Plan year 2026 · coverage ends Dec. 31, 2026CMS crosswalk of Oct. 1, 2026
HealthSpring Assurance Rx is not offered in 2027
S5617Contract217Plan
Stand-alone drug plan · North Carolina region in 2026
Run by Medco Containment Life and Medco Containment NY (contract S5617), sold as HealthSpring, owned by Health Care Service Corporation
CMS crosswalk: folds into another plan
HealthSpring Assurance Rx (S5617-217) is not offered in 2027: the CMS plan crosswalk of October 1, 2026 lists it as terminated, so its drug coverage ends December 31, 2026. 7,770 people were enrolled in it in September 2026. They keep Original Medicare; to keep drug coverage they join another drug plan, or a Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage, during open enrollment, October 15 to December 7, 2026, to have no gap (or by the end of February, with coverage from the first of the next month). Members with Extra Help are reassigned to a new drug plan by Medicare unless they choose one.
What do members lose for 2027?
| What you pay or get | 2026 | 2027 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly premium | $110.40 | not offered | plan ends |
| Drug deductible | $615 | not offered | plan ends |
Source: CMS plan crosswalk from 2026 to 2027 (Oct. 1, 2026); CMS monthly enrollment by plan and by county, September 2026 (CMS hides counts under 11); CMS Medicare Advantage and Part D landscape files for 2027 (Sept. 22, 2026, revised Sept. 30) and 2026 (Sept. 2, 2026 revision); CMS plan benefit package files, 2027 and 2026.
What can members do, and by when?
- October 15 to December 7, 2026
- Open enrollment: join another stand-alone drug plan, or a Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage. Coverage starts January 1, 2027.
- December 8, 2026 to the end of February 2027
- A special enrollment period because the plan is leaving: you can still join a drug plan, with coverage from the first day of the next month, so join by December 31 to have no gap.
- If you get Extra Help
- Medicare reassigns you to a new drug plan for 2027 unless you join one yourself; a blue notice arrives in late October.
- If you do nothing
- You keep Original Medicare but have no drug coverage from January 1, 2027. Going 63 days or more in a row without drug coverage can mean a late enrollment penalty if you join a plan later.
- If you have Medicaid or Extra Help
- You can switch to a different drug plan, or leave a Medicare Advantage plan for Original Medicare with a drug plan, once a calendar month; the change starts the first day of the next month.
Source: Medicare.gov, “Special enrollment periods”, “Reassignment notice: plan termination” and “How much does Medicare drug coverage cost?” (read Oct. 7, 2026).
What else should you check?
- Drug plans in the North Carolina region for 2027Premiums, deductibles and the Extra Help premium
- Is your drug covered?Coverage and tier by drug
- HealthSpring plans for 2027Plans the same company still offers
- Every plan not offered in 2027764 Medicare Advantage and drug plans