Two of the biggest names in Medicare Advantage are shrinking their 2027 footprints. UnitedHealthcare is pulling its standard plans from 140 counties, and Aetna is doing the same in 123, according to Becker’s Payer Issues. For members in those counties, the plan held today will not renew in January.
The people affected get a special window to pick something new, and it closes on December 31. Missing it does not leave anyone without Medicare, but it does change what kind of coverage starts on January 1, 2027.
The question for each affected member is the same: the plan is going away, so which option comes next, and how long is there to decide? The answer depends on whether the member wants another Medicare Advantage plan, a switch to Original Medicare with a Medigap supplement and a drug plan, or a different carrier in the same county, and every path has a date attached to it.
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How many counties lose standard plans at UnitedHealthcare and Aetna
Becker’s reports that UnitedHealthcare is pulling standard plans from 140 counties, leaving most of those markets with only its special needs plans. The insurer is also leaving 34 counties entirely, including all of Wyoming. The 140 figure therefore describes standard plans being withdrawn, which is a different measure from a full county exit.
For Aetna, Becker’s puts the number at 123 counties where standard plans are being pulled, and the company is exiting Maryland and New Hampshire altogether. Those county figures come from Becker’s reporting rather than from an insurer or federal announcement, and the insurers’ own member notices spell out which plans are affected in each county.
Plan changes of this kind are not limited to two companies. Becker’s Hospital Review has also published a companion list of payers exiting Medicare Advantage in 2027, so a member whose plan is ending is not necessarily the only person on the block in that position.
What UnitedHealthcare’s notices say and when they went out
UnitedHealthcare’s own 2027 service-area reduction FAQ says non-renewal notices are dated October 2, 2026. Members who receive one are told their plan will not continue past the end of 2026, and the document notes that affected plans can vary by state and county.
The FAQ describes the choice in plain terms. A member who wants another UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plan has to complete a new enrollment form, and the document gives October 15, 2026, through December 31, 2026, as the window to enroll for a January 1, 2027 effective date. Questions go to the customer service number printed on the member ID card or on the non-renewal notice.
A member who does nothing is not dropped from Medicare. The FAQ says members who do not enroll in something else will automatically return to Original Medicare on January 1, 2027.
Why December 31 and December 7 are different deadlines
Two dates circulate every fall, and they apply to different people. December 7 is the standard Open Enrollment deadline for comparing and choosing 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D plans. December 31 is the later deadline for people whose plan is ending, and the Iowa Insurance Division describes it as the date to select new coverage without a gap starting January 1.
The same Iowa release, which covers more than 87,000 Iowans whose plans are being canceled or discontinued in their counties, adds a third date. February 28, 2027, is the end of the special enrollment period for people whose plans were canceled, per the Iowa Insurance Division. Its release lists the state’s SHIIP help line at 1-800-351-4664, and notes that counselor availability is limited.
The UnitedHealthcare FAQ gives a matching late option. A member who returns to Original Medicare on January 1 has a special election period and may enroll in another Medicare Advantage option until February 28, 2027. Waiting until then means starting the year without the plan, so December 31 is the safer target.
Medigap rights for members leaving Medicare Advantage
Some members will decide that Original Medicare plus a Medigap supplement is a better fit than another Advantage plan. Medicare.gov’s Medigap timing page says a person whose Medicare Advantage plan is leaving Medicare or will no longer cover the area has the right to buy any Medigap policy sold by an insurance company in the state.
The page sets the window at 60 days before Medicare Advantage coverage ends through no more than 63 days after it ends. It also says these rights may last an extra 12 months in certain circumstances, and that the answers reflect federal rights only, so a state may offer additional options.
That timing matters because a plan ending on December 31 puts the 60-day clock in motion in early November. Medigap policies do not include drug coverage, so a member choosing that route also needs a separate Part D plan to be in place for January.
Questions to settle before picking a 2027 plan
The first thing to confirm is whether the plan is ending in the member’s county or only changing. UnitedHealthcare’s notice and the plan’s listing in Medicare’s Plan Finder both show what is available at a given ZIP code, and a plan that appears on both lists for 2027 may carry different premiums, copays or networks than it did this year.
Doctors and prescriptions come next. A new plan in the same county can still leave a specialist or hospital out of network, and drug formularies change from one plan to the next. Anyone who takes regular medications can enter them in Plan Finder to see the annual cost of each option before the December 31 enrollment window ends.
Special needs plans are the exception in many of the 140 UnitedHealthcare counties, because Becker’s says most of those markets keep only that product. A member who does not qualify for a special needs plan will generally need a different carrier or a different path to coverage.
Which 2027 plan fits a member whose current one is ending, and is there time to choose before December 31?
A member who lets December 31 pass without choosing lands in Original Medicare on January 1, 2027, with no drug coverage and no supplement unless one is bought. The Medigap window also runs on a clock, from 60 days before coverage ends to 63 days after, so a late decision can limit the options that remain.
The Medicare Money Bundle includes Open Enrollment in an Afternoon, which walks through Plan Finder in one sitting and ends with a keep-or-switch answer, and Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage, which covers Medigap rights, state rules, and both paths priced. All 8 Medicare guides come in one download for $8, with large print.
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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
