Is Your Medicare Plan Ending December 31? What to Do If You Take a Specialty Drug

What happens if your Medicare plan is not offered in 2027?

If your Medicare Advantage or stand-alone drug plan is not offered in 2027, you must choose new coverage yourself, unless your plan letter says you have been moved to another plan. If your drug coverage came through a Medicare Advantage plan, doing nothing can leave you with no drug coverage at all. Enroll by December 7, 2026 for coverage that starts January 1. On November 2, 2026, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison warned that insurers cut back or ended Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. The alert says nearly 400,000 Minnesotans are affected, and that 18 Minnesota counties will have no Medicare Advantage coverage, with three of those counties left with Original Medicare as the only option (Minnesota Attorney General, Nov 2, 2026). The AG notes that only a small fraction of people are automatically moved to another plan, which may not be a good fit. In counties left with Original Medicare only, people must pick a separate Medicare drug plan or they will have no prescription drug coverage in 2027. KIMT covered the same alert and the December 7 deadline. A KFF analysis published October 27, 2026 found that about 4.3 million people nationwide will have a Medicare Advantage or stand-alone drug plan terminated at the end of 2026, including about 3.1 million people in Medicare Advantage drug plans and 1.2 million in stand-alone drug plans (KFF, Oct 27, 2026). If your Medicare Advantage plan ends and you do not pick another, you move to Original Medicare. If your stand-alone drug plan ends, you need a new one to keep drug coverage. MPR News earlier described the Minnesota exits: discontinuation notices, fewer county options, and longer waits for counseling. For how Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage differ on drug coverage, see Medicare Advantage vs Original Medicare.

How do you know if your Medicare plan is ending in 2027?

Look for a letter saying your plan will not be offered in 2027, and read your yearly notice of changes. Check the Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov to see whether your current plan appears for 2027. If you are unsure, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), open 24 hours a day (Minnesota Attorney General).

What are the Medicare deadlines if your plan ends?

December 7, 2026: the date to aim for. Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7. Enroll by December 7 for January 1 coverage (Medicare.gov, Open Enrollment).

December 8 to the last day of February: your backup window. If your plan's Medicare contract is not renewed, you get a Special Enrollment Period from December 8 through the last day of February (Medicare.gov, Special Enrollment Periods). Ask the new plan when coverage would begin. Choosing by December 7 is how you know coverage starts January 1. If you move from an ending Medicare Advantage plan to Original Medicare, you get a special right to buy Medigap without medical underwriting (KFF). Original Medicare does not include drug coverage for medications you pick up yourself, so add a separate Medicare drug plan (Medicare.gov).

How do you check 2027 plans against your specialty medication?

List every medication you take, with name, strength, and schedule, including office-administered drugs.

Enter that list in the Medicare Plan Finder and add where you fill prescriptions. The tool shows which 2027 plans list your medications and estimates yearly cost (Minnesota Attorney General).

Call your top plans: Is my medication on the 2027 drug list, and on which tier? Does it need prior authorization, step therapy, or a quantity limit? Are my specialists in network? Write down the date, name, and reference number.

Ask about a transition fill. You may get a one-time, 30-day supply of a drug you have been taking that the new plan does not cover or that now needs prior authorization or step therapy (Medicare.gov, Drug plan rules). Use that window to request any new approval.

Every state has a SHIP counselor who can help at no cost to you. In Minnesota, Minnesota Aging Pathways is 800-333-2433 (Minnesota Attorney General). If a new plan will require a different medication or a new approval, talk with your prescriber before your current plan ends. Do not stop or change a prescribed medication on your own. If January brings a denial letter, start with Medicare denial help and how to read a denial letter. For the appeal path, see how to appeal and what to do when denied.

How can Ellen® help if your Medicare plan is ending?

EllenRx®'s Cost Estimator can show what your medication may cost over the year under the plan details you enter. If January brings a denial letter, upload it to the Denial Decoder. If every option costs more than you can manage, try the Financial Assistance finder. Your next step: before December 7, list your medications, compare your 2027 plans, then open the Cost Estimator to see what each option may cost you.

Sources

Minnesota Attorney General, alert on 2027 Medicare Advantage plan changes, Nov 2, 2026

KFF, Medicare Advantage and stand-alone drug plan terminations at the end of 2026, Oct 27, 2026

MPR News, Medicare Advantage exits in Minnesota, Oct 16, 2026

KIMT, coverage of the Nov 2 attorney general alert

Medicare.gov, "Open Enrollment"

Medicare.gov, "Special Enrollment Periods"

Medicare.gov, "Drug plan rules"