Goodsurance

Enrollment & timing

New Federal Guidance Says Some 2027 Medicare Advantage Plans May Stop Accepting New Members During Open Enrollment

Updated CMS guidance released August 25 spells out in more operational detail than any prior year how Medicare Advantage plans can reach a preset capacity limit and close to new applicants even while the Annual Enrollment Period is still open.

By the Goodsurance editorial teamAugust 28, 2026

On August 25, 2026, CMS released updated Medicare Advantage and Part D enrollment and disenrollment guidance for the 2027 plan year. A notable clarification addresses enrollment capacity limits. A Medicare Advantage plan that set a cap during the annual bid process may stop accepting new enrollees once it reaches that ceiling, even though the Annual Enrollment Period runs through December 7. CMS stated that plans that did not establish a capacity limit through the bid process cannot impose one later without specific CMS approval. Valid enrollment requests must be processed in the order received until any approved limit is reached. There is no public-facing indicator showing how close a plan is to its cap. A plan can appear fully available one day and closed to new applications the next, with no required advance warning to consumers or agents. The guidance also updates the definition of a lawfully present individual, revises default enrollment notices, clarifies loss-of-D-SNP-status notices, and updates information plans must provide about Medigap guaranteed-issue rights. All enrollment requests with a January 1, 2027 effective date, including those submitted during the fall 2026 Annual Enrollment Period, must be processed under the revised rules.

Some 2027 Medicare Advantage plans could stop taking new members mid-enrollment once they hit a capacity cap. CMS laid out the rules August 25.

In plain words

CMS put out new enrollment rules in late August for Medicare Advantage plans starting in 2027. One important point: some plans can set a limit on how many people they accept. When a plan is full, it can stop taking new members, even if open enrollment is still going on. There is no public sign showing when a plan is close to full. You could try to sign up and find the plan is already closed. The new rules cover all plans starting January 1, 2027.

Understand the basics first

Source: CMS
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