, so a Part D plan is needed for drug coverage. Free help is available from Minnesota Aging Pathways at 800-333-2433.

Can I still buy Medigap if my plan ends?
According to KFF, people whose Medicare Advantage coverage is terminated generally qualify for a special enrollment period for Medigap with guaranteed issue rights. Check the window in your termination notice or call 1-800-MEDICARE.

Where can I verify this myself?
See the KFF analysis, “More Than 4 Million Medicare Beneficiaries Will Have Their Medicare Advantage or Stand-Alone Prescription Drug Plan Terminated at the End of 2026” (October 27, 2026), and the Minnesota Attorney General's November 2, 2026 alert on Medicare Advantage changes.

Key Takeaway

4.3 million Medicare beneficiaries — 3.1 million in Medicare Advantage drug plans and 1.2 million in stand-alone Part D plans — lose their plan on December 31, 2026. If yours is one of them, choose a replacement by December 7 for coverage starting January 1; doing nothing leaves you on Original Medicare without drug coverage.

Sources: KFF, “More Than 4 Million Medicare Beneficiaries Will Have Their Medicare Advantage or Stand-Alone Prescription Drug Plan Terminated at the End of 2026,” October 27, 2026 (analysis of CMS plan data, June 2026 enrollment); Office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, press release, November 2, 2026; Medicare.gov special enrollment period rules for non-renewed plans (December 8, 2026 – February 28, 2027).

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This post was created with the help of AI tools and reviewed for accuracy against the sources cited above. It is general information only, not medical advice. For decisions about your own coverage, please talk to a licensed Medicare counselor, your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), or 1-800-MEDICARE.