Medicare Advantage

Got a non-renewal letter in Albuquerque? Here's what it means for your 2027 coverage

People in Albuquerque can choose from 36 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 51 this year. 24 of this year’s plans are gone, 9 are new to Bernalillo County, and 22 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 9 of them under a new name.

ALBUQUERQUE — If a Medicare Advantage letter from your plan landed in your mailbox this fall and used the words "non-renewal" or "will not be offered in 2027," you are not alone. In Bernalillo County, which includes Albuquerque, 24 Medicare Advantage plans listed for 2026 are not in the CMS 2027 file, according to the agency's Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files for the current and coming plan years.

That is a lot of letters going out between now and early October 2026. Here is how to tell if yours is one of them, what happens if you do nothing, and the extra time Medicare gives you to pick something else.

How to tell if your plan is on the list

Carriers are required to notify members in writing when a plan will not be renewed. The letter is usually called a "Plan Non-Renewal Notice" and arrives by early October 2026. It will say, in plain words, that your plan will end on December 31, 2026, and that you will not be automatically moved to another plan.

This is different from the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), which plans send when they are continuing but changing benefits. If you got an ANOC, your plan is renewing — just read it carefully, because premiums, copays, drug lists and networks can change year to year.

If you are not sure which letter you received, call the member services number on the back of your plan card, or check your plan at medicare.gov.

The Albuquerque plans not returning for 2027

These are the Medicare Advantage plans offered in Bernalillo County in 2026 that are not in CMS's 2027 Landscape file for the county. The table on this page lists them in full; here they are by carrier, in alphabetical order:

• Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC): Blue Cross MA Dual Care Plus Preferred (PPO D-SNP); Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Balance (PPO); Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Choice Premier (PPO); Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Classic (PPO); Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Dental Premier (PPO); Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Dual Care Plus (HMO D-SNP); Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Health Choice (PPO); Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Optimum (PPO); Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Select (HMO)
• CHRISTUS Health Advantage: CHRISTUS Health Medicare Guardian (HMO); CHRISTUS Health Medicare Plus (HMO)
• Humana: Humana Together in Health (PPO I-SNP); HumanaChoice H5216-196 (PPO); HumanaChoice H5216-437 (PPO)
• Molina Healthcare of Arizona: Molina Medicare Complete Care (HMO D-SNP)
• Presbyterian Health Plan: Presbyterian Senior Care Extra Health Plan with Rx (HMO); Presbyterian Senior Care Plan 1 (HMO); Presbyterian Senior Care Plan 2 with Rx (HMO); Presbyterian Senior Care Plan 3 with Rx (HMO)
• SCAN Health Plan: SCAN Balance (HMO C-SNP); SCAN Classic (HMO); SCAN MyChoice (HMO); SCAN Strive (HMO C-SNP)
• UnitedHealthcare: UHC Dual Complete NM-Y1 (PPO D-SNP)

For 2027, CMS's county file shows 36 Medicare Advantage plans from 7 carriers available in Bernalillo County.

What happens if you do nothing

This is the part that catches people off guard. If your Medicare Advantage plan is non-renewed and you take no action by December 31, 2026, you are not automatically moved to a similar plan at the same company. Instead:

• On January 1, 2027, you return to Original Medicare (Part A hospital and Part B medical).
• You will not have Part D prescription drug coverage unless you join a stand-alone Part D plan.
• You will not have the extras many Medicare Advantage plans include (such as a built-in out-of-pocket maximum beyond Original Medicare, or dental/vision benefits).

Original Medicare still works everywhere in the country that accepts Medicare — so you will be covered for doctor visits and hospital care. But without a drug plan, you could face a late-enrollment penalty later if you go more than 63 days without creditable drug coverage.

Your choices and your Special Enrollment Period

Because your plan is being discontinued, Medicare gives you more time than the regular Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7, 2026). You get a Special Enrollment Period that runs from December 8, 2026 through the end of February 2027 to:

• Join a different Medicare Advantage plan (with or without drug coverage), or
• Join a stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan to pair with Original Medicare.

A new plan picked by December 31, 2026 starts January 1, 2027. If you choose later in the SEP, coverage starts the first of the month after you enroll.

Thinking about a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy? Losing a Medicare Advantage plan because it is leaving your area is one of the situations that triggers a federal guaranteed-issue right to buy certain Medigap policies — meaning an insurer must sell to you and cannot charge more based on your health, within a limited window. New Mexico may have additional rules; the New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance is the place to confirm what applies in your situation.

A quick note on 2027 numbers

A few 2027 figures are already set and worth knowing as you compare drug coverage:

• 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 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, had not yet been announced by CMS as of early fall 2026; the agency typically publishes those in November.

Where to get personalized help

Plan details — premiums, copays, drug lists, provider networks and star ratings — change each year and vary by person. For a side-by-side look at your options in Albuquerque, use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), available 24/7. For questions specific to a plan, call the number on your member ID card or check the plan's Evidence of Coverage.