Medicare Advantage

By January 1, No Plan Means Original Medicare

For 2027, St. Paul is looking at 27 Medicare Advantage plans: 8 new, 18 gone since 2026, and 9 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 3 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Ramsey County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — If a letter from your Medicare Advantage insurer landed in your mailbox this fall telling you your plan will not be offered in 2027, you are not alone, and you have time to decide what to do. In Ramsey County, which includes St. Paul, 18 Medicare Advantage plans listed for 2026 are not in CMS's 2027 file, according to the agency's Landscape Source Files. Members of those plans are getting non-renewal notices now, ahead of the Annual Enrollment Period that runs October 15 through December 7, 2026.

This piece walks through how to tell if your plan is one of them, what happens if you do nothing, and the Special Enrollment Period you get because your plan is leaving.

How can I tell if my St. Paul Medicare Advantage plan is ending in 2027?

Look for a letter from your plan dated on or around October 2, 2026. Medicare requires insurers to send a written non-renewal notice to every member of a plan that will not be offered next year. The letter will say the plan is being discontinued at the end of 2026 and that your coverage ends December 31, 2026.

In Ramsey County, the plans not returning for 2027 come from four carriers. In alphabetical order by carrier, they are: Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Choice (PPO), Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Comfort (PPO), Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Complete (PPO), and Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Core (PPO) from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota; HealthPartners Journey Pace (PPO), HealthPartners Journey Smart (PPO), HealthPartners Journey Steady (PPO), and HealthPartners Journey Stride (PPO) from HealthPartners; Humana USAA Honor Giveback (PPO), HumanaChoice H5216-063 (PPO), HumanaChoice H5216-092 (PPO), HumanaChoice H5216-275 (PPO), and HumanaChoice H5216-359 (PPO) from Humana; Medica Advantage Solution H6154-001 (HMO-POS), Medica Advantage Solution H8889-001 (PPO), Medica Advantage Solution H8889-003 (PPO), and Medica Advantage Solution H8889-005 (PPO) from Medica; and AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC MN-0005 (PPO) from UnitedHealthcare. The full list is in the table below.

If your plan is not on that list, your current coverage is renewing for 2027. Read your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) — it spells out what is different next year.

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

If your plan ends and you take no action, Medicare automatically returns you to Original Medicare (Part A hospital and Part B medical) on January 1, 2027. You will not be uninsured for your hospital and doctor visits.

But Original Medicare does not include drug coverage. If your discontinued plan included Part D — most of the plans on the not-returning list did — you will not have prescription coverage on January 1 unless you sign up for a stand-alone Part D plan or enroll in another Medicare Advantage plan that includes drugs. Going without creditable drug coverage can also trigger a late-enrollment penalty down the road.

What Special Enrollment Period do I get if my plan is leaving?

Because your plan is ending through no fault of yours, Medicare gives you a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) that 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).
• Return to Original Medicare and add a stand-alone Part D plan.

A plan you pick during the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7, 2026) takes effect January 1, 2027. If you use the SEP later, the new plan generally starts the first of the month after you enroll.

You also have a guaranteed-issue right to buy certain Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policies when your Advantage plan is non-renewed. That means an insurer cannot turn you down or charge you more because of your health, as long as you apply within the federal timeframe. Minnesota has its own Medigap framework that differs from most states, so confirm specifics with the Minnesota Department of Commerce or the insurer before you sign.

How many plans will St. Paul residents be able to choose from in 2027?

For 2027, Ramsey County will have 27 Medicare Advantage plans from 6 carriers, according to CMS's 2027 Landscape Source File. That is down from 37 plans from 7 carriers in 2026. Along with the 18 non-returning plans, 8 plans are new and 3 are renamed; your ANOC will spell out the specifics for any plan you are already in.

A few program-level numbers worth knowing as you compare drug coverage for 2027: the Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026), and the Part D maximum deductible rises to $700 (up from $615 in 2026). CMS announces the 2027 Part B premium and deductible and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets later in the fall, usually in November.

What should I do next if my plan is on the list?

Start with the letter and your Annual Notice of Change — keep both. Then compare your options using the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov, where you can enter your ZIP code, your prescriptions, and your preferred pharmacies to see every 2027 plan available in Ramsey County side by side. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you are considering a Medigap policy because your plan is ending, ask the insurer in writing to confirm your guaranteed-issue right and the application deadline tied to your plan's termination.