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Medicare Advantage Plan Ending This Year? Moving to Medigap

If your Medicare Advantage plan is ending, you may have a right to buy a Medigap policy without health questions. What that right is, how long it lasts, and what to do first.

Medicare6 min readReviewed 2026-10-17

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Short answer

Maybe, and the window is short. When a Medicare Advantage plan is leaving Medicare or stops giving care in your area, federal rules can give you a guaranteed right to buy a Medigap policy: the company must sell it to you and cannot charge you more because of your health. You have to switch to Original Medicare to use it, and you have to apply in time, so look at the date on your plan's letter before anything else.

Use this before you call.

Losing your Advantage plan and thinking about Medigap? Call GetFastRates.com for more information and a licensed agent will look at your dates and your state with you.

Find your plan's non-renewal letter and write down the date your coverage ends and any deadline printed on it.

Decide whether you want to go back to Original Medicare with a Medigap policy, or choose another Medicare Advantage plan. You cannot do both.

If you want Medigap, start your application as soon as you can. You can apply up to 60 days before your Advantage coverage ends, and no later than 63 days after it ends.

Plan for drug coverage: Medigap does not include it, so you will also need a Medicare drug plan.

Ask which Medigap plans are sold in your state and which ones you have the right to buy. Your state may give you more rights than the federal rules.

Call us and a licensed agent will go over your dates, your state and your choices with you.

Why a plan ending can open the door to Medigap

Medigap companies can normally ask health questions and turn you down if you apply outside your first six months with Part B. A guaranteed issue right is a protection for certain situations where that is not allowed.

Your plan is leaving Medicare.
Your plan stops giving care in your area.
You move out of the plan's service area.
Your plan's network has a significant change.

What the company must do

In a guaranteed issue situation the insurance company must sell you a Medigap policy, must cover all of your pre-existing health conditions, and cannot charge you more because of past or present health problems.

You only have this right if you switch to Original Medicare. If you join another Medicare Advantage plan instead, you do not get a guaranteed right to buy Medigap.
Medigap coverage cannot start until your Medicare Advantage coverage ends.

What Medigap does and does not do

Medigap helps pay costs that Original Medicare leaves, such as deductibles, coinsurance and copayments, depending on the plan letter you pick. It does not include prescription drug coverage, and most Medigap policies do not include routine dental, vision or hearing.

You can usually see any doctor or hospital that accepts Medicare, without a network.
You keep paying your Part B premium and the Medigap company's premium.
You will need a separate Medicare drug plan.

What to do first

The date on your letter drives everything. Write it down today, then call. The right to buy Medigap without health questions does not last, and waiting past the window can mean being turned down or paying more.

Common questions about this topic

Is a Medicare Advantage plan ending always a guaranteed issue situation?

No. It generally applies when your plan is leaving Medicare, stops giving care in your area, you move out of its service area, or its network changes significantly, and you switch to Original Medicare. If you are moved automatically to another plan, or choose another Medicare Advantage plan, the right does not apply the same way. Call and we will check the wording of your letter.

Can I keep my Medicare Advantage plan and add Medigap?

No. Medigap works with Original Medicare. It is not meant to be used together with a Medicare Advantage plan, and your Medigap policy cannot start until your Advantage coverage ends.

Does Medigap cover my prescriptions?

No. If you move from an Advantage plan that included drug coverage to Original Medicare and Medigap, you will need to join a Medicare drug plan.

Does my state matter?

Yes. Federal rules set the minimum, and some states give extra rights or use different Medigap plans (Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin, for example). Your State Insurance Department or SHIP can confirm what applies where you live.

Tools that can help

Medicare Enrollment Period CalculatorFind your Medicare enrollment window and what it means for your timing.Medicare Part B Late Enrollment Penalty CalculatorEstimate whether a Part B late enrollment penalty could apply to you.Medicare Plan Ending FinderCheck your carrier and ZIP code against current, verified plan-ending records.

Trusted public sources

These links are provided for general public information. They do not replace a personal coverage review.

Is your Medicare Advantage plan ending for 2027?

If your plan is leaving Medicare or your area, you may have a right to buy Medigap without health questions, but the window is short. See which plans CMS lists as ending and what is offered for 2027, or call for more information.

Is your Medicare plan ending? Enter your ZIP

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