Medicare Advantage

If you got a Medicare non-renewal letter in Wichita, here's your next step

People in Wichita can choose from 31 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 37 this year. Eleven of this year’s plans are gone, 5 are new to Sedgwick County, and 16 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 7 of them under a new name.

WICHITA, Kan. — If a letter from your Medicare Advantage plan showed up this fall telling you the plan won't be offered in 2027, you are not alone. In Sedgwick County, the county Wichita is in, 11 Medicare Advantage plans listed for 2026 are not in the CMS file for 2027, according to CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files for 2026 and 2027.

That letter has a name — a "non-renewal notice" — and it gives you more time to pick a new plan than most people get. Here is how to tell if your plan is on the list, what happens if you do nothing, and the Special Enrollment Period you can use.

How to tell if your plan is one of them

Insurers are required to send a non-renewal letter to members whose plan will not be offered the next year. In Wichita, those letters typically arrive in late September or early October 2026. The envelope and letter will say the plan is being "non-renewed" or "discontinued" for 2027 and will explain your options.

If you got a letter but are not sure what it means, check the plan name on the letter against the list in the next section. You can also call the number on the back of your member ID card, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

A non-renewal letter is different from the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) your plan sends every fall. The ANOC covers changes to a plan that is continuing. The non-renewal letter is specifically about a plan going away.

Which Wichita-area plans are not returning for 2027

These 11 plans are offered in Sedgwick County for 2026 but are not in CMS's 2027 Landscape file for the county. Listed in alphabetical order by carrier:

• Aetna (CVS Health): Aetna Medicare Signature (PPO); Aetna Medicare Value Plus (HMO)
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas: Blue Medicare Advantage (PPO); Blue Medicare Advantage Choice (PPO); Blue Medicare Advantage Comprehensive (PPO); Blue Medicare Advantage Freedom (PPO)
• Centene (WellCare): Wellcare Dual Access Sync Open (PPO D-SNP); Wellcare Patriot Giveback Open (PPO); Wellcare Simple Open (PPO)
• Elevance Health (Anthem): Healthy Blue Full Dual Advantage (HMO D-SNP)
• UnitedHealthcare: UHC Dual Complete KS-S002 (HMO-POS D-SNP)

If your plan is not on this list, it is expected to continue in 2027 — but read the ANOC, because benefits, networks, and drug lists can still change.

For 2027, Sedgwick County is set to have 31 Medicare Advantage plans from 6 carriers, per the CMS 2027 Landscape file. The table below shows every plan by carrier.

What happens if you do nothing

If your plan is ending and you do not pick a new Medicare Advantage or Part D plan by the deadline, you are not left without insurance. On January 1, 2027, you will be enrolled in Original Medicare — Part A (hospital) and Part B (medical) — automatically.

Two things to know about that default:

• Original Medicare does not include prescription drug coverage. If you want Part D, you have to sign up for a stand-alone drug plan.
• Original Medicare does not cap your out-of-pocket costs the way a Medicare Advantage plan does. Many people pair it with a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy to help with the gaps.

Doing nothing is a choice — just make sure it is the one you want.

Your Special Enrollment Period and your choices

Because your plan is being discontinued, Medicare gives you a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). For members of a non-renewed Medicare Advantage plan, this SEP runs from December 8, 2026 through the end of February 2027. During that window you can:

• Join a different Medicare Advantage plan (with or without drug coverage) offered in Sedgwick County for 2027.
• Return to Original Medicare and add a stand-alone Part D plan.

You also have a federal Medigap guaranteed-issue right when your Medicare Advantage plan non-renews and you move to Original Medicare. That means certain Medigap policies must be sold to you without medical underwriting, within set time limits. State rules on Medigap vary; for Kansas-specific details, contact the Kansas Insurance Department.

Of course, you can also make a change during the regular Annual Enrollment Period, which runs October 15 – December 7, 2026, for coverage starting January 1, 2027.

A few 2027 numbers worth knowing

As you compare plans, two Part D figures are already confirmed by CMS for 2027:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026).
• The Part D maximum deductible rises to $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026).

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, have not been announced yet. CMS usually publishes those in the fall, often in November.

Where to get help

For plan-by-plan details — premiums, networks, drug lists, star ratings — use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), available 24/7. Your plan's Evidence of Coverage and provider directory are the authoritative source for what any specific plan covers.