16,167 Northeast Florida Medicare Members Are Losing Their Medicare Advantage Plans for 2027

Thousands of Medicare beneficiaries across Northeast Florida will need to review their coverage before January 1, 2027.

According to September 2026 enrollment data, 16,167 people in Duval, Clay, St. Johns, Nassau and Baker counties are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans identified as terminating for 2027.

After accounting for plans operating in more than one county, the data represents:

The changes involve plans offered by Humana, Aetna, Wellcare and HealthSpring.

How many members are affected in each county?

The affected enrollment is concentrated in Duval, but beneficiaries across the region are included.

Why are so many plans changing for 2027?

Medicare Advantage plans are private health insurance plans approved by Medicare. Insurers decide each year which plans they’ll offer, where they’ll offer them, and what the benefits, networks, premiums and cost-sharing look like.

A plan available one year is not guaranteed to be available the next.

The 2027 market includes significant change in Florida. According to CMS, Florida has 560 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, compared with 611 in 2026 — and CMS reports that all Florida Medicare beneficiaries still have access to at least one Medicare Advantage plan.

But statewide availability doesn’t tell the whole story. Medicare Advantage is intensely local. Plans vary by county, and even when an insurer stays in Florida, a particular plan may be discontinued or pulled from a service area.

Which is why we look at this county by county. Counted as plan-and-county combinations, 25 affected plan offerings sit behind these 16,167 members; collapsed to unique contract and plan identifiers, that’s the 11 below.

Which plans are ending?

The data identifies the following unique contract and plan combinations.

Humana

Aetna

Wellcare

HealthSpring

Most of the disruption is two Humana plans

The largest impact comes from two Humana Full Access Giveback plans:

• H5216-393 — 10,416 affected members
• H7617-111 — 4,520 affected members

Together those two account for 14,936 people, roughly 92% of all affected enrollment in the five-county area.

That concentration explains why so many Northeast Florida residents may receive plan notices during the same stretch of weeks. If it feels like everyone you know got a letter, that’s close to true — we wrote about the wider national picture in Humana’s 2027 plan cuts.

What does it mean when a plan ends?

If your Medicare Advantage plan won’t continue in 2027, you are not losing Medicare eligibility. You do need to decide how you want to receive your Medicare coverage from January 1, 2027.

Depending on your circumstances, your options may include:

• Choosing another Medicare Advantage plan available in your county
• Returning to Original Medicare
• Selecting a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan if needed
• Investigating whether you qualify for a guaranteed-issue right to buy certain Medicare Supplement coverage

The options and enrollment rights available to you can depend on the reason your plan is ending and your individual circumstances.

You may have extra enrollment rights

CMS provides a Special Enrollment Period for people disenrolled because their plan is terminated, non-renewed, or no longer serves their area. That can give you additional time to pick another Medicare Advantage plan, Part D coverage or Original Medicare.

The exact dates and options depend on why your plan is ending and your own circumstances, so don’t assume everyone’s deadline is identical. Keep the termination notice — it matters for this, and it matters again if you look at a Supplement.

The Medigap window is narrow

If a plan termination does give you a guaranteed-issue right, the timing is tight. Medicare states that in applicable situations you may be able to apply for Medigap beginning 60 days before your Medicare Advantage coverage ends, and generally no later than 63 days after it ends.

Don’t wait until months afterwards to look into it. And don’t assume you qualify — or that you don’t — without having your circumstances reviewed.

When you can choose 2027 coverage

Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, with coverage selected during that window generally effective January 1, 2027.

Plan information for 2027 becomes available in October, which is why we start reviewing options then even though enrollment can’t begin until the 15th. People whose plans are actually being discontinued may also have Special Enrollment Period rights extending beyond the normal window.

Don’t just take the closest-looking replacement

This is where we expect most mistakes this season.

If your plan is disappearing, the goal should not be “find me whatever looks most like the plan I had.” Start over instead — your healthcare needs today may differ from when you first enrolled.

When we review replacement coverage we look at your primary care physician, specialists, preferred hospitals and health systems, medications and dosages, preferred pharmacies, formulary coverage and drug tiers, prior authorization and step therapy, premiums, specialist and hospital copays, maximum out-of-pocket, and the dental, vision and hearing benefits that matter to you.

A plan can have attractive extra benefits and still be a poor fit if your oncologist isn’t in the network or an expensive medication is covered differently.

Prescriptions deserve extra attention

Don’t stop at “does the new plan cover my medication?” Ask whether it’s on the formulary, what tier it sits in, whether it needs prior authorization, whether there’s step therapy, whether your pharmacy gets preferred pricing, and what the estimated cost is across the whole year.

This is why we ask for exact medications and dosages rather than a general list.

So do your doctors and hospitals

Networks change year to year. Verify your providers under the specific 2027 plan, not the insurance company. A carrier can offer several Medicare Advantage plans and participation can vary between them.

A carrier name is not a network guarantee.

Don’t choose a replacement on the carrier’s name

An insurance company may offer several Medicare Advantage plans, and those plans can differ in:

• Provider networks and hospital participation
• Prescription drug formularies
• Copayments and maximum out-of-pocket limits
• Prior-authorization requirements
• Dental, vision and hearing benefits
• Monthly premiums

A replacement plan from the same carrier is not automatically equivalent to the plan that’s ending. Before choosing 2027 coverage, review the actual plan against your doctors, hospitals, prescriptions, preferred pharmacies and expected healthcare needs.

Read every notice from your current plan

If your coverage is affected, your insurance company should send information explaining what’s changing and when your current coverage ends.

Don’t discard it. It may contain important information about:

• Your plan’s termination
• Your available enrollment periods
• Your coverage options
• Possible Medicare Supplement rights
• Deadlines for taking action

Keep it with your Medicare records, and ask for help if any part of it is unclear. Our guide to reading the Annual Notice of Change covers what to look for.

What if your plan is NOT ending?

Don’t panic because 16,167 other people are losing theirs. If your plan continues into 2027, you may be able to simply stay enrolled.

But “my plan still exists” and “my plan hasn’t changed” are different statements. Plans can change costs, coverage, formularies, pharmacy arrangements and provider networks year to year. Read your Annual Notice of Change and decide whether it still fits.

If it does, staying put is perfectly reasonable. Not everyone needs to change plans every year.

If you received a termination letter

Keep it. Then gather what you’ll need to compare 2027 options: your Medicare information, doctors and specialists, preferred hospitals, current prescriptions and dosages, and preferred pharmacies.

And don’t pick a replacement based on an advertisement, a television commercial, a postcard, an extra benefit, or what worked for a friend. Your coverage should follow your healthcare needs, not someone else’s.

16,167 people is more than a statistic

When we say 16,167 Northeast Florida beneficiaries are affected, we mean 16,167 individual people who now have a decision they weren’t expecting to make this autumn.

Some have been on their plans for years. Some have complicated conditions. Some take expensive prescriptions. Some have doctors they absolutely do not want to lose. And some are going to open a letter from their insurance company and have no idea what they’re supposed to do next.

That’s why we’re putting this out now.

Frequently asked questions

How many Northeast Florida members are affected? 16,167, across Duval, Clay, St. Johns, Nassau and Baker counties, based on September 2026 enrollment data.

Does this mean everyone in these counties is losing coverage? No. It applies only to members enrolled in the specific plans identified as terminating.

Which county is most affected? Duval, with 8,400 members, followed by St. Johns at 3,773 and Clay at 2,398.

Am I losing Medicare? No. You keep Medicare eligibility. You need to decide how you’ll receive your coverage from January 1, 2027.

Can I just move to another plan from the same company? You can, but check it properly. Plans from one carrier can differ substantially in network, formulary, copays and out-of-pocket maximum.

My plan has the same name as one on the list. Is mine ending? Check the full contract and plan number. Several entries here share marketing names while being different plans.

Could I qualify to buy a Medicare Supplement? Possibly. A plan termination can create a guaranteed-issue right, which depends on your circumstances — worth asking about directly.

When do I need to act? Annual Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7, 2026, for coverage effective January 1, 2027. If your plan is being discontinued you may also have Special Enrollment rights beyond that window.

How do I know if my plan is one of them? Read the notices your plan sends. A termination notice looks different from the usual Annual Notice of Change — look for wording that your plan won’t be offered in 2027, isn’t renewing its Medicare contract, or that you can’t remain enrolled from January 1.

How long do I have to apply for a Medigap policy? Where a guaranteed-issue right applies, you may be able to apply from 60 days before your coverage ends until no later than 63 days after it ends.

We’re reaching out to affected clients

We’re reviewing the 2027 changes and contacting clients who are affected.

Our goal isn’t simply to find a plan that resembles the one ending. We help clients compare available choices on the details that matter to them — doctors, hospitals, prescriptions, pharmacies, costs and benefits.

If you’re not currently a client but received a notice that your Medicare Advantage plan won’t continue in 2027, we can help you understand and compare your options.

The important thing is not to panic — but don’t ignore the notice. With 16,167 Northeast Florida members affected, a great many people will be reviewing new coverage at the same time. Starting early gives you more room to decide well.

Reach out for a free, no-obligation review or call 904-654-5450. Kate Spilsbury (RSSA®, CMIP®) is an independent, licensed agent based in Jacksonville, serving Northeast Florida and Camden County, GA.

Mere Benefits — Simply For Your Benefit.

Enrollment figures are based on September 2026 data for plans identified as “Terminated Plan/SAR” and may change as enrollment and plan information are updated. Plan availability, eligibility and enrollment options vary by county and individual circumstances. This article is educational and not medical, tax, or legal advice. Mere Benefits is not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program. We don’t offer every plan available in your area.