Up To 5 Million Seniors May Need New Medicare Advantage Plans
In the United States, Medicare open enrollment is occurring through December 7th, and potentially up to 5 million seniors need to select a new Medicare Advantage plan as some current plans may be ending.

Sioux Falls, SD, October 24, 2026 —
As Medicare open enrollment continues in the United States through December 7, potentially as many as 5 million seniors may need to choose a new Medicare Advantage plan because some plans they currently have may be ending.
The estimate is presented as a potential number, not a confirmed count of people who must change plans. The available information does not identify which plans may be ending, how many enrollees are affected in particular areas, or which organizations offer the plans involved.
For seniors whose current plans are ending, selecting a new Medicare Advantage plan is the issue identified in the trend summary. It does not specify what alternatives are available to those enrollees, whether they have received notices, or what steps they may need to take. It also does not describe how the changes could affect individual coverage.
The enrollment period runs through December 7, but the year is not specified in the information provided. No details are given about the source of the estimate, the reasons some plans may be ending, or the number of affected people who have already selected another plan.
The reported figure therefore describes the possible scale of the issue while leaving important details unresolved. The precise number of seniors who need to choose a new plan, the plans involved and the specific circumstances of affected enrollees were not provided.
Story summarized from the original created by Emily Pisacreta on www.npr.org, see more information here.
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