Medicare Advantage

Did your Fort Worth Advantage plan send a non-renewal letter?

Tarrant County has 83 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 28 plans are not coming back, 22 are new, and 32 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 10 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Fort Worth, not which plan to pick.

FORT WORTH, Texas — If you opened the mail this fall and found a letter saying your Medicare Advantage plan will not be offered next year, you are not alone. In Tarrant County, where Fort Worth sits, 28 Medicare Advantage plans listed for 2026 are not in the CMS file for 2027, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files. Here is how to tell if yours is one of them, what happens if you do nothing, and the window you have to pick what comes next.

How to tell if your plan is ending

Carriers are required to mail a non-renewal notice (sometimes called a "plan termination" letter) to members whose plan will not continue into the next year. In Fort Worth, those letters typically arrive in early October 2026, before the Annual Enrollment Period opens on October 15.

The letter will say, in plain language, that your current plan will end on December 31, 2026, and that you will need to choose a new plan or return to Original Medicare. It is different from the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), which simply explains what is changing inside a plan that is continuing.

If you are not sure which letter you got, look for the words "will not be offered" or "will not renew" — those are the signal that your plan is ending.

The Fort Worth plans not returning for 2027

The table on this page lists every 2026 plan in Tarrant County that is not in the 2027 CMS file. The 28 plans span several carriers, including Aetna (CVS Health), American Health Advantage of Texas, Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC), Centene (WellCare), Elevance Health (Anthem), HealthSpring, Humana, and UnitedHealthcare.

A few examples from the list, spelled as CMS lists them: Aetna Medicare Enhanced (PPO), Aetna Medicare Signature (PPO), BSW SeniorCare Advantage Essentials (HMO-POS), Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Choice Premier (PPO), Wellcare Giveback (HMO), Wellpoint Dual Advantage (HMO D-SNP), HealthSpring True Choice Savings (PPO), Humana Gold Choice H8145-084 (PFFS), HumanaChoice H5216-042 (PPO), and AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC TX-0005 (PPO). The full roster of 28 is in the table below.

Being on this list does not say anything about the plan's quality — carriers end and launch plans each year for a mix of business reasons. It just means that specific plan, with that specific contract number, will not exist in Tarrant County next year.

What happens if you do nothing

For most Medicare Advantage members, doing nothing during the Annual Enrollment Period means your current plan simply renews with the changes in its ANOC. For members of a non-renewing plan, it works differently.

If your Fort Worth plan is on the ending list and you make no choice by December 31, 2026, your Medicare Advantage enrollment ends. On January 1, 2027, you will be enrolled in Original Medicare (Part A for hospital, Part B for medical). You will not have Part D drug coverage, and you will not have a Medigap policy unless you buy one.

Original Medicare will cover a lot, but it has no yearly out-of-pocket cap and no built-in drug benefit. Most people pair it with a stand-alone Part D plan and either a Medigap policy or a Medicare Advantage plan.

Your choices and the Special Enrollment Period

Members of a non-renewed Medicare Advantage plan get more time than the standard calendar allows. You can use any of these windows:

• Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7, 2026): Pick any 2027 Medicare Advantage plan or stand-alone Part D plan offered in Tarrant County. Your new coverage starts January 1, 2027.
• Special Enrollment Period for a non-renewed plan (December 8, 2026 – February 28, 2027): If you miss the December 7 deadline, you can still choose a new Medicare Advantage plan or a stand-alone Part D plan. Coverage starts the first of the month after you enroll.
• Medigap guaranteed-issue right: Because your plan is being discontinued, federal rules give you a guaranteed right to buy certain Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policies without medical underwriting for a limited time. For how Texas handles this and which plans qualify, contact the Texas Department of Insurance.

For 2027, CMS has confirmed the Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 (from $2,100 in 2026), and the Part D maximum deductible is $700 (from $615 in 2026). The 2027 Part B premium and deductible, and 2027 IRMAA income brackets, will be published by CMS later in the fall.

How to compare 2027 plans in Fort Worth

Tarrant County will have 83 Medicare Advantage plans from 12 carriers for 2027. That includes 22 plans that are new for the county and 10 that have been renamed (the ANOC or new plan materials spell out the specifics).

The clearest way to compare is at medicare.gov using the Plan Finder. You can enter your ZIP code, your prescriptions, and your preferred pharmacies to see each plan's premium, deductible, drug costs, and network. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Keep your non-renewal letter handy — it has your plan's contract and plan ID, which helps when you call.