Medicare Advantage

If you got a non-renewal letter in St. Petersburg, here is your 2027 playbook

Pinellas County has 118 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 29 plans are not coming back, 18 are new, and 47 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 17 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for St. Petersburg, not which plan to pick.

St. Petersburg, Fla. — Fall 2026. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan in Pinellas County, check your mailbox this month. Insurers are sending Annual Notice of Change packets now, and a smaller group of members will get a different letter: a non-renewal notice telling them their plan will not be offered in 2027. In Pinellas County, 29 Medicare Advantage plans on the 2026 lineup are not on the 2027 lineup, according to the CMS Landscape Source Files. If one of them is yours, you have time and you have options — but you do need to act before coverage begins January 1, 2027.

How do I know if my St. Petersburg Medicare Advantage plan is ending in 2027?

Your plan has to tell you in writing. By law, carriers must mail a non-renewal letter to every affected member in early fall. It typically arrives in October 2026 and says, in plain language, that the plan will not be offered in your area next year and that your coverage ends December 31, 2026.

That letter is different from the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), which every member gets when a plan is renewing with changes. If you only have an ANOC, your plan is continuing — read it for 2027 updates. If you have a non-renewal letter, keep it. You will use it as proof of your Special Enrollment Period.

Which Medicare Advantage plans are not returning in Pinellas County for 2027?

The 29 plans below appear in the 2026 CMS file for Pinellas County but not in the 2027 file. They are listed alphabetically by carrier, exactly as CMS lists them:

• Aetna (CVS Health): Aetna Medicare Dual Select (HMO D-SNP); Aetna Medicare Signature (PPO)
• Align Senior Care: Premier Care (HMO I-SNP); Senior Care (HMO I-SNP)
• American Health Advantage of Florida: American Health Advantage of Florida (HMO I-SNP)
• BayCare Health Plans: BayCarePlus Premier (HMO)
• Centene (WellCare): Wellcare Dual Access Sync (HMO D-SNP); Wellcare Patriot Giveback (HMO); Wellcare Sunshine Health Dual Align (HMO D-SNP)
• Elevance Health (Anthem): Freedom Medi-Medi Full (HMO D-SNP); Optimum Emerald Full (HMO D-SNP); Simply Complete (HMO D-SNP); Simply Extra Platinum (HMO); Simply Integrated (HMO D-SNP); Simply Level (HMO C-SNP); Simply Level Platinum (HMO C-SNP); Simply More (HMO)
• Florida Complete Care: Florida Complete Care-Duals VIP (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• Humana: CareNeeds Extra (HMO D-SNP); Humana Direct Choice Giveback (PPO); Humana Direct Choice Giveback (PPO); Humana Full Access Giveback H5216-393 (PPO); Humana Full Access Giveback H7617-111 (PPO); Humana USAA Honor Giveback (PPO); HumanaChoice Florida H5216-304 (PPO); HumanaChoice Florida H7617-109 (PPO)
• Solis Health Plans: Solis Wellness Plan (HMO C-SNP)
• Ultimate Health Plans: Advantage Care COPD by Ultimate (HMO C-SNP)
• UnitedHealthcare: UHC Dual Complete FL-Y5 (HMO-POS D-SNP)

A carrier leaving a specific plan does not mean the carrier is leaving the county. In most cases the same insurer still offers other plans in Pinellas County for 2027. The full 2027 roster appears in the table on this page.

What happens on January 1, 2027 if I do nothing?

You will be enrolled in Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) automatically on January 1, 2027. You will not have a Medicare Advantage plan, and — this is the part many people miss — you will not have a Part D prescription drug plan either, unless you choose one.

Original Medicare covers hospital and medical care, but it has no out-of-pocket maximum, no built-in drug coverage, and no dental, vision or hearing extras. Going without Part D for more than 63 days can also create a late-enrollment penalty that follows you for as long as you have Medicare. For most people, "doing nothing" is not really a plan.

What are my choices if my plan is ending?

You have three main paths, and you can take any of them:

1. Pick a different Medicare Advantage plan for 2027. Pinellas County will have 118 plans from 17 carriers on the 2027 lineup. Compare them on the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov, where you can enter your prescriptions and preferred doctors. 2. Switch to Original Medicare and add a stand-alone Part D plan. You can also add a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy to help with Original Medicare's cost-sharing. In 2027, the Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,400 and the Part D maximum deductible is $700 (compared with $2,100 and $615 in 2026). 3. Do nothing and land on Original Medicare alone on January 1, 2027. This is a choice, not a default to ignore — if you want drug coverage, you need to enroll.

When is my Special Enrollment Period, and what about Medigap?

Because your plan is non-renewing, Medicare gives you a Special Enrollment Period that runs from December 8, 2026 through the end of February 2027. During this window you can join another Medicare Advantage plan or enroll in a stand-alone Part D plan. You can also still use the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7, 2026) if you want your new plan in place on January 1.

A non-renewal also triggers a federal Medigap guaranteed-issue right, meaning you can buy certain Medigap policies without medical underwriting within a limited window around the end of your plan. Florida has its own rules on which Medigap plans are available and how issue rights work; for state-specific questions, contact the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation or the Florida Department of Financial Services.

What should I do this fall in St. Petersburg?

Start with three steps:

• Find the letter. If you got a non-renewal letter, keep it with your Medicare card. If you got an ANOC instead, your plan is continuing — read it for 2027 changes.
• Compare on Medicare.gov. Use the Plan Finder with your drug list and preferred providers, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Decide before the deadlines. The Annual Enrollment Period ends December 7, 2026. Your non-renewal Special Enrollment Period runs through the end of February 2027. CMS will publish the 2027 Part B premium, Part B deductible and IRMAA brackets later this fall.