Braven Health in New Jersey, CHRISTUS Health Plan in Texas and New Mexico, PacificSource in Montana and Providence Health Plan in Oregon and Washington are all ending their Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Members can pick a replacement through Medicare’s annual enrollment period, which closes Dec. 7 for coverage that starts Jan. 1. Medicare.gov says people whose plan is not renewed get a second window that runs from Dec. 8 to the last day of February.
Anyone enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan from one of those four insurers has a plan ending within two months and one job: choose a replacement before Dec. 7, or accept what Medicare assigns on Jan. 1. The choice comes down to three things for each member: which plan covers their doctors, which covers their drugs, and what it costs.
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Which plans are ending, and how many people are in them?
Each insurer is leaving on its own terms, and the notices differ in what they say about timing and numbers:
- Braven Health, New Jersey: all ten of its New Jersey plans end Dec. 31, 2026, according to Live Insurance News, which counts more than 42,000 members from federal enrollment data. Braven spokesman Thomas Wilson said the company was “faced with the choice to offer a plan that does not reflect our core values or withdraw from the market.”
- CHRISTUS Health Plan, Texas and New Mexico: its Guardian, Plus and Complete HMO plans end Dec. 31, according to the company’s member notice. InsuranceNewsNet reports about 9,000 members across 36 Texas counties and eight New Mexico counties.
- PacificSource, Montana: the Oregon-based nonprofit is ending all of its Montana operations on Dec. 31, which takes about 1,100 Medicare Advantage members with it.
- Providence Health Plan, Oregon and Washington: Providence says it will not offer Medicare Advantage in 2027 or later, and its policies are discontinued effective Jan. 1, 2027. Becker’s Payer, citing federal data, puts its 2026 footprint at six Oregon counties, six Washington counties and Orange County, California.
What happens to someone who does nothing by Dec. 7?
A member who never picks a new Medicare Advantage plan lands in Original Medicare, the Part A hospital and Part B medical coverage run directly by the federal government. Medicare.gov says that is what happens if a person does not join another Medicare Advantage plan before the old one ends. For Jan. 1 coverage, the new plan must get the request by Dec. 7.
For some members the fall-back is thin. CHRISTUS says Plus and Complete members who do not enroll in a new plan by Dec. 31 will lose their prescription drug coverage and be covered only by Original Medicare, and Guardian members will have only Original Medicare on Jan. 1.
Is there any time left after Dec. 7?
Yes, but with a later start. The special window for a plan that is not renewed runs Dec. 8 through the last day of February, according to Medicare.gov. CHRISTUS puts the dates at Dec. 8, 2026 through Feb. 28, 2027 and says coverage chosen after Dec. 31 starts the first of the month after enrollment, so a plan picked in January begins Feb. 1.
The gap carries a risk for drug coverage. CHRISTUS warns that members who do not join a drug plan by Feb. 28 may face a lifetime Part D late-enrollment penalty. Anyone who wants a plan in force on Jan. 1 with no break in drug coverage has to act by Dec. 7.
Can a member buy a Medigap policy instead?
A Medigap supplement policy is the other route back to Original Medicare. CHRISTUS tells members they are guaranteed the right to buy Medigap, can apply as early as 60 days before coverage ends, and have until 63 days after it ends, which the company gives as March 4, 2027. Choosing a new Medicare Advantage plan means giving up those Medigap rights.
Medigap does not cover prescription drugs, routine dental or vision, so a member who chooses it also needs a separate drug plan. Providence’s Medigap customers have a different clock: that coverage stays in effect through March 31, 2027, and the company advises choosing a replacement effective April 1 to avoid a gap.
Where can members get free help choosing?
Medicare’s own phone line, 1-800-633-4227, and the Plan Compare tool on Medicare.gov are the free official routes for comparing plans. State health insurance counselors give free one-on-one help. CHRISTUS lists Texas at 1-800-252-9240 and New Mexico at 1-800-432-2080, while Live Insurance News gives 1-800-792-8820 for New Jersey and 1-800-551-3191 for Montana. Providence members can call the number on their member ID card.
Which plan replaces yours before Dec. 7?
A member whose plan disappears at midnight on Dec. 31 can end up with Original Medicare by default, no drug plan and a Medigap deadline in March. Picking by premium alone is how people find out in January that a doctor or a prescription is not covered.
“The 2027 Medicare Open Enrollment Decision Kit” is a 55-page guide built for a member in this spot. It includes a cost calculator spreadsheet that compares plans on cost, drugs and doctors and a prescription-by-plan comparison, along with the Medigap guaranteed-issue rights for a Medicare Advantage plan that leaves, with a call script.
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
David M. Keller is a finance writer based in Columbus, Ohio, covering personal finance and consumer-focused economic topics. He earned his degree in journalism from Ohio University and began his career reporting on local business and economic trends for a regional media outlet. Since then, he has contributed to a variety of online publications, focusing on clear, practical coverage of topics such as cost of living, debt, and everyday financial decision-making.
