Medicare Advantage

If you got a Medicare non-renewal letter in Madison, here is your next step

People in Madison can choose from 48 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 55 this year. Eleven of this year’s plans are gone, 4 are new to Dane County, and 31 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 9 of them under a new name.

MADISON, Wis. — If a letter from your Medicare Advantage plan arrived this fall and used the words "will not be offered" or "non-renewal," you are not alone. In Dane County, which includes Madison, 11 Medicare Advantage plans listed for 2026 are not in the CMS 2027 file. People in those plans need to make a choice before coverage changes on January 1, 2027.

Which Madison-area Medicare Advantage plans are not returning for 2027?

In Dane County, the county Madison sits in, 11 Medicare Advantage plans offered in 2026 are not in the CMS 2027 Landscape file. Listed alphabetically by carrier, they are:

• Anthem Full Dual Advantage (HMO D-SNP) — Elevance Health (Anthem)
• Anthem Full Dual Advantage 2 (HMO D-SNP) — Elevance Health (Anthem)
• Humana USAA Honor Giveback (PPO) — Humana
• Compass (HMO-POS) — Security Health Plan of Wisconsin, Inc.
• Essence Rx (HMO-POS) — Security Health Plan of Wisconsin, Inc.
• Esteem Rx (HMO-POS) — Security Health Plan of Wisconsin, Inc.
• Legacy Rx (HMO-POS) — Security Health Plan of Wisconsin, Inc.
• Spirit (HMO-POS) — Security Health Plan of Wisconsin, Inc.
• AARP Medicare Advantage CareFlex from UHC WI-18 (HMO-POS) — UnitedHealthcare
• AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC WI-0007 (PPO) — UnitedHealthcare
• AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC WI-0017 (HMO-POS) — UnitedHealthcare

Overall, Dane County will have 48 Medicare Advantage plans from 10 carriers for 2027, down from 55 plans from 11 carriers in 2026. Being on this list is not a judgment about any plan or carrier; carriers adjust their lineups every year.

How can I tell if my Medicare plan is ending in 2027?

Watch your mail in October. By law, if your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan is not continuing in your area, the carrier must send a non-renewal notice (sometimes called a "plan non-renewal" or "termination" letter) by early October 2026. It tells you the current plan ends December 31, 2026, and that you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.

That letter looks different from the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) every plan sends each September. An ANOC means your plan is continuing but with changes for 2027 — new copays, drug list, or network. A non-renewal letter means the plan itself is going away. Keep the non-renewal letter; some insurers and the Medicare helpline may ask for it when you enroll.

What happens in Madison if I do nothing after my plan ends?

If your Medicare Advantage plan is on the not-returning list and you make no choice, on January 1, 2027 you are automatically returned to Original Medicare — Part A (hospital) and Part B (medical). You stay enrolled in Medicare; you just no longer have the Advantage plan on top of it.

Two things to know about that default:

• Original Medicare does not include Part D prescription drug coverage. If your old Advantage plan included drugs, you will not have drug coverage until you join a stand-alone Part D plan or a new Medicare Advantage plan that includes drugs.
• Original Medicare has no yearly out-of-pocket limit. Many people pair it with a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy to help with the 20% coinsurance and other cost-sharing.

Doing nothing is a valid choice, but it should be an informed one.

What Special Enrollment Period do I get if my plan is not returning?

People whose plan is non-renewed get a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) that runs from December 8, 2026 through February 28, 2027. During that window you can:

• Join a different Medicare Advantage plan (with or without drug coverage), or
• Stay with 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 pick a 2027 plan that starts January 1 — most people in this situation do, so there is no gap.

There is also a program-level Medigap guaranteed-issue right when your Medicare Advantage plan leaves your area, which can let you buy certain Medigap policies without medical underwriting within set time limits. Wisconsin has its own Medigap rules that differ from most states, so for the specifics call the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance or 1-800-MEDICARE before you drop a plan.

How do I pick a new 2027 Medicare plan in Dane County?

Start at medicare.gov/plan-compare. Enter your ZIP code, your prescriptions, and your preferred pharmacies and doctors. The Plan Finder will show every 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D plan available in Dane County, with each plan's premium, deductible, drug costs and star rating in one place. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

A few things worth checking for 2027:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026). That cap applies in any Medicare drug plan.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026).
• The 2027 Part B standard premium and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets had not been announced at the time of writing; CMS usually publishes them in November.

The table on this page lists every 2027 Medicare Advantage plan offered in Dane County. If your current plan is on the not-returning list above, use the Plan Finder to compare what is available before the December 7, 2026 deadline.