CHRISTUS Health Plan is ending its three Medicare Advantage plans on December 31, 2026, and any Rewards and Incentives dollars members have not spent expire the same day. Members who do nothing will be moved to Original Medicare on January 1, 2027.
The plan’s own member page on 2027 coverage changes says the CHRISTUS member ID card will not work after December 31.
Which three CHRISTUS plans are ending?
The plans are CHRISTUS Health Medicare Guardian (HMO), Medicare Plus (HMO) and Medicare Complete (HMO). Guardian is a Medicare Advantage-only plan, while Plus and Complete include prescription drug coverage. Traditional Medicare is not ending, and Part A and Part B stay in place for everyone.
CHRISTUS says its hospitals, physicians and clinics remain available. What changes is the insurance plan that pays for care, not the buildings where members have been going.
What happens to unspent reward dollars?
The Rewards and Incentives program ends on December 31, 2026. Accumulated reward dollars expire that day, and members cannot earn any more after it. A member who has been saving rewards for a larger purchase has until the last day of the year to spend them.
What does a member have to decide, and by when?
A member of one of the three plans has to choose new coverage by December 7, 2026 for it to begin on January 1, 2027. Open Enrollment runs from October 15 to December 7, and a plan picked in that window starts on the first day of the new year. For anyone whose plan includes drugs, the choice also has to cover every prescription they take.
Retirement deadlines, in your inbox: Miss an enrollment or claim deadline and the money can be gone. Join the Retirement Money Brief and we’ll send you our 2027 Medicare Plan-Change Checklist as a welcome gift.
Get the Brief + the plan-change checklist →
We may earn a commission from links on this page.
What if the December 7 date passes?
A special enrollment period for people whose plan ends runs from December 8, 2026 through February 28, 2027. Coverage chosen after December 31 starts on the first day of the month after the member enrolls, so a January sign-up means a gap in the first weeks of the year.
CHRISTUS says a member who does nothing by December 31 will move to Original Medicare on January 1. Plus and Complete members lose prescription drug coverage in that move, and Guardian members fall back to Original Medicare only. The plan also warns that joining a drug plan after February 28, 2027 may bring a lifetime Part D late enrollment penalty.
How does Medigap fit in?
Medigap, the supplemental insurance sold with Original Medicare, has its own clock. CHRISTUS lists March 4, 2027 as the Medigap purchase deadline, which is 63 days after coverage ends, and says a member can apply as early as 60 days before it ends. A member cannot use Medigap while enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, and neither Medigap nor Original Medicare covers prescription drugs, dental or vision.
Where can members get free help choosing?
Medicare’s own Plan Finder lists the plans available in a member’s county. CHRISTUS also points members to 1-800-MEDICARE at 1-800-633-4227, open around the clock, and to the free counselors in the State Health Insurance Assistance Program. The Texas line is 1-800-252-9240 and the New Mexico line is 1-800-432-2080.
CHRISTUS Member Services can be reached at 1-844-282-3026, seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. Member Portal access to claims and documents lasts through March 31, 2028, so records stay available after the plans end. Plan documents and member resources remain online through December 31, 2027. Members who want a copy of a claim or an explanation of benefits for next year’s taxes or a new plan’s records can download it from the portal well before then.
Need a new plan before December 7?
A CHRISTUS member who misses December 7 can end up with no drug coverage on January 1 and a possible late enrollment penalty if a drug plan is not in place by February 28. Picking a plan that leaves out a regular prescription or a favorite doctor is the other way this goes wrong.
The 2027 Medicare Open Enrollment Decision Kit includes a cost calculator spreadsheet that compares plans on cost, drugs and doctors, plus a prescription-by-plan comparison, a provider call script and the Open Enrollment calendar. It also covers Medigap guaranteed-issue rights when a Medicare Advantage plan leaves, with a call script.
Compare replacement plans for the ending CHRISTUS plans with the Open Enrollment decision kit →
More Financial Reading
- 21 Ways to Stretch a $2,087 Social Security Check
- 15 Places to Find Your Share of the $4.25 Billion States Give Back
- The New $6,000 Senior Deduction and 14 More Tax Moves for Retirees
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
