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If you’ve received a letter saying your Medicare Advantage plan won’t be available next year, don’t panic — but don’t ignore it either.

As major insurers reduce their Medicare Advantage offerings for 2027, some beneficiaries will have to make a new choice about how they receive their Medicare coverage.

One option is simply to enroll in another Medicare Advantage plan available where you live. But there’s another option worth considering: returning to Original Medicare and, if eligible, purchasing Medicare Supplement insurance, commonly called Medigap.

And losing a Medicare Advantage plan can provide a valuable protection that people voluntarily leaving Medicare Advantage don’t always have: a guaranteed-issue right to purchase Medigap coverage.

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Option 1: Choose another Medicare Advantage plan

For many consumers, the simplest solution will be finding another Medicare Advantage plan.

Insurance companies can change the counties where they offer coverage or leave Medicare altogether. When that happens, affected members must choose another Medicare health plan or return to Original Medicare.

When comparing replacement plans, don’t look only at the premium. Check:

• Whether your doctors, specialists, and preferred hospitals are in the new network
• Whether your prescriptions are on the plan’s drug formulary
• Copayments and coinsurance for services you regularly use
• The plan’s annual maximum out-of-pocket limit
• Dental, vision, hearing, and other supplemental benefits
• Prior-authorization requirements

A zero-premium Medicare Advantage plan isn’t necessarily the least expensive choice if you regularly need medical care.

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Option 2: Go back to Original Medicare

Beneficiaries whose Medicare Advantage plans are ending can instead return to Original Medicare — Medicare Part A and Part B.

Original Medicare operates differently from Medicare Advantage. There generally aren’t provider networks, and beneficiaries can use any doctor or hospital that participates in Medicare.

But there is an important financial difference.

With Original Medicare, beneficiaries generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for Part B services after meeting the deductible. Unlike Medicare Advantage, Original Medicare by itself doesn’t have an annual cap on a beneficiary’s out-of-pocket medical expenses.

That’s why many people with Original Medicare also purchase Medigap.

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Losing your plan can give you special Medigap rights

This is one of the most important things consumers should understand.

Normally, getting a Medigap policy after you’ve been enrolled in Medicare for years can be difficult. Outside certain protected enrollment periods, insurers in many states can use medical underwriting. That means they may charge more or even reject an applicant because of health conditions.

But federal law provides guaranteed-issue rights in certain circumstances.

One of those circumstances is when your Medicare Advantage plan leaves Medicare or stops providing coverage in your area.

If you switch to Original Medicare because your Medicare Advantage plan is ending, Medicare says you have the right to purchase certain Medigap policies sold in your state. During that protected period, an insurer can’t deny coverage because of your health.

That’s a significant protection for someone with cancer, heart disease, diabetes, or another medical condition who might otherwise have difficulty obtaining a Medicare Supplement policy.

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But there’s a deadline

The Medigap window doesn’t stay open indefinitely.

Under federal rules, someone whose Medicare Advantage coverage is ending can generally apply for Medigap beginning before the Advantage coverage ends and continuing until 63 days after it ends. Medicare advises beneficiaries to keep their plan termination letter because they may need it to prove they qualify for guaranteed-issue protection.

Consumers don’t have to wait until their Medicare Advantage coverage actually ends before shopping.

Medicare says someone planning to return to Original Medicare can apply for a Medigap policy while still enrolled in Medicare Advantage and arrange for the Medigap coverage to begin when the Advantage coverage ends. That can help avoid a gap in supplemental coverage.

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Which Medigap plans can you buy?

Federal guaranteed-issue rights generally provide access to standardized Medigap Plans A, B, C, D, F, G, K, or L, depending on when you first became eligible for Medicare.

There’s an important exception. People who became eligible for Medicare on or after Jan. 1, 2020, generally can’t purchase Plans C or F because those plans cover the Medicare Part B deductible. Plans D and G are among the alternatives available to newer beneficiaries.

States may provide additional Medigap protections beyond federal requirements, so consumers should also check with their State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP, or state insurance department.

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Don’t forget prescription drugs

Moving from Medicare Advantage to Original Medicare can create another potential gap: prescription drug coverage.

Most Medicare Advantage plans include Part D prescription drug benefits. Medigap policies sold today do not.

Someone returning to Original Medicare will generally need to enroll separately in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan if they want Medicare drug coverage.

Going without Part D or other “creditable” drug coverage for 63 consecutive days or longer can eventually result in a late-enrollment penalty.

That means someone moving from Medicare Advantage to Original Medicare may ultimately have three pieces of coverage: Original Medicare Part A and Part B + a Medigap policy + a Part D prescription drug plan. There can be separate premiums for each.

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Another protection: the Medicare Advantage ‘trial right’

Some beneficiaries have additional protection even when their Medicare Advantage plan isn’t being discontinued.

If you dropped Medigap to join Medicare Advantage for the first time, federal law generally gives you a 12-month “trial right” to return to Original Medicare.

If your old Medigap insurer still offers the policy you previously had, you may have the right to get that policy back. If it isn’t available, other Medigap options may be available.

People who enrolled in Medicare Advantage when they first became eligible for Medicare at age 65 also have special Medigap protections if they switch to Original Medicare within their first year.

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Don’t throw away the letter from your insurer

The notice telling you that your Medicare Advantage plan is ending may turn out to be an important document.

Medicare recommends keeping termination letters, notices, and other documentation because a Medigap insurer may ask for proof that you qualify for guaranteed-issue rights.

When applying for Medigap, tell the insurer specifically that your Medicare Advantage plan is being discontinued and that you believe you have a guaranteed-issue right.

Consumers can also call 1-800-MEDICARE or contact their local SHIP program for free Medicare counseling.

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Don’t automatically choose the cheapest replacement

For someone losing Medicare Advantage coverage, the decision ultimately comes down to two very different approaches.

Another Medicare Advantage plan may offer a low or even zero monthly premium along with prescription drug coverage and benefits such as dental and vision. But it may also come with provider networks, prior authorization requirements, and potentially high out-of-pocket costs.

Original Medicare combined with Medigap and Part D will usually involve additional monthly premiums. In return, beneficiaries may have more predictable medical expenses and considerably broader access to doctors and hospitals that accept Medicare.

Most importantly, someone whose Medicare Advantage plan is being discontinued shouldn’t assume Medigap is unavailable because of age or poor health.

The loss of the plan may provide a temporary opportunity to obtain supplemental coverage without medical underwriting — an opportunity that could disappear if the beneficiary misses the enrollment deadline.