MA plans in several areas are being shut down for 2027. The choices seniors have is declining as insurance companies realize the profits are not there.
If your Medicare Advantage plan closes or terminates its contract, you get federal guaranteed-issue rights to buy a Medigap policy without health screening or denial for pre-existing conditions.
You must apply within a strict 63-day window starting from the date your plan coverage ends. Keep Your Notice: You will need the formal termination or non-renewal notice from your Part C plan as proof when submitting your Medigap application so the insurer knows not to put you through medical underwriting.
However, it is likely Medigap may cost more in premiums, but you will gain freer access to care and still little or no out-of-pocket cost is possible. You could be charged age-based premiums.
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There are a lot of splashy daytime television ads for Medicare Advantage plans. You never see one for Medigap plans. It’s sort of the same reason why you’ll see a lot of marketing for fast food restaurants, but never for the Cauliflower-Broccoli Board. . . .
MedigapSeminars is the site that I check to see what is the landscape each year. It helped me choose a plan with them when I retired and I have had to switch to another Medigap G plan last year based on their recommendation.
Lots of information on the site to educate oneself.
Those ads seem to be the equivalent of the soap opera drivel during which they are shown.
Some good reasons in this chain to consider dropping my company’s retiree Medicare Advantage sponsored plan (Employer PPO). But I can’t find one. Figures below solely for Medicare Advantage piece of things; does not include Medicare.
Combined premiums for my wife and me annually are $1100. Maximum out of pocket for each is $1500. Seems prudent to roll with it unless I’m missing something. Am I?
“Company sponsored” seems to be the key to your analysis. I assume there are employer contributions toward the cost involved. It might even be self-insured.
Probably not the same type of plan as the MA plans under discussion.
This is good to know for Medicare Advantage participants. The choice to take original Medicare or Advantage can be difficult, depending on where you live. My wife and I both chose original Medicare eight years ago even though it cost more. I was diagnosed with blood cancer five years ago and am glad I can choose any physician who accepts Medicare. Sometimes cost is not the most important consideration. If you don’t get sick, it doesn’t matter much which plan you choose.
The illusion of saving money- typically by premiums – can be powerful attraction, especially in the absence of significant medical issues.
Seniors need to look further into access to care and potential total out of pocket costs. Especially given the ability to change from MA is limited.
As to your last sentence Dick, even though we are generally healthy we chose traditional with a G supplement. Even though it costs more we can “budget” the supplement and Federal part B and move on.
Erik Soderborg with The Retirement Nerds channel on You Tube has just put out a very informative and detailed video on this subject (08/12/2026).
If I understand correctly the advantage plans are largely replaced with other options but it just creates so much confusion and turmoil in the process.
Going forward I have concerns about the future availability and cost of medigap/supplement plans.
Actually the number of choices retirees have for MA plans has been declining so replacing one MA for another MA is more difficult. A lot depends on where you live.
My signup date approaches. It’ll be original Medicare.
As you age, you’ll be happy you did. One of my friends is in a group Advantage plan through her husband’s former employer (large company so presumably they negotiated well). After a fall she was sent to a 1 star nursing home at a considerable distance from home. They injured her there and refused to take her to the hospital so she called 911. After that she was able to go to a 3 star nursing home near her home. (Thanks to her daughter, a nurse who lives out of state who intervened ). There are no 4 and 5 star SNF in her network . With Original Medicare you can go anywhere.
Another friend was scheduled for a shoulder replacement. Less than 24 hours before the surgery , it was cancelled because her MA plan had dropped the surgeon from her network. It was several months before she could be re-scheduled and she was in terrible pain
You won’t regret your decision.
When my MA plan terminated effective 12/31/25, I took this opportunity and switched (without any health screening) from MA to Medicare/Medigap for 2026 and, so far at least, I’m glad that I did. Yes, the premium cost is higher, but my health is worth it.
Sound move in my opinion. We have Medigap Plan G. Only out of pocket cost is the Part B deductible each year and we have incurred hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses in the last two years alone. Our premiums are high (over $300 a month each) because my former employer dropped our coverage when we’re were in our 80s and the replacement Medigap premiums are age based.
I hope that our Kaiser Permanente LA and Orange County Senior Advantage Medicare Plan doesn’t ever terminate because both my wife and I absolutely love it, and we highly recommend his wonderful non-profit health care organization to everyone who lives in their service area.
I had Kaiser health plans literally from birth (born in a Kaiser hospital) until I retired. If it was offered in my area, it is probably the only MA plan I would take.
At my own peril, I’m Going on a Medicare reading strike. Medicare on the title, I’m not reading.
😀 I’m currently trying a different kind of reading strike but I haven’t been very successful so far. I will keep trying. Good luck with yours, Nick.
Does that apply to Social Security too?😎
Yes but I hope I’ll get over it.
You will miss Dick Q too much if you stick to it.
We are thankful that we have had no changes in our MA plan in two years and we are completely happy with our choice. But I appreciate your articles on the topic and will always keep them in mind
It’s not the two years past, but the future to be concerned about. The situation is changing rapidly. I hope your plan stays viable, but stay vigilant.
Thanks to advice read here, I switched from MA to original Medicare and a Medigap policy when I received my MA plan termination letter two years ago. I’ve been happy with the switch and grateful to the HD community. It was good advice and bears repeating from time to time.
From the comments I see on social media ,most people say they can’t afford Medigap premiums . But for some others with serious medical conditions who have wanted to move from MA but are stopped by underwriting, this is a lucky break.