Two Different Letters Are Coming to Medicare Advantage Members This Fall. Here Is What Each One Means.

With 2027 plan bids now filed at CMS, Medicare Advantage insurers are preparing to send two distinct types of member notices before fall open enrollment begins.

Federal rules require every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan continuing into 2027 to deliver an Annual Notice of Change to all enrolled members by September 30, 2026. The notice details what is changing for the coming plan year: the monthly premium, copays, the annual out-of-pocket maximum, drug formulary placements, and supplemental benefits such as dental or vision coverage. Receiving an Annual Notice of Change indicates the plan is remaining in operation; the document is an opportunity to review 2027 terms before acting during open enrollment.

A separate document, the nonrenewal notice, goes to members whose plan is exiting their county or shutting down entirely. That letter states the current plan will end December 31, 2026. Members who take no action typically default into Original Medicare on January 1, 2027, without drug coverage.

The Medicare Open Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026; any plan selected takes effect January 1, 2027. Members who receive a nonrenewal notice also gain a Special Enrollment Period running from December 8 through the last day of February 2027, giving them additional time to choose replacement coverage. In most states, a plan nonrenewal can open a federal guaranteed-issue window for Medigap coverage.

Experts advise members not to discard either letter. These notices are the primary tool beneficiaries have for understanding what their coverage will look like in 2027 before that year begins.