Humana Medicare Advantage Plans Are Being Cut for 2027: What Members Need to Know

If you’re enrolled in a Humana Medicare Advantage plan, you’ve probably seen the headline by now: roughly 600,000 members are expected to lose their current Medicare Advantage plan for 2027 as Humana pulls back from certain markets.

That number sounds alarming. So let’s take the alarm out of it first.

Humana is not leaving Medicare Advantage. And 600,000 people losing a plan does not mean 600,000 people are losing Medicare. What it does mean is that hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries have a real coverage decision to make for January 1, 2027 — and that for some of them, this non-renewal quietly opens a door that had been closed for years.

Is Humana leaving Medicare Advantage in 2027?

No. Humana remains one of the largest Medicare Advantage insurers in the country.

For scale: according to KFF’s analysis of 2026 Medicare enrollment data, approximately 35.2 million people — 55% of eligible Medicare beneficiaries — are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, and Humana accounts for roughly 20% of Medicare Advantage enrollment nationwide.

The announced reductions affect certain Humana plans in certain markets. Not every Humana member. That distinction matters more than the headline does.

How will I know if my plan is ending?

Watch your mail carefully this fall. Medicare Advantage plans are required to tell members each year what’s happening with their coverage for the following year, and there are two very different letters:

If your plan is continuing, the ANOC explains what’s changing: premiums, copays and coinsurance, maximum out-of-pocket limits, prescription drug coverage, deductibles, supplemental benefits, provider network changes, and other plan rules. It’s worth reading properly — we walk through how to read your ANOC line by line in a separate piece, because plans that continue can still change substantially.

If your plan is not being renewed for 2027, you’ll receive an official notice saying your current coverage is ending.

Do not throw that notice away

We tell clients to think of a Medicare Advantage non-renewal notice as something close to a golden ticket.

Why? Because it may be your proof that you qualify for Medicare protections and enrollment rights that aren’t normally available to you. Keep it somewhere you can find it in February.

What happens if my plan is discontinued?

Start with what is not happening: you are not losing Medicare eligibility. Your Part A and Part B entitlement is unaffected. What ends is one private plan’s availability to you.

So you’ll need to decide what your Medicare coverage looks like going forward. Depending on your circumstances and what’s offered where you live, your options generally include:

Option 1 — Enroll in another Medicare Advantage plan. There may be other HMO, PPO, or Special Needs plans available in your county for 2027.

Option 2 — Return to Original Medicare. You can take your benefits directly through Medicare Parts A and B. Because Original Medicare doesn’t include most outpatient prescription drug coverage, most people going this route should also evaluate a standalone Part D prescription drug plan.

Option 3 — Return to Original Medicare and add a Medicare Supplement. This is where a plan termination can become genuinely valuable, and it’s worth its own section.

The part most people miss: guaranteed-issue Medigap rights

Normally, once your Medigap Open Enrollment Period has passed, an insurance company may be permitted to ask health questions when you apply for a Medicare Supplement policy. Depending on your health history, you could be declined or rated through medical underwriting where state law permits it.

But federal Medicare rules provide guaranteed-issue rights in certain circumstances. When a Medicare Advantage plan leaves Medicare, stops offering coverage in your area, or you otherwise meet one of Medicare’s specified protections, you may have a guaranteed-issue right to certain Medicare Supplement plans when returning to Original Medicare.

Guaranteed issue generally means the Medigap insurer cannot use your health status to deny the applicable coverage for which you hold that right.

Consider what that’s worth. Someone enrolled in Medicare Advantage years ago while relatively healthy. Since then: a cancer diagnosis, or heart disease, or diabetes. They’ve thought about moving to Original Medicare with a Supplement — and discovered that getting a Medigap policy would mean underwriting they might not pass. A qualifying plan termination can change that entirely.

Don’t automatically take the replacement plan you’re offered

If your plan is ending, your carrier may point you toward another plan available in your area. That plan isn’t necessarily bad. It also isn’t automatically the best plan for you — it’s simply the one that company has to offer.

A non-renewal is one of the few moments when you’re forced to look at the whole picture anyway. Use it. Before choosing 2027 coverage, review:

• Your doctors and specialists
• Preferred hospitals and health systems
• Prescription medications and the plan’s formulary
• Your pharmacies
• Premiums, copays, and coinsurance
• Maximum out-of-pocket exposure
• Travel habits and coverage away from home
• Referral and prior authorization requirements
• Provider networks
• Supplemental benefits
• Your ability to obtain Medicare Supplement coverage

The question isn’t “What plan replaces my Humana plan?”

The better question is “Now that my plan is ending, what Medicare coverage structure makes the most sense for me going forward?”

Those are very different questions, and only the second one uses the opportunity properly.

You don’t have to panic on December 7

This is important, because someone will try to use the deadline against you.

The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7. For most beneficiaries, December 7 is the deadline for Medicare Advantage and Part D changes effective January 1.

But Medicare provides an additional Special Enrollment Period for members whose Medicare Advantage or Medicare drug plan contract isn’t renewed. Affected beneficiaries can switch plans from December 8 through the last day of February of the following year.

So if your plan is genuinely being non-renewed, don’t let anyone frighten you into a rushed decision because “December 7 is your last chance.” You should absolutely address your coverage and understand exactly when new coverage takes effect — but a qualifying non-renewal carries extra protection that a routine plan switch does not.

What Humana members should do right now

If you’re currently in a Humana Medicare Advantage plan, you don’t need to panic or change anything today because of a news story. Instead:

1. Watch your mail. Pay attention to anything from Humana about your 2027 coverage.
2. Read your Annual Notice of Change. Even if your plan isn’t terminating, costs, benefits, networks, and drug coverage change year to year.
3. If you receive a non-renewal notice, save it. Don’t let it disappear into the pile of Medicare advertising that arrives every fall.
4. Don’t auto-enroll in the first replacement offered. Understand all your options first.
5. Have your coverage reviewed against your actual healthcare needs. Your doctors, prescriptions, hospitals, and budget should drive this — not an advertisement.

What if your notice never arrives? If you normally get an ANOC and your 2027 information hasn’t shown up when expected, don’t assume everything is staying the same. Check your mail carefully, review your plan documents online if available, and contact your agent or carrier to verify your plan’s status. Humana has indicated its 2027 Evidence of Coverage documents will be available beginning October 1, 2026. Verify what’s happening with your specific plan rather than assuming national news applies to you.

Frequently asked questions

Is Humana ending Medicare Advantage entirely? No. Humana is reducing plan offerings in certain markets while remaining one of the largest Medicare Advantage insurers nationally.

Will I lose Medicare if my plan is non-renewed? No. Your Medicare eligibility and your Part A and Part B entitlement are unaffected. Only the private plan ends. If you take no action, you generally return to Original Medicare — which is why evaluating Part D and supplemental coverage matters, since Original Medicare alone has no drug coverage and no out-of-pocket maximum.

Can I get a Medicare Supplement without underwriting if my plan ends? In certain situations, yes. A qualifying Medicare Advantage non-renewal can create a guaranteed-issue right to certain Medigap plans when you return to Original Medicare. Eligibility, available plan letters, and timing depend on your circumstances and state law — get this one reviewed individually rather than assumed.

How long do I have to choose new coverage? Beyond AEP’s December 7 deadline, a non-renewal gives you a Special Enrollment Period running December 8 through the last day of February. Understand when your new coverage becomes effective, though — later enrollment can mean a gap between plan years.

What’s the difference between an ANOC and a non-renewal notice? An ANOC says your plan continues with changes for the new year. A non-renewal notice says your plan is ending. Both arrive in the fall; only one of them is a document you may need to keep as proof.

Should I just take the plan Humana offers me instead? Maybe — but decide that after comparing, not before. A carrier can only offer you its own plans. Your doctors, drugs, and hospitals may line up better somewhere else, and a non-renewal may also give you Medigap options you couldn’t otherwise access.

Does this affect my Part D drug plan? If your Medicare Advantage plan included drug coverage and the plan is ending, that drug coverage ends with it. If you return to Original Medicare, you’ll want to evaluate a standalone Part D plan — going without creditable drug coverage can trigger a late enrollment penalty that lasts as long as you have Part D.

600,000 people aren’t losing Medicare — they’re facing a decision

That’s the real headline.

Those affected members aren’t suddenly losing Medicare. They’re losing their current Medicare Advantage plan, and they need to decide what comes next. For one person, another Medicare Advantage plan makes perfect sense. For another, a PPO offers the network flexibility they’ve wanted. For someone else, a guaranteed-issue opportunity makes this the ideal moment to move to Original Medicare with a Supplement and Part D — a door that may not open again.

There is no single right answer for hundreds of thousands of people. There’s only the answer that fits your situation.

At Mere Benefits, helping clients understand Medicare isn’t something we do only during AEP. We’ve been preparing for the 2027 changes — carrier exits, plan non-renewals, benefit changes — because these are the years when a good review is worth the most.

If you receive a Medicare Advantage non-renewal notice this fall: keep it. Then let us help you work out what options are actually available to you. Reach out for a free review or call 904-654-5450. Kate Spilsbury (RSSA®, CMIP®) and the Mere Benefits team are independent agents based in Jacksonville, serving Northeast Florida and Camden County, GA. You may have more choices than you realize.

Simply For Your Benefit.

This article is educational and is not a guarantee of eligibility for any specific Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, or Part D plan. Medicare Supplement guaranteed-issue rights depend on the circumstances of the loss of coverage, applicable federal and state protections, eligibility, timing, and other requirements. Plan availability and benefits vary by service area and individual eligibility. Mere Benefits is not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program. We don’t offer every plan available in your area.