What Happens If You Do Nothing During Medicare Open Enrollment?

Mitch Lyman

Oct 29

3 min read

What happens if you do nothing during Medicare Open Enrollment? If you're in a Medicare Advantage plan that's continuing next year, it usually renews automatically on January 1, 2027, with whatever changes the insurance company made for the new year. You don't have to re-enroll to keep it.

There's one big exception. If your Medicare Advantage plan is ending after 2026, as the Saint Alphonsus plans are here in the Treasure Valley, doing nothing means your plan coverage stops December 31 and you'll have Original Medicare only, without your plan's drug coverage or extras. I'm Mitch Lyman, an independent Medicare broker in Meridian, and this is one of the questions I hear most this fall.

If Your Medicare Advantage Plan Is Continuing

Staying put is fine when your plan still fits. The catch is that "the same plan" isn't always the same. Each year plans can change premiums, copays, the drug list and which doctors and hospitals are in network. Those changes are spelled out in the letter your plan mailed in September. Here's what to check in your Medicare plan letter.

Doing nothing is a choice, too. It works best when someone has confirmed that your doctors, prescriptions and total costs still line up for 2027.

If Your Medicare Advantage Plan Is Ending

If you got a letter saying your plan won't continue in 2027, you don't lose Medicare. But if you don't choose a new plan:

Your current plan coverage ends December 31, 2026.
Starting January 1, you'll have Original Medicare (Parts A and B) only, with no plan drug coverage or extras.
You still have a special right to join another Medicare Advantage plan through the end of February, but that coverage generally starts the month after you join, not back on January 1.

Choosing a new plan by December 7 is the simplest way to avoid a gap. Medicare.gov 's guide to joining a plan confirms that a plan must get your request by December 7 for coverage to start January 1. If you're a St. Al's member, start with my guide to the Saint Alphonsus Medicare Advantage plans ending in 2027. For any other plan-ending letter, read what to do when your Medicare Advantage plan is ending.

Before You Do Nothing During Medicare Open Enrollment, Get a Quick Check

A 2027 review with me is free and happens by phone. I compare your current plan with Medicare Advantage options from companies such as Blue Cross of Idaho, Humana, UnitedHealthcare and St. Luke's Health Plan, check your doctors and prescriptions for you, and tell you plainly if your current plan is still the best fit.

Plenty of people in Boise, Nampa and across the Treasure Valley find out that staying put is the right call. Others find a better fit. Either way, you'll know before the deadline. Call or text me at (208) 963-0333, or request a free Medicare review.

Doing Nothing During Open Enrollment: FAQs

Does my Medicare Advantage plan automatically renew?

Yes, in most cases. If your plan is continuing in 2027 and you don't make a change by December 7, you'll stay in it, with its 2027 benefits and costs.

What if I miss the December 7 deadline?

If you're in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1, you can make one change between January 1 and March 31. If your plan is ending, you can join another Medicare Advantage plan through the end of February. You can also change Medicare Advantage plans during Open Enrollment more than once before December 7.

When does my new Medicare plan start if I switch now?

January 1, 2027, as long as the new plan receives your enrollment by December 7.

We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 8 organizations which offer 23 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.