Medicare Advantage

Did Your Baltimore Advantage Plan Send That October Letter?

Baltimore city has 24 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 9 plans are not coming back, 2 are new, and 9 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 1 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Baltimore, not which plan to pick.

Baltimore, fall 2026 — Nine Medicare Advantage plans sold in Baltimore this year will not be offered in 2027, according to CMS's Medicare Advantage Landscape files for the current and coming plan years. If you are enrolled in one of them, your insurer is required to tell you in writing — and you have more time than the regular deadline to pick what comes next.

Baltimore is in Baltimore city, where CMS lists 24 Medicare Advantage plans from 8 carriers for 2027, down from 31 plans and 10 carriers in 2026. Below is the list of plans that are leaving, what the notice looks like, what happens if you do nothing, and the Special Enrollment Period you get.

The Baltimore plans not returning for 2027

These nine plans are listed in CMS's 2026 Landscape file for Baltimore city but are not in the 2027 file. In alphabetical order by carrier:

• Alterwood Advantage — Alterwood Advantage Choice Plus (HMO)
• Communicare Advantage — CommuniCare Advantage CSNP (HMO C-SNP)
• Communicare Advantage — CommuniCare Advantage ISNP (HMO I-SNP)
• HealthSpring (Blue Cross Blue Shield / HCSC) — HealthSpring Alliance (HMO)
• Humana — Humana Gold Plus H6622-081 (HMO)
• Humana — Humana USAA Honor Giveback (HMO)
• Provider Partners Health Plans — Provider Partners Maryland Advantage Plan (HMO I-SNP)
• Provider Partners Health Plans — Provider Partners Maryland Community Plan (HMO I-SNP)
• Provider Partners Health Plans — Provider Partners Maryland Essential Plan (HMO I-SNP)

If your plan is not on this list, it is renewing for 2027. The changes for next year — premium, deductible, copays, drug list, provider network and extra benefits — are in your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), which plans mail by late September.

How to tell: the non-renewal letter

If your Medicare Advantage plan is ending, the insurer must send you a written notice — sometimes called a plan non-renewal or plan termination letter — by early October 2026. It will say:

• Your current plan will not be offered in 2027.
• Your coverage ends December 31, 2026.
• You will be returned to Original Medicare on January 1, 2027 if you take no action.
• You have a Special Enrollment Period to choose a new plan.

Check your mailbox carefully this month, and keep the letter. If you are not sure whether what you received is a non-renewal notice or just the regular ANOC, call the member services number on your plan ID card.

What happens if you do nothing

For most people in a renewing plan, doing nothing simply means your current plan continues with next year's rules. For someone in a non-renewing plan, doing nothing has a bigger consequence:

• On January 1, 2027, you are automatically enrolled in Original Medicare (Part A and Part B).
• You will not have Medicare Advantage benefits like a single plan card, extra benefits, or an out-of-pocket maximum on Part A and B services.
• You will not have Part D drug coverage unless you actively enroll in a stand-alone Part D plan or a new Medicare Advantage plan that includes drugs.

Original Medicare works — it is the base program — but going without Part D can also trigger a late enrollment penalty later if you go 63 days or more without creditable drug coverage.

Your choices and the Special Enrollment Period

Because your plan is leaving the market, Medicare gives you a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) that runs from December 8, 2026 through February 28, 2027. During the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7, 2026) you can also make changes the usual way. In practical terms, you have three paths:

1. Pick a different Medicare Advantage plan for 2027. Baltimore city has 24 plans from 8 carriers listed for 2027, including two new plans. The full roster is in the table on this page. 2. Go to Original Medicare and add a stand-alone Part D plan. This keeps your drug coverage in place and avoids the late enrollment penalty. 3. Go to Original Medicare and consider a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy. Federal rules give people whose Medicare Advantage plan is non-renewing a guaranteed-issue right to buy certain Medigap plans without medical underwriting. Maryland has its own additional rules — contact the Maryland Insurance Administration for state specifics.

A new plan chosen during AEP starts January 1, 2027. A choice made during the SEP after December 7 starts the first of the month after you enroll.

A few 2027 numbers to keep in mind

As you compare plans, these program-level figures apply to everyone:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026).
• Part D maximum deductible: $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026).
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan is still available if you want to spread drug costs across the year in level monthly payments.

CMS announces the 2027 Part B standard premium, Part B deductible, and IRMAA income brackets later in the fall — typically in November. We will update our coverage when those numbers are published.

How to compare plans without guesswork

Costs, drug lists and provider networks change every year, and no two people's situations are the same. To see what a specific plan would cost and cover for you:

• Use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov, which lets you enter your prescriptions and pharmacies.
• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), available 24/7.
• Read the plan's Evidence of Coverage and provider and pharmacy directories before enrolling.