Clear Spring Health Left Medicare:

 What Happened and What You Can Do Now

Today is July 31, 2026. This is the last day of the Special Enrollment Period for Clear Spring Health members.

If you got a Medicare insurance plan from Clear Spring Health in Georgia, Illinois, or Colorado, your coverage ended on May 31, 2026. Most people have already picked new plans. But if you didn't, or if you're still confused about what happened, here's what you need to know right now.

What Happened to Clear Spring Health?

Clear Spring Health was a smaller insurance company based in Illinois. In May 2026, the company announced it was leaving the Medicare Advantage business completely.

The company had problems for years:

• They made billing mistakes and charged people too much money
• Their customer service was hard to reach
• Their prescription drug plans got very low grades from the government
• The government actually fined them almost $85,000 in May 2026

Because of all these problems, Clear Spring Health decided to stop selling Medicare plans. On May 31, 2026, their coverage ended for all members.

Which States Were Affected?

Clear Spring Health had about 12,000 members across three states:

Georgia — Clear Spring offered HMO plans and special plans for people with diabetes and heart disease in parts of metro Atlanta and other Georgia counties. Many Georgia seniors used their "BrightPath Advantage" plan.

Illinois — The company was based in Park Ridge, Illinois, and sold plans there too.

Colorado — Clear Spring sold plans in parts of Colorado, including Denver and surrounding areas.

What Happens When an Insurance Company Leaves?

When your insurance company stops offering Medicare, you don't lose Medicare itself. But you do lose that specific plan.

Here's what happened to Clear Spring members:

If you didn't pick a new plan by June 1, the government automatically switched you to:

1. Original Medicare — the basic government plan (Part A for hospital care, Part B for doctor visits)
2. Humana Basic Rx — a prescription drug plan for your medicines

This automatic switch is called "auto-enrollment."

The Problem with Auto-Enrollment

Auto-enrollment sounds like everything is fine. But it's not the same as your old plan.

Your new drug plan might have:

• Different medicines on the list
• Different copay amounts (what you pay at the pharmacy)
• Different preferred pharmacies
• New rules about which medicines you have to try first

Your extra benefits disappeared. Clear Spring gave you things like dental care, vision care, transportation help, or food benefits. Original Medicare doesn't include any of those. You have to pay for them yourself now.

Your doctors might not accept Original Medicare the same way. If your doctor only worked with Clear Spring, they might not take your new insurance.

What Could People Do Before July 31?

From June 1 through July 31, people had what's called a "Special Enrollment Period" (or SEP). This meant they could:

1. Pick a different Medicare Advantage plan from another company
2. Switch to Original Medicare and buy extra insurance called a "Medigap" plan
3. Stay with Original Medicare and pick a standalone drug plan

Most people used this time to switch to a new plan. But not everyone heard the news. Not everyone understood what to do.

It's July 31 — The Deadline is Tonight

If you still have the Humana Basic Rx plan and you didn't want it, today is your last day to pick something different.

If you pick a plan today, it starts September 1, 2026.

But there may be other ways to change your plan even after tonight. Keep reading.

What If You Missed the Deadline?

Don't panic yet.

Other Special Enrollment Periods exist for people who miss the main deadline. You might still qualify if:

• You have Medicaid (state help with medical bills)
• You get Extra Help (help paying for drugs)
• You moved to a new state or county
• You lost other insurance
• You live in a nursing home or other care facility
• Medicare made a mistake in how it told you about the change
• Your new plan made an error
• Something else unusual happened

Call Medicare:

1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)

Tell them: "I was in Clear Spring Health and I didn't get time to pick a new plan. Do I qualify for another Special Enrollment Period?"

Be ready to explain your situation. Keep notes of everything you tell them.

People Who Got Medigap: You Have Time

If you switched to Original Medicare and bought a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) plan, you had special rights called "Guaranteed Issue."

This meant:

• Insurance companies could not say no to you for health reasons
• You got the best price available
• You had 63 days after May 31 to apply

That 63-day window ends around August 31, 2026.

If you haven't applied for Medigap yet and you want it, call now. Don't wait. This is a rare chance to get extra insurance without the insurance company asking about your health.

What You Need to Check Right Now

Whether you picked a new plan or got auto-enrolled, verify six things:

1. Your Doctors

Call your main doctor and ask: "Do you accept my new coverage?"

Original Medicare works differently than Medicare Advantage. Your doctor might accept Medicare but not your specific new plan.

2. Your Medicines

Ask your pharmacy: "Are all my medicines on my new plan's list?"

Your medicine might cost more now. It might not be covered at all. You might have to try a cheaper medicine first.

3. Your Pharmacy

Is your usual pharmacy still a "preferred pharmacy" for your new plan?

Using a non-preferred pharmacy might cost more money even if the medicine is covered.

4. Prior Authorizations

If your doctor had to ask permission for something (cancer treatment, surgery, special equipment), that permission didn't transfer to your new plan.

Your doctor has to ask again.

5. Mail-Order Prescriptions

If you got medicines by mail before, set that up again with your new plan.

Your old account doesn't work anymore.

6. What You Already Paid

If you already spent money toward your yearly out-of-pocket limit with Clear Spring, that amount should transfer to your new drug plan.

But double-check. Call your new plan and say: "I had Clear Spring Health until May 31. How much of my 2026 out-of-pocket spending transfers to you?"

What You Can Do Now

You don't have to do everything tonight.

Call Medicare and ask about your options:

1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)

They can help you understand if you qualify for another Special Enrollment Period. This service is free and open 24 hours a day.

Five Mistakes People Make (Don't Make These)

Mistake 1: Thinking Your Card Means You're Covered

Your old Clear Spring card is worthless. You must have new insurance.

Mistake 2: Ignoring Mail from Medicare

Every letter matters. Open everything, even if it looks boring.

Mistake 3: Believing Auto-Enrollment is Perfect

It's not. It just prevents you from having no insurance. That Humana plan might not be right for you.

Mistake 4: Thinking Original Medicare Includes Drug Coverage

It doesn't. You need a separate Part D drug plan.

Mistake 5: Waiting on Medigap

Guaranteed Issue deadlines are coming. Call now if you want it.

The Big Picture

What happened to Clear Spring Health is happening across the country. Smaller insurance companies are struggling. Bigger companies are taking over.

About 2.9 million Medicare Advantage members in the United States had to find new plans in 2026 because their plans left or pulled back.

This is probably going to keep happening.

The lesson: If you have a smaller insurance company, pay attention. Your plan could change.

One More Time: What to Do Today

1. Find your Clear Spring letter — the official notice about what happened
2. Check what coverage you have now — call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE if you don't know
3. Ask Medicare about your options — you might still have time to change
4. Verify your doctors — call them and confirm they accept your new insurance
5. Verify your medicines — check with your pharmacy
6. Keep all letters — you'll need them if anything goes wrong

Call Medicare Now

1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)

Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Tell them you were in Clear Spring Health and you need help understanding your options.

You're Not Alone

Thousands of people are in the same situation. Many already changed plans. You still can too.

Take action now. Make the calls. Ask the questions.

Your health is too important to guess about.