My Medicare Advantage plan is changing. Is my therapist still in it?

If your Medicare Advantage plan is changing, the way to know whether your therapist is still in it is to ask the plan and your therapist's office before the Open Enrollment deadline, which CMS says runs October 15 through December 7, 2026. This matters to anyone in therapy who uses Medicare, and to the clinicians who see them, because Medicare.gov says that in a Medicare Advantage plan "you may need to use doctors and other providers who are in the plan's network," and networks are set by each plan, not by Medicare.

This post covers Medicare Advantage plans (Part C) in the United States. It uses CMS and Medicare.gov pages, plus KFF's analysis of CMS plan data, all checked in October 2026. Those sources show when you can change plans and how networks work. They do not show any plan's list of therapists for next year. Only the plan and the therapist's office can tell you that.

Key takeaways

• Open Enrollment for next year runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and a plan you pick then starts January 1 of the next year.
• Medicare.gov tells people to ask their doctors if they are in network with a plan before joining it.
• In a Medicare Advantage HMO, Medicare.gov says care outside the network may cost you the full price.
• A directory listing, including one on Couch Commons, shows what a clinician entered. It is a reason to call, not proof of a network.

Why would my therapist leave my plan?

Because plans change every year, and the network is part of what changes. CMS tells people that "plan costs and benefits can change from year to year" and asks them to review their coverage for 2027.

Some plans are ending altogether. KFF found that the average person will have fewer Medicare Advantage drug plans to choose from than this year, and that some people "will find that their current coverage is no longer an option." CMS describes the overall market as stable, saying 97% of people with Medicare will have access to 10 or more Medicare Advantage plans in 2027. Both can be true at once: plenty of plans nationally, and your own plan or your therapist's contract still changing.

Your therapist's office may also decide to stop taking a plan. That is a business decision between the clinician and the insurer, and the office is the place to ask about it.

How do I check if my therapist is in my Medicare Advantage plan?

Ask two people the same question, and write down the answers.

First, call the plan. Use the member services number on your card, or the number for the plan you are thinking of joining. Ask whether your therapist, by full name and office address, is in network for next year, not just this year. Ask for the name of the person you spoke with and the date.

Second, call your therapist's office. Ask which Medicare Advantage plans they expect to take next year, and whether they have had any notice of a contract ending.

Then compare. If the answers match, you can decide. If they differ, ask the plan again before you switch.

The Medicare Plan Finder also helps: CMS says users can "easily find and save providers to help them compare plans." Use it as a first pass, then make the two calls.

What should I ask so the answer means something?

Ask questions that cannot be answered with a vague yes.

• "Is this clinician in network for this exact plan next year?" A company can sell several plans with different networks.
• "Is the plan an HMO or a PPO?" In an HMO, Medicare.gov says you generally get care from providers in the plan's network.
• "If my therapist leaves the plan, will I be told?" For HMOs, Medicare.gov says "your plan will notify you."
• "Do I need prior approval to keep seeing my therapist?" Medicare.gov says someone in treatment who switches plans gets at least 90 days before the new plan can ask for a new prior approval.

None of this tells you what a plan will pay. Ask the plan about your costs directly.

What if I find out after I switch?

You may still have time. Medicare.gov describes a Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, January 1 to March 31, for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan, who can switch plans or drop the plan and return to Original Medicare. In Original Medicare, Medicare.gov says you can use any doctor or hospital that takes Medicare.

If you want to stay in your current plan and it is still offered, CMS says people who want to keep their current coverage generally do not need to re-enroll. Still read the notice your plan sends about next year.

What does this mean for clinicians?

Clients may call you with this question during Open Enrollment. Medicare lists clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors among the providers people can see for outpatient mental health care, so many of you are on the other end of these calls.

Two things help. Tell current clients early which plans you expect to take next year. And keep the plan list on any directory profile current, with the year it applies to, so a person reading it knows what to confirm.

If you are a person looking for a therapist, you can search Couch Commons and use a profile's plan list as the start of your calls. If you are a clinician, you can list your practice on Couch Commons and keep that list up to date.

Takeaway

No website can promise that your therapist will be in your plan next year. The plan and the therapist's office can tell you, and asking both before the deadline is the honest way to decide.

This is general information, not therapy or medical advice.

Frequently asked questions

When can I change my Medicare Advantage plan for 2027?

Open Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and a new plan starts January 1. If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, Medicare.gov describes a second window from January 1 to March 31.

Does the Medicare Plan Finder show whether my therapist is in a plan?

CMS says the Plan Finder lets you find and save providers to compare plans. Treat it as a first check, then confirm with the plan and with the therapist's office.

Can I see any therapist who takes Medicare?

In Original Medicare, you can use any doctor or hospital that takes Medicare. In a Medicare Advantage plan, you may need to use providers in the plan's network.

Who can help me compare plans for free?

Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) gives free counseling, and Medicare.gov says SHIPs are not connected to any insurance company or health plan. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE for help comparing plans.