She’s Among 3.1 Million Medicare Advantage Members Losing Their Plans December 31. Her Letter Gives Her a Rare Chance to Buy Medigap Without Health Questions. That Protection Expires 63 Days After Coverage Ends
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Consider a 73-year-old opening a letter saying her Medicare Advantage plan ends December 31. She figures she just needs to pick another Advantage plan before open enrollment closes. That skips the most valuable thing the letter gives her: a chance to buy a Medigap policy without answering a single health question. In one Medicare help group on Facebook, a member whose plan was discontinued asked “What Medigap plans am I eligible for with guaranteed issue?” It’s a question worth asking.
Millions Must Replace Their Plans
KFF estimates about 3.1 million members of Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage will have their plans terminated at the end of 2026. Mid-October headlines used a figure of nearly 3.2 million, or almost 11% of enrollees. That count covers a wider set of Advantage members. KFF’s count is narrower: it includes only plans with drug coverage, which is where most enrollees are.
Terminology matters here. A termination, also called a non-renewal, ends the plan completely. A consolidation affects another 1.4 million members. It moves them into a different plan from the same insurance company and comes with no Medigap protection. A benefit cut or premium increase doesn’t create this protection. A plan termination or withdrawal from her service area does.
Medigap Window Most Enrollees Never Get
Your first Medigap window opens when you enroll in Part B and lasts six months. Once it closes, insurance company in most states can ask health questions, charge more or turn you down. For someone with diabetes or heart disease, that can make Medigap difficult to access. A plan termination reopens the door. She can apply as early as 60 days before coverage ends and no later than 63 days afterward. During that window, insurers cannot reject her or charge more because of her health.
Her window is already open. Federal law lets her buy certain Medigap plans without health questions, but the choices depend on when she first became eligible for Medicare. At 73, she qualifies for guaranteed access to Plan G under these circumstances. Plan N isn’t covered by the same federal protection. Some states offer more choices, so she should check her state’s rules before ruling out another plan.
Original Medicare Creates Another Decision
Leaving Advantage means putting coverage back together from separate pieces, and Original Medicare has no annual out-of-pocket cap. She pays a $1,736 Part A deductible for each benefit period and a $283 Part B deductible. After that she owes 20% of Part B costs with no limit.
Consider $60,000 in Medicare-approved outpatient cancer treatment and one hospital admission. At 2026 rates, assuming she hasn’t met either deductible, she owes about $13,962 without supplemental coverage. With Plan G, she pays the $283 Part B deductible, and Plan G covers the rest of her Medicare-approved costs. The Plan G premium is what she doles out for that protection. It changes by state, age and insurance company.
Medigap does not cover prescriptions, so she also needs a standalone Part D plan. In 2027, Part D caps her yearly out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,400, up from $2,100. She continues paying her Part B premium, $202.90 a month in 2026, whichever path she picks, and if her income pushes her over the IRMAA thresholds, that premium rises quickly (we mapped out those surcharges and the other hidden bills here: Medicare’s Hidden Bills).
For a 73-year-old with chronic conditions or specialists she wants to keep, Plan G plus Part D deserves a close look. This could be her last chance to get Medigap without health screening. Another Advantage plan may cost less in premiums, provided her doctors are in its network. Keep in mind that if she picks Advantage now, switching back later usually means answering health questions.
What the Letter Means Before December 7
- Keep the notice. Make sure it says the plan is terminating or not renewing. A Medigap insurer may request proof when she applies.
- Apply for Plan G now with a January 1, 2027 start date so she has no gap in coverage. Get quotes from at least three insurers. Every Plan G offers the same standardized benefits, but prices and past rate increases vary by company.
- Enroll in a standalone Part D plan by December 7 for coverage starting January 1. Members whose plans are not renewed also have a Special Enrollment Period from December 8, 2026, through February 28, 2027. If she does nothing, she lands in Original Medicare on January 1 with no drug coverage. If that gap runs too long, she will owe a permanent Part D late penalty.
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Gerelyn Terzo is the author of dividend investing handbook "Dividend Investing Strategies: How to Have Your Cake & Eat It Too." A veteran financial journalist, she covers agri-finance for outlets like Global AgInvesting and the broader stock market and personal finance for 24/7 Wall Street. She began at CNBC and later helped launch Fox Business in New York. Gerelyn currently resides in Woodland Park, Colorado and dabbles in nature photography as a hobby.
