Medicare Advantage

Got a Milwaukee non-renewal letter? Read this first

People in Milwaukee can choose from 52 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 52 this year. Six of this year’s plans are gone, 6 are new to Milwaukee County, and 31 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 12 of them under a new name.

Milwaukee, fall 2026 — Six Medicare Advantage plans sold in Milwaukee County this year will not be offered in 2027, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Landscape files comparing the 2026 and 2027 plan years. If you are enrolled in one of them, your insurer must send you a non-renewal letter this fall explaining that your plan is ending December 31, 2026, and what your options are.

Milwaukee is in Milwaukee County, where 52 Medicare Advantage plans from 7 carriers will be offered for 2027. Most people's plans are renewing with changes. But for the small group whose plan is on the "not returning" list below, doing nothing has a real consequence: on January 1, 2027, you will go back to Original Medicare — without a drug plan — unless you make a choice first.

The six plans not returning in Milwaukee County for 2027

These Medicare Advantage plans are offered in Milwaukee County for 2026 but are not in CMS's 2027 Landscape file for the county. Listed alphabetically by carrier:

• 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
• AARP Medicare Advantage CareFlex from UHC WI-18 (HMO-POS) — UnitedHealthcare
• UHC Dual Complete WI-D003 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — UnitedHealthcare
• UHC Dual Complete WI-D3 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — UnitedHealthcare

If your plan is not on this list, it is renewing for 2027 — though its costs, drug list or network may change. Those details come in your plan's Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), which members should receive by late September.

How to tell if your plan is ending

Watch your mail for a letter from your insurer, usually arriving in October. It will be titled something like "Plan Non-Renewal Notice" and will say your plan will not be offered after December 31, 2026. The letter will:

• Confirm your coverage ends on that date.
• Explain your Special Enrollment Period.
• Often suggest another plan from the same carrier you could consider (you are not required to take it).

If you are unsure, you can also call the number on the back of your member ID card and ask directly, or check your plan on medicare.gov.

What happens if you do nothing

If you do not pick a new plan, Medicare will automatically return you to Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) on January 1, 2027. Two things to know:

• Original Medicare does not include prescription drug coverage. Without a separate Part D plan, you could face a late-enrollment penalty later if you sign up after a gap.
• Original Medicare has no yearly out-of-pocket limit on its own. Many people pair it with a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy to help with the 20% coinsurance.

In short, going to Original Medicare is a valid choice — but it should be a choice, not an accident.

Your choices and your Special Enrollment Period

Because your plan is being non-renewed by CMS, you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) that runs from December 8, 2026 through the end of February 2027. During that window you can:

1. Pick a different Medicare Advantage plan for 2027. Milwaukee County will have 52 plans from 7 carriers to compare — the full list is in the table below. 2. Stay with Original Medicare and add a stand-alone Part D plan. The 2027 Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026), and the maximum Part D deductible is $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026). 3. Add a Medigap policy to Original Medicare. A plan non-renewal is a federal guaranteed-issue event, meaning insurers must sell you certain Medigap plans without medical underwriting. Wisconsin has its own standardized Medigap system, so contact the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) for the specific policies and timing that apply to you.

You can also use the regular Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7, 2026) to make a change effective January 1, 2027. Many people in a non-renewed plan use AEP first so their new coverage starts seamlessly, then keep the SEP as a backup.

How to compare plans without guesswork

Plan costs, drug lists, networks and extra benefits change every year. Rather than relying on last year's notes:

• Use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov and enter your ZIP code and your prescriptions.
• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), available 24/7.
• Read the plan's Evidence of Coverage and provider/pharmacy directories directly.

CMS will publish the 2027 Part B standard premium, Part B deductible and IRMAA income brackets later this fall, usually in November. Those apply whether you keep Medicare Advantage or move to Original Medicare.