Medicare chief Dr. Mehmet Oz speaks at an event to announce the America.gov artificial intelligence website in Washington, DC, last month. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption i Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images A host of Medicare Advantage plans are disappearing by next year, leaving seniors in many areas with fewer options. In 193 counties nationwide, no plan is offered. Medicare’s annual open enrollment period began Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7, and seniors enrolled in those privatized Medicare plans that are closing in certain markets should carefully review their options. Medicare Advantage means that private insurers administer Medicare for older Americans who choose it instead of traditional Medicare, where the federal government itself administers the program. More than half of the 70 million Americans with Medicare choose Medicare Advantage. It is popular because it covers services such as vision and dental, often at lower premiums than traditional Medicare. It also typically includes the “Part D” drug benefit, making that decision simpler. But one downside to Medicare Advantage is that companies can choose where they offer plans. If a certain community is not profitable, a company can leave that market. And that’s been happening on an increasing scale over the past three years, according to research published in JAMA. Who is affected Large parts of rural America are losing Medicare Advantage options, as are some major metropolitan areas. Last year, 2.9 million seniors had Medicare Advantage plans that closed, according to JAMA. This year, an analysis of insurance company announcements by the podcast An Arm and A Leg shows that at least 2 million people will be affected. Other preliminary estimates range between 3.2 and 5 million older people. Approximately 35 million people are enrolled in Medicare Advantage. According to an analysis of federal data by the health policy research organization KFF, the 193 counties that will not have Medicare Advantage plans are mostly rural. Last year, that number was about 120 counties with no plan offered. KFF figures also show that far fewer plans will be offered in some metropolitan areas. Dallas, Minneapolis, Seattle, Houston and Portland have between a quarter and a third fewer Medicare Advantage plans for seniors. What happens next If your plan ends and you don’t choose another one, the insurance company will assign you to another Medicare Advantage plan or the government will enroll you in traditional Medicare, but without a supplement or drug plan. If you want to switch from Medicare Advantage to traditional Medicare and your plan is ending, you can enroll in a Medicare Supplement plan, also known as Medigap, without the same restrictions you would normally have. If you have a pre-existing condition that has prevented you from enrolling in Medigap before, that could be good news. Another drawback this year is that insurance companies may limit enrollment in some of the Medicare Advantage plans they offer. What it means: If you wait to sign up, the plan you want may already be full. Businesses are supposed to sign people up on a first-come, first-served basis, and not select customers based on their health conditions, age or demographics. Another reason not to delay is that with so many people looking for new plans, it may take longer than usual to get help. How and where to find help Here are some tips for navigating Medicare open enrollment this year: Find out if your plan is still offered: First, check your mail. Medicare Advantage plans that are closing should have sent letters the first week of October. You can also log into your account at Medicare.gov to check the status of your plan for next year. Try calling your SHIP: There is a State Health Insurance Assistance Program, known as a “SHIP,” in every state to help seniors with Medicare. The name isn’t easy to remember or particularly descriptive, but it’s free, federally mandated, and staff and volunteers are meant to give you unbiased information about all the options available. Find your status in the directory at shiphelp.org. Your county may have a specific number that you can find on your state’s SHIP website. Find local Medicare counseling services: Friends, family, leaders at your place of worship, and your local elected officials’ constituent services may have information about where you can get personalized help. The nonprofit Medicare Rights Center also has a national helpline and a well-organized library of online guides. Brokers can be helpful, but be smart: You want a broker who will talk to you about all your options, including switching to traditional Medicare and a supplemental plan. Ask if they sell plans from all available insurance companies. And ask if they answer questions about your plan all year long, because insurance never stops being confusing. Double-check what you see on Medicare.gov: The Medicare Plan Finder lets you search for plans online. But lists of covered doctors and medications can sometimes be wrong. To be sure, check with your doctor’s office or a SHIP Medicare advisor, broker, or other helper. Don’t share your personal information with services you find online: Be careful when sharing your personal information, such as your phone number. Some online agencies will sell your information, leading to unwanted calls and even scammers. Please note the deadlines: Open enrollment for Medicare runs from October 15, 2026 to December 7, 2026. Coverage begins January 1, 2027. If your plan ends, you qualify for a “special enrollment period” that will give you a little more time, until February 28, 2027. (For coverage that begins January 1, 2027, sign up sooner December 31.) Emily Pisacreta is the senior producer of An Arm and a Leg, a podcast about the cost of healthcare produced in partnership with KFF Health News and distributed by KUOW, Seattle’s NPR member station.
