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Plan Exit Rescue CenterHelp for people whose Medicare plan is ending

My Medicare Advantage plan is being discontinued — what do I do?

You have a Special Enrollment Period, so you can choose a new Medicare Advantage plan, return to Original Medicare, or in most cases buy a Medicare Supplement with no health questions — but you do have to make a choice, because staying silent is itself a decision.

Getting a letter that says your plan is leaving Medicare is frightening, and it is also common. It does not mean you are losing Medicare. It means one private plan is ending, and Medicare gives you a protected window to pick something else.

What the letter is

When a plan leaves Medicare, Medicare says you get a Plan Non-Renewal Notice, and that notice arrives in October.

Three doors, all still open

  • A different Medicare Advantage plan in your county.
  • Original Medicare, plus a separate Medicare drug plan.
  • Original Medicare plus a Medicare Supplement (Medigap). When your Medicare Advantage plan leaves Medicare, CMS says you have a guaranteed-issue right to buy certain Medigap policies — no later than 63 days after your coverage ends — and the company cannot refuse you or charge you more because of a pre-existing condition.

Why you cannot simply wait

Medicare reminds people that if their plan leaves Medicare, they must join a new Medicare drug plan to keep drug coverage. Waiting can leave you without drug coverage in January.

Free help

You can call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or get free one-on-one counseling from your State Health Insurance Assistance Program.