Got a letter saying your Medicare Advantage plan won’t be offered next year? Keep it. That letter is your proof for extra enrollment time and for special Medigap rights. You have choices, and you have more than one deadline. The main one is December 7: pick a new plan by then and your new coverage starts January 1 with no gap.
Medicare Advantage is not going away. CMS (the federal agency that runs Medicare) says more than 99% of people with Medicare will still have at least one Medicare Advantage plan available next year. What is happening is that some plans end, some merge, and some change shape, so some Floridians are getting letters this fall. Whether you live in Fort Myers, Naples, Tampa, West Palm Beach, Orlando, or Panama City, the rules and dates below are the same.
This article is educational. Instant Health Help is a licensed health insurance agency, and our agent, Lobsang Rivas, is licensed in Florida. We are not Medicare or Social Security.
Are insurers dropping Medicare Advantage plans?
Some are dropping specific plans or leaving some counties. That is different from Medicare Advantage ending. Each fall, every plan decides what it will offer for the coming year. In Florida, some plans are ending or merging, and some PPO plans are being replaced with HMO plans. The only way to know what is happening to your plan is to read the mail from your plan. Medicare.gov says the plan non-renewal notice usually arrives in October.
For the bigger picture, see the CMS announcements on Medicare Advantage and Part D rates.
Step 1: Decode your letter
Not every letter means your plan is ending. Match yours to one of these:
| If your letter says… | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Your plan is leaving Medicare or will not be offered in your area next year (a plan non-renewal notice) | Your plan ends December 31 | Choose new coverage. Keep the letter. Your calendar is below. |
| Your plan is being combined with another plan | Your plan may be replaced by a different plan from the same company | Read which plan you would be moved to, then compare it like any other option |
| Here is what changes next year (an Annual Notice of Change) | Your plan stays, but costs, drugs, or doctors may change | Review it. Our Medicare Advantage changes checklist walks through it. |
| A doctor or hospital is leaving your plan’s network | Your plan stays, but its network is changing | Check your providers. A major network change may qualify for a special window (more below). |
Not sure which one you have? Call the plan’s member services number on your card, or call us and we will read it with you.
Step 2: Your calendar if your plan is ending
| Date | What you can do | When new coverage starts |
|---|---|---|
| Now to December 7 (Medicare Open Enrollment) | Join a new Medicare Advantage plan, or switch to Original Medicare and add a drug plan. The plan must get your request by December 7. | January 1, no gap |
| December 8 to December 31 (special window for plans that are not renewing) | Join another Medicare Advantage plan or a drug plan | January 1 |
| January (same special window) | Same choices | February 1. You are in Original Medicare for January. |
| February (last month of the special window) | Same choices. The window closes on the last day of February. | March 1. You are in Original Medicare for January and February. |
| From 60 days before to 63 days after your plan coverage ends | Apply for a Medigap policy with guaranteed rights (see Path D) | When your Medicare Advantage coverage ends, or later |
The special window for plans that end is listed on the Medicare.gov special enrollment periods page. The start dates by month come from CMS enrollment guidance.
Path A: You pick a new plan by December 7
This is the cleanest route. Nothing lapses, and your new card, drug list, and network are ready on January 1. Before you choose:
- List your doctors, hospitals, and specialists, then confirm each one is in the new plan’s network for next year. Here is how to check a doctor’s network.
- Check the network type. If your old plan was a PPO, a replacement may be an HMO, which usually means referrals and staying in network. See Medicare Advantage HMO vs PPO.
- Enter every prescription and your pharmacy in Medicare Plan Finder. Our guide to checking a Part D drug list shows how.
- Look past the extras. Dental, vision, and allowances matter, but your doctors and drugs usually matter more.
Joining a new Medicare Advantage plan automatically ends your old one when the new one starts.
Path B: You use the extra window, December 8 to the end of February
Because your plan is ending, Medicare gives you extra time after December 7. It helps if you missed the first deadline or need more time to check doctors. Just know how the timing works:
- A request made from December 8 to December 31 still starts January 1.
- A request in January starts February 1, and one in February starts March 1.
- Until your new plan starts, you are in Original Medicare without a drug plan, unless you joined one.
If you take medications every month, aim to finish by December 7 so your drug coverage never lapses.
Path C: You do nothing
If you do not choose anything, your plan still ends December 31. On January 1 you are automatically in Original Medicare (Part A and Part B). You will not lose Medicare. But you will not have:
- Drug coverage. Original Medicare does not include Part D. You would need to join a separate drug plan.
- The plan’s extras, like dental, vision, or hearing benefits.
- A yearly limit on what you pay for Part A and Part B services, unless you add other coverage like a Medigap policy.
Going too long without Medicare drug coverage, or other drug coverage that is as good, can lead to a late enrollment penalty that is added to your premium later. If you get Extra Help, Medicare.gov notes you do not pay that penalty, and you also have more chances to change plans during the year.
Path D: You switch to Original Medicare plus a Medigap policy
When a Medicare Advantage plan leaves Medicare or stops serving your area, federal law gives you a guaranteed issue right. That means an insurance company selling certain standardized Medigap plans in Florida cannot turn you down because of your health. Key points:
- You can apply as early as 60 days before your Medicare Advantage coverage ends, and no later than 63 days after it ends.
- The right only applies if you go to Original Medicare, not if you join another Medicare Advantage plan.
- Medigap does not cover prescriptions, so pair it with a stand-alone drug plan.
- Keep copies of your letter. Medicare.gov says you may need it with your Medigap application to prove your right.
Read more on the Medicare.gov page about changing Medigap policies and in our Medigap Open Enrollment guide.
What if your plan stays but your doctors leave?
That is a network change, not a plan ending. In parts of Southwest Florida and elsewhere, hospital and plan contracts can change during the fall. Medicare.gov lists a special window for a significant change in your plan’s provider network, but it is reviewed case by case. The simplest protection is to check your doctors and hospital for next year before December 7, while you can still switch for any reason.
Your letter folder
Keep these together until your new coverage is running smoothly:
- The plan ending letter (and the envelope if it shows a mailing date)
- Your Annual Notice of Change, if you got one
- Your Medicare card and a list of your drugs and doctors
- The confirmation from your new plan or Medigap company
- Notes on who you talked to and when
Frequently asked questions
Are Medicare Advantage plans going away?
No. CMS says more than 99% of people with Medicare will have access to at least one Medicare Advantage plan next year. Some individual plans end, merge, or leave certain counties, which is why some people get letters.
My Medicare Advantage plan is ending. What is my deadline?
Choose by December 7 for coverage starting January 1. Because your plan is not renewing, you also have a special window from December 8 to the last day of February, but coverage starts later the longer you wait.
What happens if I do nothing?
Your plan ends December 31 and you are moved to Original Medicare on January 1, without drug coverage. You would need to join a separate drug plan, and going too long without drug coverage can lead to a late enrollment penalty.
Can I buy a Medigap policy if my plan is ending?
Usually yes. When your plan leaves Medicare or your area, you have a guaranteed right to buy certain Medigap plans if you go to Original Medicare. Apply from 60 days before to no more than 63 days after your plan coverage ends, and keep your letter as proof.
Do I have to cancel my old plan?
No. A plan that is not renewing ends on its own on December 31. If you join a new Medicare Advantage plan, the change happens automatically when the new plan starts.
My plan changed from a PPO to an HMO. Is that the same as ending?
Not always. Read your letter. If your plan is ending, you get the special window above. If your plan is only changing, you can still switch during Open Enrollment through December 7.
How we help
We help people across Florida, from Fort Myers and Naples to Tampa, West Palm Beach, Orlando, and Panama City, make sense of plan letters and compare their Medicare options by phone and online, in English or Spanish. We look at your doctors, prescriptions, pharmacy, and ZIP code, show you how the choices compare, and you make the decision. Learn more about our Florida Medicare agent services.
Got the letter? Let’s map your dates together
Have your letter, your Medicare card, and your drug list handy, and we will go through your options before December 7.
Call (321) 315-0054 | agent@inshh.com
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 10 organizations which offer 489 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.
1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048) is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays. Instant Health Help is not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program.
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