Which envelope you have
The two letters look alike and mean different things.
The Annual Notice of Change arrives by September 30 from a plan that is continuing. It lists new premiums, copays, drug lists and networks. Your plan renews on January 1 unless you act. The four lines to check.
A non-renewal notice comes from a plan that is leaving Medicare or leaving your area at the end of the year. Your coverage in that plan ends December 31, whatever you do. Federal rules require the plan to tell you at least 90 days ahead, so for a December 31 ending the letter arrives in early October. It must explain your enrollment choices and the deadline for making them.
If you cannot tell which one you have, look for the words “your plan will not be offered” or “your plan is leaving”, or call the member services number and ask directly: “Is my plan continuing in 2027 in my county, yes or no?”
The windows you get
| Window | Dates | What it allows |
|---|---|---|
| Annual enrollment | October 15 to December 7, 2026 | Choose any Advantage plan or drug plan, or Original Medicare, starting January 1 |
| Non-renewal special enrollment | December 8, 2026 to the last day of February 2027 | Choose a new Advantage plan or drug plan after the fall window closes |
Choosing before December 7 is the cleaner route: the new coverage starts January 1 with no gap. Choosing later is allowed, and it starts the first day of the month after the new plan receives your request.
Why New York changes the choice
In most of the country, the non-renewal letter is valuable for one reason: it gives a time-limited right to buy a Medicare supplement without health questions. Miss that window, and a supplement insurer can refuse you or price the policy by your health.
New York does not wait for a letter. State law and regulation require every insurer writing Medicare supplements here to accept an application at any time of year, and forbid refusing anyone or charging more because of health status. Premiums are community rated. So a New Yorker whose Advantage plan is ending can choose between another Advantage plan and Original Medicare with a supplement and a drug plan on the merits, not under pressure from a deadline.
Two practical details. A new supplement can have a waiting period of up to six months for pre-existing conditions, reduced or waived depending on your earlier coverage, and time in a Medicare Advantage plan counts. And an insurer may sell you a supplement while you are still in the ending Advantage plan when the policy is written to start after that coverage ends. Apply in December for a January 1 start. How the supplement route compares.
The order that works
- List your doctors, your hospital and every medication with its dose. Nothing else about the choice makes sense without that list.
- Decide the route: another Advantage plan, or Original Medicare with a supplement and a drug plan.
- For another Advantage plan, call each doctor’s office with the exact plan name and ask whether they participate for 2027. Then enroll before December 7.
- For Original Medicare, apply for the supplement with a January 1 start, and join a stand-alone drug plan in the same window. The Department of Financial Services publishes every insurer’s current supplement rates.
- Check EPIC if you are 65 or older. New York’s drug program sits on top of a Part D plan and caps copays. How EPIC works.
- Keep the confirmation letters and your old plan’s non-renewal notice until the new cards arrive.
Free, objective help at any step: HIICAP, New York’s Medicare counseling program, at 1-800-701-0501.
If you have Medicaid or Extra Help
You have more room to maneuver. People with Medicaid or Extra Help can make certain coverage changes once a calendar month, effective the first day of the next month, so a choice made in a hurry can be corrected. Two cautions remain. A supplement is not for you: selling a Medigap policy to someone the seller knows has Medicaid is illegal except in narrow situations. And check that your help follows you into the new plan by looking at the first bill. Medicare and Medicaid together.
Questions people ask
My plan is leaving. Will I lose my Medicare?
No. If you choose nothing, you return to Original Medicare on January 1. What you can lose is drug coverage, so pick a drug plan whatever else you decide.
How long do I have to choose?
From October 15 to December 7 for a January 1 start, and then a special window from December 8 to the last day of February.
Do I have a special right to buy a supplement?
In New York you have it at any time: insurers must accept your application in any month and may not charge more because of your health. A waiting period of up to six months for pre-existing conditions can apply, reduced by earlier coverage, including your Advantage plan.
Can I buy the supplement before my plan ends?
Yes, when the supplement is written to start after the Advantage coverage ends. Apply in December for January 1.
Does this apply if I have Medicaid?
The windows do, and you can also make certain changes once a month. A supplement does not: it is illegal to sell one to someone the seller knows has Medicaid, except in narrow situations.
Who can help me choose without selling me anything?
HIICAP, New York’s free Medicare counseling program, at 1-800-701-0501.
Sources
- Medicare.gov — special enrollment periods (checked 2026-09-29)
- NYS Department of Financial Services — protections for Medicare beneficiaries residing in New York (checked 2026-09-29)
- Medicare.gov — illegal Medigap practices (checked 2026-09-29)
- Medicare & You 2027 — the official handbook (checked 2026-09-29)
More in The Health Coverage Calendar for New Yorkers, October 2026 to April 2027
- January to March in a Medicare Advantage Plan: The One Change You Still Get — From January 1 to March 31, people in a Medicare Advantage plan get one more change. What it allows, what it does not, and why New York makes going back easier.
- Missed Medicare Part B? The January Window, and the Route Around It — Missed your first chance at Part B? The General Enrollment Period runs January 1 to March 31. When coverage starts, what the penalty costs, and the savings-program route.
- What Resets on January 1, 2027, and the First-Week Checklist — Deductibles, out-of-pocket counters, drug lists and networks start over on January 1. What else changes in 2027 in New York, and what to check in the first week.
This page explains how the system works. It is not medical advice. More.