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Medicare Plan Ending? Your Medigap Guaranteed-Issue Rights
26 Sep
Summary
- Two letters from Medicare insurers have different implications for policyholders.
- A plan termination notice triggers a Medigap guaranteed-issue right.
- This right allows enrollment in Medigap without health underwriting.
Medicare beneficiaries may receive two types of important mail from their insurers this fall. One is the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), detailing premium, copay, and out-of-pocket maximum adjustments for plans continuing into 2027. This notice is routine and does not grant special rights for Medigap enrollment.
The second, more critical notice, informs policyholders that their Medicare Advantage plan will not be offered after December 31, 2026. This plan termination notice, sent at least 90 days prior, triggers a federal guaranteed-issue right for Medigap.
This right allows individuals returning to Original Medicare to enroll in specific Medigap plans (A, B, D, G, K, L, or C, F for earlier eligibles) without medical underwriting. The protected window extends from the notice's arrival until 63 days after coverage ends, typically into early March 2027.
Failing to act could result in defaulting to Original Medicare on January 1, 2027, without drug coverage or supplemental insurance. Choosing another Advantage plan offers an alternative, with a special enrollment period available from December 8, 2026, to the end of February 2027.
