CHRISTUS Health Plan is ending its Medicare Advantage plans on December 31, 2026, and members have until December 7 to pick new coverage that starts January 1. Anyone who misses that date gets a second window, a special enrollment period that runs December 8, 2026 through February 28, 2027. For members of the Plus and Complete plans, though, waiting has a price.
CHRISTUS says Plus (HMO) and Complete (HMO) members who do not enroll in a new Medicare Advantage plan before December 31 “will lose your prescription drug coverage” and be covered only by Original Medicare from January 1, 2027. Members of the Guardian (HMO) plan also fall back to Original Medicare. Anyone in those three plans in Texas or New Mexico should decide this fall, not in February.
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Which CHRISTUS plans are ending, and where?
The CHRISTUS Health Plan member notice names three Medicare Advantage plans that end December 31, 2026: Guardian (HMO), Plus (HMO) and Complete (HMO). The notice lists state health insurance assistance programs for Texas and New Mexico.
Medicare’s annual open enrollment runs October 15 through December 7, 2026. CHRISTUS tells members to review their options before it closes on December 7, since plans chosen in that window start on January 1, 2027.
CHRISTUS also tells members that the Rewards and Incentives program ends with the plans, so any balance should be used before the year closes. Members who want to stay in Medicare Advantage need to choose a plan from another insurer, since none of the three CHRISTUS plans continue into 2027.
What does the extra enrollment window allow?
Because the plan is ending, CHRISTUS says members qualify for a special enrollment period from December 8, 2026 through February 28, 2027, to join another Medicare Advantage plan. Enrolling between October 15 and December 31 starts the new coverage on January 1, 2027, with no gap.
After December 31 the timing changes. CHRISTUS says new coverage will not begin until the first day of the month after enrollment, so a member who signs up in January or February can go weeks with only Original Medicare.
Why does drug coverage matter so much here?
CHRISTUS states that Medigap policies do not cover prescription drugs, nor does Original Medicare. A member who leaves the plan without joining a new Medicare Advantage plan or a stand-alone drug plan has no prescription coverage.
The notice adds that without a drug plan by February 28, 2027, a member may owe a lifetime Part D late enrollment penalty if they join a drug plan later. That penalty is the long-term cost of letting the gap run past the window.
What other dates and phone numbers did CHRISTUS list?
For members who want Medigap instead, the notice says a policy must be purchased by March 4, 2027, which is 63 days after coverage ends, and an application can go in as early as 60 days before coverage ends. Rewards and Incentives dollars expire on December 31, 2026.
CHRISTUS Member Services is at 1-844-282-3026, open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. The notice also lists 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), the Texas program at 1-800-252-9240 and the New Mexico program at 1-800-432-2080.
What is the decision before December 7?
CHRISTUS has not named a replacement plan, so each member has to pick one, and the notice sets December 31 as the line after which drug coverage and start dates are affected. The open question is which plan covers a member’s own prescriptions and doctors for 2027.
Which new plan keeps the drugs and doctors after CHRISTUS ends?
A CHRISTUS Plus or Complete member who does not join a new Medicare Advantage plan by December 31 loses prescription drug coverage on January 1, 2027, and a late pick can mean a gap and a Part D penalty.
The 2027 Medicare Open Enrollment Decision Kit includes a cost calculator spreadsheet that compares plans on cost, drugs and doctors, a prescription-by-plan comparison and a provider call script. It also explains Medigap guaranteed-issue rights when a Medicare Advantage plan leaves, with a call script.
Compare replacement plans on drugs and doctors with the CHRISTUS plan-exit calculator kit →
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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
