Medicare Advantage

Kansas City Medicare Advantage members: 11 plans will not return in 2027

Jackson County has 65 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 11 plans are not coming back, 12 are new, and 36 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 16 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Kansas City, not which plan to pick.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — If you have a Medicare Advantage plan in the Kansas City area, this fall's mail could include a letter you don't want to miss. Eleven Medicare Advantage plans sold in Jackson County in 2026 are not being offered again for 2027, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files for the current and coming plan year. Most people are not affected — but if you are, you have time, options, and a special window to make a change.

Here is what members of a non-renewing plan should know during this Annual Enrollment Period, which runs October 15 through December 7, 2026.

The plans not returning in Jackson County for 2027

Kansas City is in Jackson County, where Medicare Advantage availability is set. For 2027, 11 plans currently offered here will not be offered again. Listed alphabetically by carrier, they are:

• Aetna (CVS Health) — Aetna Medicare Signature Extra (HMO-POS)
• HealthSpring — HealthSpring Preferred (HMO)
• HealthSpring — HealthSpring Preferred Savings (HMO)
• HealthSpring — HealthSpring True Choice (PPO)
• Provider Partners Health Plans — Provider Partners Missouri Community Plan (HMO I-SNP)
• Provider Partners Health Plans — Provider Partners Missouri Essential Plan (HMO I-SNP)
• UnitedHealthcare — UHC Complete Care AM-1 (Regional PPO C-SNP)
• UnitedHealthcare — UHC Complete Care Support AM-1A (Regional PPO C-SNP)
• UnitedHealthcare — UHC Dual Complete MO-S3 (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• UnitedHealthcare — UHC Dual Complete MO-V001 (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• UnitedHealthcare — UHC Medicare Advantage AM-0002 (Regional PPO)

Overall, 65 Medicare Advantage plans from 8 carriers are set to be offered in Jackson County for 2027. The table below lists the plans available locally.

How you'll know: the non-renewal letter

If your plan is on the list above, your insurer is required to mail you a non-renewal notice this fall. It is a separate letter from the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) that people get when their plan is simply changing. The non-renewal letter will say, in plain language, that your plan will not be offered in 2027 and that your coverage ends December 31, 2026.

Keep that letter. It is proof you qualify for the Special Enrollment Period described below, and it explains the exact date your current coverage ends.

What happens if you do nothing

If your Medicare Advantage plan is ending and you do not pick a new plan, you are not left without any coverage — but you may not have the coverage you expect.

On January 1, 2027, you will automatically go back to Original Medicare (Part A and Part B). Original Medicare does not include prescription drug coverage, and it does not cap your out-of-pocket costs for Part A and Part B services the way Medicare Advantage plans do. If you want drug coverage, you have to actively add a stand-alone Part D plan. If you want Medigap (a Medicare Supplement policy) to help with the gaps in Original Medicare, you have to apply for one.

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

Your choices and your Special Enrollment Period

Because your plan is leaving the market, Medicare gives you a longer window than most people have. Members of a non-renewing Medicare Advantage plan have a Special Enrollment Period that runs from December 8, 2026 through February 28, 2027. During that window you can:

• Enroll in a different Medicare Advantage plan offered in Jackson County for 2027.
• Return to Original Medicare and add a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan.

You can also use the regular Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7, 2026) to make a change that takes effect January 1, 2027. Many people in a non-renewing plan prefer to decide during AEP so there is no gap between plans.

If you leave Medicare Advantage because your plan is ending and you want to buy a Medigap policy, federal rules give you a guaranteed-issue right in certain situations — meaning an insurer must sell you specific Medigap policies without medical underwriting. The exact rules and which plans are available vary by state. For Missouri specifics, contact the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance.

How to compare before you choose

A few steps make this easier:

1. Read the non-renewal letter and note the date your current coverage ends. 2. Make a list of your doctors, your pharmacy, and the prescriptions you take. 3. Use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov to compare the 2027 plans available in your ZIP code, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 4. For any plan you are considering, check its Evidence of Coverage, formulary, and provider directory before you enroll.

A few program-level numbers worth knowing as you compare drug coverage: in 2027, the Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026), and the Part D maximum deductible is $700 (up from $615 in 2026). The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, have not yet been announced; CMS typically publishes them later in the fall.