How to Renew or Keep Your AARP/UnitedHealthcare Medicare Plan Active

Does my AARP/UnitedHealthcare plan renew automatically?

Yes. If UnitedHealthcare offers your AARP Medicare Advantage or Part D plan again the next calendar year, your enrollment carries over automatically. If you are satisfied with your plan, you do not need to re-enroll, fill out forms, or do anything during the Annual Enrollment Period to stay in it.

Taking no action is itself a valid choice. Your coverage simply continues into January under the new plan year's terms. The one thing that does change is the plan's costs and benefits, which UnitedHealthcare can adjust each year. That is why reviewing your Annual Notice of Change (covered below) matters even when you plan to stay put.

Renewal is automatic only if the plan is re-offered in your area. If UnitedHealthcare discontinues your specific plan, automatic renewal does not apply and you will need to choose a new plan (see the non-renewal section).

How to keep your plan active and pay your premium

To keep your AARP/UnitedHealthcare plan active, you must keep paying any monthly plan premium. Some Medicare Advantage plans have a $0 plan premium, but if yours charges one, missing payments can lead to losing your coverage.

UnitedHealthcare offers several ways to pay your plan premium. The right choice is whatever is easiest for you to keep current.

• Auto-pay set up through your member account at myUHCMedicare.com
• Electronic funds transfer (EFT) automatically from your checking account
• Automatic deduction from your Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board benefit
• Paper bill paid by mail

You still must pay your Part B premium

A Medicare Advantage plan does not replace Original Medicare; it works alongside it. To stay enrolled in any AARP/UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, you must remain enrolled in Medicare Part B and keep paying the Part B premium.

For 2026, the standard Part B premium is $202.90 per month, and the annual Part B deductible is $283. Higher earners may pay more through an income-related monthly adjustment amount (IRMAA). The Part B premium is separate from any plan premium UnitedHealthcare charges; you may owe both.

Most people have their Part B premium deducted directly from their Social Security check, so it is paid automatically. If you do not get Social Security, Medicare bills you for Part B separately.

Review your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) before you renew

Medicare requires every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan to send a Plan Annual Notice of Change each fall. Members typically receive it in September. The ANOC describes the changes to your coverage, costs, and benefits that take effect the following January.

You can view your ANOC by signing in to your member site at myUHCMedicare.com, where it is usually posted in September. Read it before deciding to let your plan renew, because automatic renewal means you accept the new year's terms unless you actively switch.

• Monthly plan premium changes
• Deductible, copay, and coinsurance changes
• Out-of-pocket maximum changes
• Drug formulary changes (whether your medications are still covered and at what tier)
• Changes to your provider or pharmacy network
• Added or removed extra benefits (such as dental, vision, or over-the-counter allowances, which vary by plan)

When you can switch, change, or drop your plan

If your ANOC shows changes you do not like, you have set windows each year to make a change. Two enrollment periods matter most for current Advantage and Part D members.

The Annual Enrollment Period (also called Medicare Open Enrollment) runs October 15 to December 7. During this window anyone with Medicare can join, switch, change, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for the next year. Changes take effect January 1.

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 to March 31 and is only for people already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. During it you can switch to a different Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare and add a standalone Part D drug plan. You can use this window once during the period.

• Annual Enrollment Period (Oct 15 - Dec 7): open to all; join, switch, change, or drop a plan
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (Jan 1 - Mar 31): Advantage members only; one switch, or return to Original Medicare with a Part D plan
• You can return to Original Medicare during either window; pair it with a standalone Part D plan to keep drug coverage

If your plan is discontinued or you are disenrolled

If UnitedHealthcare stops offering your plan or it leaves Medicare, you will receive a CMS Plan Non-Renewal Notice. Losing your plan this way triggers a Special Enrollment Period (SEP): your chance to join another Medicare Advantage or Medicare drug plan lasts for two full months after the month your coverage ends. Acting promptly helps you avoid a gap in coverage.

A Medicare Advantage plan can also disenroll you for specific reasons, including moving outside the plan's service area, losing Medicare or Medicaid eligibility, joining a separate standalone drug plan (in some cases), or the plan's contract with Medicare ending.

Whatever the reason, you can view your plan documents, notices, and renewal information by signing in to myUHCMedicare.com.

What happens if you miss premium payments

Medicare advises paying your health or drug plan premium first so you do not lose drug coverage. If you stop paying your plan premium, you can be disenrolled and lose coverage.

Losing drug coverage carries an added risk. If you go 63 or more days in a row without creditable prescription drug coverage, you can owe a Part D late enrollment penalty when you re-enroll. The penalty is 1% of the national base beneficiary premium ($38.99 per month in 2026) for each full month you went without coverage, rounded to the nearest $0.10, and it is added to your premium for as long as you have Part D.

Because the penalty is permanent, keeping your premium current is the simplest way to protect both your coverage and your wallet.