Up to 1 in 10 Medicare Advantage Members May Need a New Plan for 2027

A sizable group of Medicare Advantage members may have to choose new coverage for 2027 as insurers reduce or discontinue plans. Barron’s reported that potentially as many as 10% of the more than 35 million people in Medicare Advantage could lose their current plan, turning this fall’s enrollment season into a mandatory decision for some households rather than a routine review.

Cancellation Notices Can Change the Choice Entirely

The issue is not simply whether premiums or benefits change. If an insurer ends a plan in a member’s area, that member must move to another Medicare Advantage option or transition to traditional Medicare and arrange other coverage as needed.

Barron’s reported that Humana alone expects to end plans covering about 600,000 members. Other insurers and regional plans are also adjusting footprints as they prepare for 2027.

October Brings the Key Dates

Medicare plan information for the coming year becomes available in the fall, and the annual enrollment period runs from October 15 through December 7. CMS has also released updated Medicare Advantage and Part D enrollment and disenrollment guidance for 2027.

For someone whose plan is disappearing, the most important document may be the plan notice explaining what ends, when it ends and what alternatives are available locally. The practical consequence can include a different doctor network, drug plan, premium structure or supplemental coverage decision.

A Missing Plan Is Different From a Price Increase

Members who receive a termination notice should not assume their current coverage will simply renew with new pricing. A plan exit can require an entirely new selection.

That is why the 2027 changes carry more urgency than a general Medicare cost story: for affected members, the question is not only what the plan will cost next year, but whether the plan will exist at all.

References: Losing Your Medicare Plan? There’s a Silver Lining. | Medicare Managed Care Eligibility and Enrollment