We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.
If Excellus BlueCross BlueShield sent you a letter saying your Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement plan will not be offered in 2027, you are not alone, and you are not losing Medicare. Tell us a little about yourself and a licensed Central New York agent will walk you through the options available in your county.
Free. No obligation. Only takes 60 seconds.
What happened
Insurers can decide each year not to renew certain Medicare plans or to leave certain counties. If Excellus BlueCross BlueShield is not renewing your plan for 2027, it must mail you a written non-renewal notice by early October that names the plan and confirms your coverage ends on December 31, 2026.
Excellus serves 31 counties across Central New York, the Rochester area, the Southern Tier, the North Country, and the Mohawk Valley. Which plans are affected depends on where you live and which plan you have, so keep the letter handy for the call.
You are not losing Medicare. Your Part A and Part B continue. What ends is the Excellus plan that manages your benefits, and a plan that is not renewed gives you a guaranteed right to replace it, including Medicare Supplement plans with no health questions asked.
Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Cortland, Delaware, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Oswego, Otsego, Schuyler, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Wayne, Yates
Guides
Your options
If Excellus BlueCross BlueShield is ending your plan, you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period to choose new coverage, and in most states a guaranteed-issue right to buy certain Medigap plans without health questions.
Return to traditional Medicare with a Medicare Supplement policy that pays some or all of the costs Medicare leaves to you.
Other Medicare Advantage plans may be offered in your county for 2027. A licensed agent can show you what is available.
Make sure your medications stay covered on January 1.
Key dates
Mark these on your calendar. A licensed agent can handle the paperwork in a single phone call.
October 15 to December 7
You can enroll in any available Medicare plan. This is the best window to compare every option side by side.
December 31, 2026
Coverage under the terminated plan stops at midnight. Make sure new coverage starts January 1, 2027.
Up to 63 days after termination
In most states you can buy certain Medigap plans without medical questions for 63 days after your plan ends; New York allows it year-round. The non-renewal Special Enrollment Period runs December 8 through the last day of February.
Why people choose us
We know the plans, networks, and rules that apply in Central New York.
In most states a plan termination gives you a guaranteed-issue right to certain Medigap plans, so your health history is not a barrier to that path.
Most people compare options and enroll in a single phone call. We handle the paperwork.
There is no charge for our help and your premium is the same as enrolling directly.
Common questions
Insurance companies can decide not to renew a Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement plan, or to stop offering it in certain counties. When that happens, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield must send members a written non-renewal notice in the fall explaining that coverage ends on December 31, 2026. The letter does not mean you did anything wrong, and it does not affect your Medicare Part A and Part B.
Your non-renewal letter from Excellus names the exact plan that is ending, and not every Excellus plan is necessarily affected. A licensed agent will confirm whether your plan is ending and compare any Excellus plans that remain in your county alongside every other plan available there.
No. The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 to December 7, but a plan that is not renewed also gives you a Special Enrollment Period that generally runs from December 8 through the end of February, so you can act as soon as your letter arrives and still have time if you miss December 7. New coverage starts January 1, 2027 when you enroll during the Annual Enrollment Period.
Other insurers offer Medicare Advantage and standalone Part D plans in the counties Excellus serves, and Original Medicare with a Medicare Supplement is available everywhere in New York. Which plans are offered for 2027 depends on your county, which is why the form asks for your ZIP code first.
Tell us who your doctors are on the form. Before you choose, the agent checks each doctor and hospital system, such as Upstate University Hospital, Crouse Health, St. Joseph's Health, Mohawk Valley Health System, Rochester Regional Health, UR Medicine, and UHS in Binghamton, against the network of every plan you are considering. Original Medicare with a Medicare Supplement is accepted by any provider that takes Medicare.
If your Medicare Advantage plan ends and you do not choose a new plan, you return to Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) on January 1, 2027 with no drug coverage and no cap on out-of-pocket costs. Going without Part D drug coverage can also add a permanent late-enrollment penalty. Choosing a replacement before December 31 avoids a gap.
Yes. A plan that is not renewed gives its members a Special Enrollment Period in addition to the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 to December 7). The non-renewal Special Enrollment Period generally runs from December 8 through the end of February, so you can still make a change after the Annual Enrollment Period closes. A licensed agent can confirm the exact window that applies to you.
In most states, losing a Medicare Advantage plan because the insurer stopped offering it gives you a guaranteed-issue right to buy certain Medigap plans with no medical underwriting, as long as you apply within 63 days of your coverage ending. Some states, including New York, go further and allow Medigap enrollment year-round without health questions.
That depends on the replacement plan. Medicare Advantage plans use networks, so we ask for your doctors up front and check them against the plans available in Central New York. Original Medicare with a Medigap plan is accepted by any provider that takes Medicare. Drug coverage is compared plan by plan against your prescription list.
When in-person help sessions are scheduled in Syracuse, Utica, Rochester and nearby communities, they are listed in the Upcoming Meetings section of this page with the date, location, hours, and whether the session is educational or a sales event. Bring your Medicare card and any letter from your plan.
No. There is no fee to talk with a licensed agent, compare plans, or enroll. Agents are paid by the insurance company you choose, and the premium is the same whether you enroll through an agent or directly.
No. CNY Medicare Options is an independent website that connects people who lost Excellus coverage with licensed insurance agents. It is not affiliated with Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, or the federal Medicare program. We use the Excellus name only to describe the coverage you are replacing.
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options. To talk with a licensed agent, call (315) 992-1822 or complete the short form on this page.
Licensed insurance agents can walk you through your replacement options. The call is free and there is no obligation.
(315) 992-1822TTY 711 · Mon to Fri, 8 AM to 6 PM Eastern