Medicare Advantage

Got a non-renewal letter in Chesapeake? Three Medicare Advantage plans end Dec. 31

People in Chesapeake can choose from 70 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 67 this year. Three of this year’s plans are gone, 6 are new to Chesapeake city, and 45 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 16 of them under a new name.

CHESAPEAKE, Va. — If you opened a letter from your Medicare Advantage plan this fall and it said your plan will not be offered next year, you are not alone. According to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source File for 2027, three Medicare Advantage plans sold in Chesapeake this year will not return on January 1, 2027. Members of those three plans have a decision to make before the end of February — and a few protections most people do not know they have.

Which Medicare Advantage plans are not returning to Chesapeake for 2027?

Three Medicare Advantage plans offered in Chesapeake city this year are not in CMS's 2027 Landscape file for the county. Listed alphabetically by carrier, they are:

• Anthem Full Dual Advantage 2 (HMO D-SNP) — Elevance Health (Anthem)
• AARP Medicare Advantage Access from UHC VA-20 (PPO) — UnitedHealthcare
• UHC Dual Complete VA-Y3 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — UnitedHealthcare

For context, Chesapeake is in Chesapeake city, where 70 Medicare Advantage plans from 6 carriers will be offered for 2027. The three plans above are the only ones ending in this county according to CMS. If you are enrolled in a plan that is not on this short list, your coverage renews automatically for 2027 — with whatever changes your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) describes.

How can I tell if my Medicare Advantage plan is ending?

The clearest sign is a non-renewal letter from your plan, which carriers are required to mail by early November. It usually arrives in a plain envelope with your plan's name on it, and it says in plain language that your plan will not be offered in your area in 2027 and that your coverage ends December 31, 2026.

That letter is different from the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), which goes to every member each fall and lists next year's premium, copays and drug list for a plan that is continuing. If you received an ANOC, your plan is renewing. If you received a notice that specifically says your plan is being discontinued, non-renewed, or will not be available for 2027, your plan is ending.

If you are not sure what you got, call the number on the back of your member ID card, or call 1-800-MEDICARE.

What happens if I do nothing after my plan ends?

If your Medicare Advantage plan is not returning and you take no action, you will be automatically moved to Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) on January 1, 2027. You will not lose Medicare — but a few things change that catch people off guard.

• Original Medicare does not include Part D prescription drug coverage. If your ending plan had drugs built in, you would have no drug plan starting January 1 unless you enroll in a stand-alone Part D plan.
• Original Medicare has no yearly out-of-pocket maximum on Part A and Part B costs. Medicare Advantage plans do.
• You can see any provider in the U.S. that accepts Medicare, with no network.

Doing nothing is a choice. It is just not usually the choice people would make if they understood it.

What Special Enrollment Period do I get if my plan is non-renewed?

When CMS non-renews or terminates a plan, members get 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), or
• Return to Original Medicare and add a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan.

This SEP is separate from the regular Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7, 2026). If you make a choice during Annual Enrollment, it takes effect January 1, 2027. If you use the SEP in January or February, your new coverage generally starts the first of the month after you enroll.

You also get a Medigap guaranteed-issue right. Because your Medicare Advantage plan is ending through no fault of yours, federal rules let you buy certain Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policies without medical underwriting for a limited period around your plan's end date. The specific Medigap plans available on a guaranteed-issue basis, and the exact timing, are set in part by state rules — the Virginia State Corporation Commission's Bureau of Insurance can confirm what applies in Virginia.

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

Start with what you have. Pull out the non-renewal letter and your current member materials, make a short list of the doctors and prescriptions you want to keep, and then compare plans — do not just pick the one that looks closest to the one ending.

• Use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov to compare 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D plans in Chesapeake city. You can enter your drugs and preferred pharmacies to see real estimates.
• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Read each plan's Evidence of Coverage and provider directory before enrolling, so you know the network and drug list.

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