By the Kryder Cares data team · Reviewed by Kris Kryder, licensed agent · Last updated
Choose a new plan by December 7, 2026, and it starts January 1, 2027 with no gap. If your plan is not renewing, you can also choose from December 8, 2026 through the last day of February 2027; a January or February choice starts the first of the next month, and until then you have Original Medicare with no drug coverage.
This applies to a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan that CMS lists as terminated or as leaving your county (a "non-renewal" letter). If your letter says your plan is being combined with another plan, you are usually moved automatically, and the Annual Enrollment Period, October 15 to December 7, 2026, is your chance to check the new plan.
How it works: what your letter means
A lot of people think every fall letter from their plan means the same thing. It doesn’t. A non-renewal notice says your plan ends December 31, and you must act. An Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) describes next year’s changes to a plan that continues or is being combined with another (you have been moved, so check your doctors and drugs).
In Wood and Lucas County, Ohio, CMS files show how many 2026 plans are affected, and what happens to each kind:
| CMS 2027 status | Wood County (39173) | Lucas County (39095) | What happens to members |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terminated (non-renewed) | 17 | 18 | Plan ends December 31, 2026; you must choose a new plan or go to Original Medicare |
| Consolidated renewal | 6 | 6 | Moved into another plan from the same company; check the new plan |
| Renewal with a service area reduction | 5 | 5 | Moved only if a successor plan is offered in your county; otherwise you must choose |
| Total not continuing unchanged | 28 | 29 |
Source: CMS PlanCrosswalk2027 (plan year 2026 to 2027) with the CMS CY2027 landscape, counted October 26, 2026.
What it changes: your coverage on January 1
If you do nothing after a non-renewal, CMS says you are enrolled in Original Medicare when the plan ends. You keep Part A and Part B, but you lose the plan’s yearly out-of-pocket limit, its extra benefits and its drug coverage. Going 63 days or more without creditable drug coverage can add a Part D late enrollment penalty (there are exceptions to this).
If you would rather go back to Original Medicare, a plan that leaves Medicare or stops giving care in your area gives you a guaranteed issue right to buy certain Medigap policies without health questions, no more than 63 days after your Medicare Advantage coverage ends, per the Medicare guide Choosing a Medigap Policy (pages 15 to 18).
Drug costs also shift for 2027: the most a Part D plan can charge as a deductible rises to $700, and the yearly out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400, under the CMS CY2027 Rate Announcement.
What to do next
Gather the letter, your plan card, your doctors and hospitals, and your prescriptions with doses. Compare replacement plans on network and drug cost, not just premium, and enroll by December 7. Kris does this with you, in Perrysburg or at your home. Her own words: “Before choosing a plan we want to be sure you know the difference between your many Medicare plan options.” Her Google reviews describe the work: checking every doctor and prescription, and verifying details with Medicare on the client’s behalf. MediGold member? Read what MediGold members in Wood and Lucas County should do.
Sources
- CMS: Special Enrollment Periods
- CMS: Joining a plan
- CMS Medicare Advantage and Part D plan crosswalks (PlanCrosswalk2027)
- CMS Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape, Contract Year 2027 (zip)
- CMS CY2027 Rate Announcement
- CMS: Avoid late enrollment penalties
- CMS: Choosing a Medigap Policy (guaranteed issue rights, pages 15 to 18)
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 14 organizations which offer 119 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options. This is a proprietary website and is not associated, endorsed or authorized by the Social Security Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services or the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This site contains decision-support content and information about Medicare, services related to Medicare and services for people with Medicare. If you would like to find more information about the Medicare program please visit the Official U.S. Government Site for People with Medicare located at www.medicare.gov.
This answer is general education, not a recommendation for any specific plan. Figures were current as of October 26, 2026.