Medicare Advantage Plan Termination Letters: Understanding Your Options

Have you gotten a letter saying your Medicare Advantage coverage will be ending? If so, you’re not alone. Many folks will receive a Medicare Advantage termination letter in 2025 alerting them that their plan won’t renew in 2026. 

Also called a Medicare Advantage non-renewal notice 2026, or simply a notice that your Medicare plan ending 2026, this message means it’s time to explore your options.

Don’t worry. This guide walks you through what such a letter means, why companies send them, what deadlines you must hit, and whether sticking with Medicare Advantage or going with Original Medicare + Medigap might be a better fit for you.

What Exactly Is a Medicare Advantage Termination Letter?

A termination or non-renewal notice is your carrier’s official way of saying:
“This Medicare Advantage plan won’t be offered anymore starting in 2026.”

When you get one, it usually includes:

• A clear statement that your current MA plan won’t continue in 2026
• The date it ends (usually December 31, 2025)
• Your rights and next steps — like whether you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period
• Suggestions for alternative coverage — possibly another MA plan the carrier offers, or going back to Original Medicare with Medigap

Sample Wording from Carriers

To help you see what to look for, here are a few example phrasings you might find in such letters:

Example 1:

“We regret to inform you that we will not renew your Medicare Advantage HMO plan in 2026. Your current coverage will end on December 31, 2025. You may choose another Medicare Advantage plan in your service area or return to Original Medicare with the option to purchase a Medigap policy. Please review your options and act before the deadline to avoid a gap in coverage.”

Example 2:

“Your Medicare Advantage PPO plan will not be available after December 31, 2025. To ensure continuous coverage, you must enroll in another Medicare Advantage plan, return to Original Medicare, or purchase a Medicare Supplement policy. If you do not make a new selection, you will be automatically returned to Original Medicare beginning January 1, 2026.”

Example 3:

“Important Notice: We are writing to notify you that the Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan (SNP) you are enrolled in will not be renewed for 2026. Coverage under this plan will terminate on December 31, 2025. You qualify for a Special Enrollment Period and may join another Medicare Advantage plan, including a different SNP if eligible, or return to Original Medicare. Please act promptly to avoid losing prescription drug coverage.”

Tip: Don’t Toss It Out

Save this termination or non-renewal notice — even if it looks like junk mail. It’s your proof of a qualifying event. You’ll need it if you want guaranteed rights to a Medigap policy, to avoid late enrollment penalties, or to use a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). Hold onto it.

Insurance companies don’t send out non-renewal notices just for fun.

Here are some of the most common reasons:

• They’re shrinking or rearranging service areas — maybe they no longer can maintain provider networks in certain rural or less populated counties.
• Some plans have had low enrollment, making them financially unsustainable.
• Costs have gone up — prescription drugs, provider fees, hospital charges — and insurers may decide to eliminate certain benefit designs or whole plan types.
• Consolidation moves: a carrier may want to simplify its offerings by shutting down one plan and guiding members into another.

Whatever the reason, you are entitled to notice and time to pick something new.

Here are the key dates to watch if your plan is ending:

• September 2025: You should receive the Medicare Advantage non-renewal notice 2026.
• October 15 – December 7, 2025: Annual Enrollment Period (AEP). Use this window to shop for any MA or Part D plan in your area.
• December 31, 2025: Your current Medicare Advantage plan ends.
• December 8, 2025 – February 28, 2026: Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for people whose MA plan is discontinued. You can move into another MA plan or return to Original Medicare during this SEP.

If you do nothing: on January 1, 2026, you’ll automatically go back to Original Medicare. But heads up, you might not have drug coverage unless you separately sign up for Part D.

When your Medicare plan ending 2026 notice arrives, you essentially have two paths forward. Each has trade-offs. Let’s compare.

What’s good:

• Often lower monthly premiums than Medigap policies.
• Extra benefits — vision, dental, hearing, fitness — that Original Medicare doesn’t cover.
• Many MA plans have an out-of-pocket maximum, so after a point, you stop paying for covered services.

What to watch out for:

• Limited provider networks, especially if you travel or have doctors outside the network.
• Benefits/costs may change each year — what looks good now might not next year.
• Switching plans could mean losing your existing provider relationships if they’re out of network.

(Mid-stage note: Carriers may suggest you move into another plan they offer. That might feel easy — but feel free to shop around. Another carrier might offer a better deal for your doctors, prescriptions, or cost preferences.)

What’s good:

• You generally have access to any doctor or hospital that accepts Medicare. No network restrictions.
• More stability — benefits tend to stay consistent; Medigap policies are less likely to change year to year.
• Strong protection for unexpected medical events, especially hospitalizations or surgeries.

What’s harder:

• Higher premiums — you’ll typically pay more monthly than many Medicare Advantage plans.
• Must buy a separate Part D plan for drug coverage.
• Unless you have guaranteed-issue rights, you may face underwriting (medical questions) for Medigap if you’re enrolling outside certain windows — though losing your MA plan may give you rights.

Here’s a game-plan to help things go smoothly:

1. Read your termination letter carefully. Highlight the deadlines so you don’t make a mistake and miss it.
2. Make a list of your doctors, hospitals, and all your current medications. Compare new plans based on what you actually use.
3. Use Medicare’s Plan Finder tool early to see what MA and Part D options exist in your ZIP code.
4. Compare across carriers — not just the one canceling your plan. Sometimes a different insurer has a better network or drug formulary.
5. Don’t wait until the last minute. Even though the SEP gives you until February 2026, the earlier you act, the less risk of coverage gap or unexpected costs.

If you ignore the notice:

• Your current plan will stop on December 31, 2025.
• You’ll go back to Original Medicare on January 1, 2026, automatically.
• Unless you enroll in a Part D drug plan, you may lose drug coverage.

Without Medigap, you could face high out-of-pocket costs, especially if you need hospital or specialist care.

Monthly Premiums

• Medicare Advantage: Often lower; some MA plans cost $0 (aside from Part B).
• Original Medicare + Medigap: Higher, since you’ve got Medigap + Part B + Part D.

Doctor/Hospital Flexibility

• Medicare Advantage: Fixed networks; may limit where you can go.
• Original Medicare + Medigap: Go anywhere that accepts Medicare.

Extra Benefits

• Medicare Advantage: Vision, hearing, dental, gym, etc. often built in.
• Original Medicare + Medigap: Usually not included; separate plans needed.

Out-of-Pocket Costs

• Medicare Advantage: Annual cap in MA; defined copays.
• Original Medicare + Medigap: Medigap helps protect you; without it you pay coinsurance, etc.

Yearly Stability

• Medicare Advantage: Benefits and costs may change.
• Original Medicare + Medigap: More stable; fewer surprises.

A Medicare Advantage non-renewal notice 2026 or Medicare Advantage termination letter may feel unnerving — but you do have control. Once you understand what it says, when things end, and what your options are, you can make a plan.

Don’t let the notice intimidate you. Use it as your signal to compare, act, and choose wisely. When your Medicare plan ending 2026 notice shows up, keep the letter, review your choices, and move before you have any coverage gaps.