4.3 million on Medicare lose their plans Dec. 31, with a Dec. 7 deadline to pick new ones

About 4.3 million people on Medicare will have their private health or drug plan terminated on Dec. 31. That is the finding of an Oct. 27 analysis by KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research group ¹¹⁰. About 3.1 million of them are in Medicare Advantage plans, the private-insurer alternative to traditional Medicare. Another 1.2 million are in stand-alone prescription drug plans, known as Part D ¹.

The deadline to choose 2027 coverage is Dec. 7, when Medicare's yearly open enrollment period closes ²³. If your Medicare Advantage plan ends and you do nothing, you will be switched to traditional Medicare automatically. You will not have drug coverage unless you sign up for a separate Part D plan ¹⁴.

Where the cuts hit hardest

Aetna, which CVS owns, will offer no Medicare Advantage plans in Maryland in 2027, according to the Maryland Insurance Administration ². UnitedHealthcare is ending six Maryland plans. Humana is ending five and dropping all of its plans for people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid ². Seven companies will sell Medicare Advantage in the state next year, and most raised out-of-pocket costs ².

In Minnesota, nearly 400,000 people will lose their current plan, according to an alert from Attorney General Keith Ellison, a Democrat ³. That is close to a third of the state's 1.2 million Medicare enrollees. Fifteen counties will have no Medicare Advantage plan in 2027. Crow Wing, Lake of the Woods and Wadena counties will have neither Medicare Advantage nor Medicare Cost plans ³.

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I must raise the alarm around some significant changes to Medicare Advantage Plans in Minnesota

About 40,000 North Carolinians on Medicare will lose their plans at year's end, NC Health News reported Thursday ⁴. Across the country, Humana says its 2027 exits will affect about 600,000 members. UnitedHealthcare is closing one plan that covers about 390,000 people, CBS News reported ⁶.

Why insurers say they are leaving

Insurers blame rising medical and pharmacy costs ⁵. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota is reworking all of its Medicare Advantage plans. Its chief executive, Dana Erickson, said, "In just the past three years, our company has lost more than $500 million on Medicare alone." ⁵

Drug plans are shrinking too. KFF found that 6% of stand-alone Part D enrollees will lose their plan, double last year's 3% ¹. One plan, CVS's SilverScript Choice, accounts for about 950,000 of them ¹. In 2027 the average person on Medicare will have nine stand-alone drug plans to pick from, down from 11 ¹.

KFF links the uncertainty over 2027 drug plan prices and choices to one decision by the Trump administration. It ended the Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration, a federal subsidy that held down drug plan premiums, a year early ¹. Dr. Mehmet Oz, who runs the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), announced the end of the subsidy in July ⁷.

We are stabilizing the market so this bailout is no longer needed.

On Aug. 4, 51 members of Congress wrote to Oz asking him to reverse course. Rep. Chris Pappas, a New Hampshire Democrat, signed first ⁸. The letter warned that roughly 75% of current enrollees would likely face higher plan costs ⁸.

The receipt

CMS released its 2027 plan data in late September and led with good news ⁹. It said the average Medicare Advantage premium would fall 16.5%, from $14.37 to $12 a month. It also said about 8 in 10 enrollees could keep their current plan at the same premium or a lower one ⁹.

By slashing handouts to big insurance companies, CMS is keeping premiums stable

That matters because an average premium leaves a lot out. A $12 average does nothing for the 2.8 million people, 14% of those in regular Medicare Advantage drug plans, whose plan will not exist on Jan. 1 ¹. A new plan can mean a different network of doctors, a different list of covered drugs and different pharmacies ⁴⁵.

What switching can cost

Going back to traditional Medicare can cost more. Daren Wysocki, 68, of Deerwood, Minn., plans to buy a Medigap policy and a separate drug plan, MPR News reported. Medigap is private insurance that pays some of what traditional Medicare does not. He expects to pay at least $150 more a month ⁵. KFF figures cited by NC Health News put the average Medigap premium at $244 a month in 2025, up 7% from the year before ⁴.

There is one protection. If your Medicare Advantage plan is terminated, you get a special window to buy a Medigap policy. During it, an insurer cannot turn you down or charge you more because of a pre-existing condition ¹. That federal right does not apply if your plan was only merged into another plan from the same insurer. About 1.4 million enrollees are in plans being merged this way ¹.

Drug costs are going up for many people. The highest deductible a Part D plan can charge rises from $615 to $700. The yearly cap on out-of-pocket drug costs rises from $2,100 to $2,400 in 2027 ⁴. Read your mail carefully, too. About 140,000 people lost their Wellcare Value Script drug coverage after missing a new $3.60 monthly premium, partly because they thought the notices were scams ⁴.

Melinda Munden of North Carolina's free Medicare counseling program urges people to compare plans. "It's worth taking 30 minutes to an hour of your time to do the comparison," she said ⁴. Every state runs a State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP, that gives free, unbiased advice. Maryland's number is (410) 767-1100, and Medicare.gov has a tool for comparing plans ².

The Record

1. Jul 28, 2026The Trump administration announces it will end the Part D premium subsidy a year early; Oz calls it a 'bailout' on X ⁷
2. Aug 4, 202651 members of Congress, Rep. Chris Pappas first, ask Oz to reinstate the Part D subsidy ⁸
3. Sep 28, 2026CMS releases 2027 plan data, projecting a 16.5% drop in average Medicare Advantage premiums ⁹
4. Oct 27, 2026KFF finds 4.3 million Medicare beneficiaries will have their plans terminated at the end of 2026 ¹
5. Dec 7, 2026Medicare open enrollment for 2027 coverage closes ²³

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<h2>4.3 million on Medicare lose their plans Dec. 31, with a Dec. 7 deadline to pick new ones</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Kitchen-Table Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/4-3-million-on-medicare-lose-their-plans-dec-31-with-a-dec-7-deadline-to-pick-new">The GOP Files</a> on Sunday, November 8, 2026.</em></p> <p>About 4.3 million people on Medicare will have their private health or drug plan terminated on Dec. 31. That is the finding of an Oct. 27 analysis by KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research group . About 3.1 million of them are in Medicare Advantage plans, the private-insurer alternative to traditional Medicare. Another 1.2 million are in stand-alone prescription drug plans, known as Part D .</p> <p>The deadline to choose 2027 coverage is Dec. 7, when Medicare&#39;s yearly open enrollment period closes . If your Medicare Advantage plan ends and you do nothing, you will be switched to traditional Medicare automatically. You will not have drug coverage unless you sign up for a separate Part D plan .</p> <h2>Where the cuts hit hardest</h2> <p>Aetna, which CVS owns, will offer no Medicare Advantage plans in Maryland in 2027, according to the Maryland Insurance Administration . UnitedHealthcare is ending six Maryland plans. Humana is ending five and dropping all of its plans for people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid . Seven companies will sell Medicare Advantage in the state next year, and most raised out-of-pocket costs .</p> <p>In Minnesota, nearly 400,000 people will lose their current plan, according to an alert from Attorney General Keith Ellison, a Democrat . That is close to a third of the state&#39;s 1.2 million Medicare enrollees. Fifteen counties will have no Medicare Advantage plan in 2027. Crow Wing, Lake of the Woods and Wadena counties will have neither Medicare Advantage nor Medicare Cost plans .</p> <blockquote><p>I must raise the alarm around some significant changes to Medicare Advantage Plans in Minnesota</p><p>&mdash; Keith Ellison, Minnesota attorney general, D-Minn.</p></blockquote> <p>About 40,000 North Carolinians on Medicare will lose their plans at year&#39;s end, NC Health News reported Thursday . Across the country, Humana says its 2027 exits will affect about 600,000 members. UnitedHealthcare is closing one plan that covers about 390,000 people, CBS News reported .</p> <h2>Why insurers say they are leaving</h2> <p>Insurers blame rising medical and pharmacy costs . Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota is reworking all of its Medicare Advantage plans. Its chief executive, Dana Erickson, said, &quot;In just the past three years, our company has lost more than $500 million on Medicare alone.&quot;</p> <p>Drug plans are shrinking too. KFF found that 6% of stand-alone Part D enrollees will lose their plan, double last year&#39;s 3% . One plan, CVS&#39;s SilverScript Choice, accounts for about 950,000 of them . In 2027 the average person on Medicare will have nine stand-alone drug plans to pick from, down from 11 .</p> <p>KFF links the uncertainty over 2027 drug plan prices and choices to one decision by the Trump administration. It ended the Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration, a federal subsidy that held down drug plan premiums, a year early . Dr. Mehmet Oz, who runs the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS), announced the end of the subsidy in July .</p> <blockquote><p>We are stabilizing the market so this bailout is no longer needed.</p><p>&mdash; Mehmet Oz, Administrator, Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services, Trump administration</p></blockquote> <p>On Aug. 4, 51 members of Congress wrote to Oz asking him to reverse course. Rep. Chris Pappas, a New Hampshire Democrat, signed first . The letter warned that roughly 75% of current enrollees would likely face higher plan costs .</p> <h2>The receipt</h2> <p>CMS released its 2027 plan data in late September and led with good news . It said the average Medicare Advantage premium would fall 16.5%, from $14.37 to $12 a month. It also said about 8 in 10 enrollees could keep their current plan at the same premium or a lower one .</p> <blockquote><p>By slashing handouts to big insurance companies, CMS is keeping premiums stable</p><p>&mdash; Mehmet Oz, Administrator, Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services, Trump administration</p></blockquote> <p>That matters because an average premium leaves a lot out. A $12 average does nothing for the 2.8 million people, 14% of those in regular Medicare Advantage drug plans, whose plan will not exist on Jan. 1 . A new plan can mean a different network of doctors, a different list of covered drugs and different pharmacies .</p> <h2>What switching can cost</h2> <p>Going back to traditional Medicare can cost more. Daren Wysocki, 68, of Deerwood, Minn., plans to buy a Medigap policy and a separate drug plan, MPR News reported. Medigap is private insurance that pays some of what traditional Medicare does not. He expects to pay at least $150 more a month . KFF figures cited by NC Health News put the average Medigap premium at $244 a month in 2025, up 7% from the year before .</p> <p>There is one protection. If your Medicare Advantage plan is terminated, you get a special window to buy a Medigap policy. During it, an insurer cannot turn you down or charge you more because of a pre-existing condition . That federal right does not apply if your plan was only merged into another plan from the same insurer. About 1.4 million enrollees are in plans being merged this way .</p> <p>Drug costs are going up for many people. The highest deductible a Part D plan can charge rises from $615 to $700. The yearly cap on out-of-pocket drug costs rises from $2,100 to $2,400 in 2027 . Read your mail carefully, too. About 140,000 people lost their Wellcare Value Script drug coverage after missing a new $3.60 monthly premium, partly because they thought the notices were scams .</p> <p>Melinda Munden of North Carolina&#39;s free Medicare counseling program urges people to compare plans. &quot;It&#39;s worth taking 30 minutes to an hour of your time to do the comparison,&quot; she said . Every state runs a State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP, that gives free, unbiased advice. Maryland&#39;s number is (410) 767-1100, and Medicare.gov has a tool for comparing plans .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/4-3-million-on-medicare-lose-their-plans-dec-31-with-a-dec-7-deadline-to-pick-new">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/4-3-million-on-medicare-lose-their-plans-dec-31-with-a-dec-7-deadline-to-pick-new.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. KFF, “More than 4 million Medicare beneficiaries will have their Medicare Advantage or stand-alone prescription drug plan terminated at the end of 2026” (2026-10-27). kff.org/medicare/more-than-4-million-medicare-beneficiaries-
2. Maryland Insurance Administration, “Medicare Open Enrollment” (2026-11-08). insurance.maryland.gov/Consumer/Pages/Medicare-Open-Enrollme
3. KIMT News 3, “400,000 Minnesotans could face losing Medicare coverage by Dec. 7” (2026-11-02). kimt.com/news/400-000-minnesotans-could-face-losing-medicare
4. WUNC / NC Health News, “Plans are disappearing, drug costs are rising. What NC Medicare enrollees need to know this year” (2026-11-05). wunc.org/health/2026-11-05/nc-medicare-enrollment-changes
5. MPR News, “As Medicare Advantage plans disappear across Minnesota, seniors face difficult choices” (2026-10-16). mprnews.org/story/2026/10/16/as-medicare-advantage-plans-dis
6. CBS News, “Humana, UnitedHealthcare ending Medicare Advantage plans for 1 million seniors, insurers say” (2026-10-23). cbsnews.com/news/humana-unitedhealthcare-end-medicare-advant
7. ABC News, “Trump administration to end Medicare Part D subsidy program in 2027” (2026-07-29). abcnews.com/Health/trump-administration-end-medicare-part-su
8. Office of Rep. Chris Pappas (house.gov), “Letter to CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz on the Medicare Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration” (2026-08-04). pappas.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/pappas-evo.house.gov/fil
9. AJMC, “CMS Projects 16.5% Drop in 2027 Medicare Advantage Premiums” (2026-09-30). ajmc.com/view/cms-projects-16-5-drop-in-2027-medicare-advant
10. AJMC, “Medicare Plan Terminations Hit 4.3 Million as Part D Market Shrinks” (2026-10-27). ajmc.com/view/medicare-plan-terminations-hit-4-3-million-as-

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