Medicare Advantage Plans Are Ending in 2026 for Millions: Here’s What to Do

In 2026, millions of people enrolled in Medicare Advantage will lose their current plan. Why? Because of something called a Medicare Service Area Reduction (SAR).

That’s the technical term. What it really means for you is simple: your insurance company has decided it’s no longer going to offer your plan where you live.

If you’re impacted, you’ll get a letter in the mail. That letter is your official warning — and your roadmap for what to do next.

Every year, Medicare Advantage carriers decide where they’re going to offer plans. If they choose to pull out of a county, a ZIP code, or even an entire state, that’s a Service Area Reduction.

Sometimes it’s just a local plan disappearing. Other times, it can mean every Medicare Advantage enrollee in a county has to find something new.

It’s especially disruptive in rural areas, where there may only be one or two plans left after a carrier pulls out.

SARs happen every year — but 2026 looks bigger than usual. Here’s why:

• Carriers are realigning. I’m hearing from inside the industry that companies are focusing only on the counties and states where their plans are most profitable.
• Plans are consolidating. Smaller, underperforming plans are being merged or dropped altogether.
• Regulations are tightening. Medicare is raising the bar on networks, quality ratings, and benefits. Some carriers would rather exit than pay the cost to adapt.

Translation? Fewer choices in some areas, new networks in others, and more beneficiaries forced to make a change.

If your plan is affected, you’ll get a notice in the mail by the end of September 2025.

That letter will tell you:

• When your plan ends.
• Whether your carrier is moving you into a different plan.
• The exact enrollment windows you’ll have to make a change.

Don’t ignore it. That one piece of mail could determine whether you glide into 2026 with continuous coverage — or scramble to find something last-minute.

If your Medicare Advantage plan is discontinued, you have three main paths:

• Switch to another Medicare Advantage plan. In some areas, you’ll still have a dozen choices. In others, maybe just one or two. Always confirm your doctors and hospitals are still in-network before you switch.
• Go back to Original Medicare (Parts A & B). If you lose coverage due to a Service Area Reduction, you may qualify for a guaranteed issue right — meaning you can get a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan without health underwriting. That’s a big deal if you’ve ever been turned down before.
• Add drug coverage. If your current Medicare Advantage plan includes Part D and it ends, you’ll need to pick either a new Advantage plan with drug coverage or a standalone Part D plan.

The key: you must actively choose. If you do nothing, your carrier may automatically place you into another plan — one that might not cover your doctors or prescriptions.

• Annual Enrollment Period (AEP): Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2025. This is the big window when everyone can make changes.
• Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for SARs: Dec. 8, 2025 – Feb. 28, 2026. This extra window exists specifically for people losing their plans.

But here’s the catch: If you wait until after Jan. 1, 2026 to act, you could face a coverage gap until March. And with millions of people affected at once, appointment slots with advisors will fill quickly.

Even if you haven’t gotten a letter yet, it pays to prepare early. Here’s what I recommend:

• Review your current plan now. Know your doctors, prescriptions, and costs inside and out.
• Check your options early. Use Medicare.gov’s Plan Finder or work with a licensed advisor before the October rush.
• Think long-term. Maybe this is the right time to look at Medigap for more stability, or to reassess whether Medicare Advantage is still the best fit for your needs.

A Service Area Reduction can feel disruptive — but it can also be an opportunity to get into coverage that actually works better for you.

Medicare decisions are complicated, and when deadlines are looming, it’s easy to feel rushed or make mistakes. That’s where guidance can make all the difference.

If you want help reviewing your options, you can schedule a free consultation at BrickhouseAgency.com. There’s no obligation to enroll — just the chance to review your coverage with someone who knows the system from the inside.

Medicare Advantage plans aren’t “going away” in 2026. But millions of people will lose their current plans because of Service Area Reductions.

Don’t wait until December to figure it out. Watch for your letter, line up your options early, and head into 2026 confident that your coverage will be there when you need it.