Your Medicare Advantage Plan Is Ending in 2027: What to Know About Medigap

If you received a notice saying your Medicare Advantage (MA) plan will not be offered in 2027, review your options promptly. CMS projects 5,532 MA plans nationwide in 2027, compared with 5,553 in 2026. That small national decline does not show what is happening in a specific county, where individual plans and service areas can still change.

You generally have two paths: use the official Medicare Plan Finder to look for another Medicare Advantage plan, or return to Original Medicare and consider a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy. Our Medicare Advantage to Medigap guide explains the transition. Access to Medigap without medical underwriting depends on your federal and state rights and on applying within the required window.

Why Guaranteed Issue Matters

Outside a protected enrollment or guaranteed-issue period, a Medigap insurer may use medical underwriting where state law allows. It may review your health history, decline the application, or charge more because of your health.

During a federal guaranteed-issue period, an insurer must sell you an eligible policy that it offers, cover pre-existing conditions, and cannot charge more because of past or present health problems. One qualifying situation is when your MA plan leaves Medicare or stops serving your area and you switch to Original Medicare.

Your Guaranteed Issue Window

If your plan coverage ends on December 31, 2026, the federal timing generally works as follows:

• Read and keep your plan’s notice. It should state when coverage ends and describe your alternatives. You may need the notice to prove your guaranteed-issue right when you apply for Medigap.
• The Medigap application window opens 60 days before coverage ends. For a December 31 end date, you may apply as early as November 1, 2026.
• The window closes no more than 63 days after coverage ends. For a December 31 end date, the federal deadline is March 4, 2027.
• A Special Enrollment Period may let you choose replacement coverage. If the plan does not renew its Medicare contract, you can generally join another MA or Part D plan from December 8, 2026, through February 28, 2027. Review the official Special Enrollment Period rules for your situation.

Do not wait until the end of the window. You may apply for Medigap before your MA coverage ends if you are switching to Original Medicare, but the Medigap policy cannot start until the MA coverage ends. Applying early gives you time to confirm eligibility, compare available policies, and coordinate effective dates.

If you do not have a plan-termination notice or another qualifying event, you can use Medicare Open Enrollment from October 15 through December 7, 2026, to leave MA and return to Original Medicare effective January 1. That election period alone does not create a federal Medigap guaranteed-issue right, so medical underwriting may still apply in most states.

Which Medigap Plans Can You Buy

Most states use 10 standardized Medigap plan types, while Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin standardize policies differently. When an MA plan leaves Medicare or stops serving your area, federal rules generally let you buy Plans A, B, C, D, F, G, K, or L that an insurer sells in your state if you switch to Original Medicare. Plans C and F are not available to people who first became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. State law may provide broader rights.

The plan you prefer may not be offered by every insurer, even when the plan letter is within your guaranteed-issue rights. Confirm the available plans with the insurer and your state insurance department. For a comparison of common options, see our guide to the seven essential Medicare Supplement plans.

Other Ways to Get Medigap Without Underwriting

A plan termination is not the only situation that may protect you. Depending on the facts and your state, you may also have rights if:

• You are in your first 12 months of Medicare Advantage. Federal trial rights may apply if you joined MA when first eligible at 65 or dropped a Medigap policy to try MA for the first time. The policy choices differ between the two trial rights, so verify your exact situation. Our 2027 Medicare enrollment rights guide explains both.
• You moved out of your plan’s service area. If you return to Original Medicare rather than join another MA plan, a federal guaranteed-issue right may apply.
• Your state provides additional protections. For example, New York requires Medigap insurers to accept applications throughout the year, while several states offer recurring switching opportunities such as a Medigap birthday rule. Check your state insurance department because eligibility, timing, and permitted plan changes vary.

Do Not Forget Prescription Drug Coverage

Most MA plans include prescription drug coverage, but Medigap policies sold today do not. If you leave an MA plan that included drug coverage and move to Original Medicare with Medigap, you generally need a standalone Part D plan unless you have other creditable prescription coverage. Going 63 days or more without Part D or other creditable coverage may trigger a late-enrollment penalty that usually lasts as long as you have Part D. You can compare Part D plans here, review Medicare’s penalty rules, and use our guide for people who lost their MA drug plan.

What You Gain and What to Weigh

Moving to Original Medicare with Medigap can offer several advantages:

• Broad provider access. You can use any doctor or hospital nationwide that accepts Medicare, subject to Medicare’s coverage rules and whether the provider has opted out.
• No plan network referrals. Original Medicare generally does not require a referral to see a specialist.
• Less prior authorization. In most cases, Original Medicare does not require prior authorization, although certain services and supplies do.
• More predictable cost sharing. Depending on the plan letter, Medigap pays some or all of the deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments left by Original Medicare. Medicare’s deductibles and coinsurance amounts can change annually, so review the current Medicare costs before choosing coverage.
• Standardized benefits. In most states, policies with the same plan letter provide the same basic benefits regardless of the insurer, but premiums, rate increases, discounts, and customer service can differ.

There are trade-offs. A Medigap premium is paid in addition to the Part B premium, and Medigap premiums can rise and vary widely by insurer and location. Compare more than the introductory price; ask about discounts, rating method, and the company’s history of rate increases. Original Medicare and Medigap also generally do not include routine dental, vision, hearing-aid, or over-the-counter benefits that some MA plans offer.

Take These Steps Now

1. Read and save your termination notice and note the exact date your coverage ends.
2. Mark your guaranteed-issue window. Confirm the first and last dates and apply early.
3. Verify which plans and insurers are available. Check federal rights, state protections, and insurer offerings before choosing a policy.
4. Coordinate Part D coverage. Avoid a gap in creditable prescription coverage.
5. Get help if you need it. Ask an agent which insurers they represent, or contact Medicare, your state insurance department, or SHIP to verify your rights and deadlines.

An experienced local Medicare insurance agent can help compare the insurers and policies they represent and coordinate applications. For free, objective counseling, contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program. Keep the plan notice and verify final eligibility and effective dates with the insurer or the appropriate government program.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Medigap available if my Medicare Advantage plan leaves

Usually, if you switch to Original Medicare. Federal guaranteed-issue rights generally apply when your MA plan leaves Medicare or stops serving your area. You may apply during the 60 days before MA coverage ends and no more than 63 days afterward. State law may provide additional rights.

How long do I have to buy Medigap after my MA plan ends

The federal window begins 60 days before your MA coverage ends and closes no more than 63 days after it ends. Missing that window may subject you to medical underwriting where state law allows.

Can I choose any Medigap plan with guaranteed issue rights

Not always. For this federal guaranteed-issue event, the protected set is generally Plans A, B, C, D, F, G, K, and L that are sold in your state, but Plans C and F are unavailable to people first eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. State rules and insurer offerings may expand or limit the practical choices.

Do I need a Part D plan if I switch from Medicare Advantage to Medigap

If your MA plan included drug coverage and you do not have other creditable prescription coverage, generally yes. Medigap policies sold today do not cover outpatient prescriptions, so you would usually enroll in a standalone Part D plan.

Can I switch to Medigap during Medicare Open Enrollment

You can leave Medicare Advantage and return to Original Medicare during Medicare Open Enrollment, October 15 through December 7, with the change effective January 1. However, that election period alone does not guarantee that a Medigap insurer must accept you. A separate federal or state protection must apply to avoid underwriting in most states.

Can I keep seeing my doctors with Medigap

You can use any doctor or specialist nationwide who accepts Medicare, as long as Medicare covers the service. Confirm that each provider accepts Medicare and has not opted out.

Related Medicare Guides

• Medicare Enrollment Rights 2027 Dates Rules and Protections
• Compare Medigap Plan G and Plan N
• Medicare Open Enrollment The 6 Biggest Mistakes to Avoid