How to read these numbers
Every figure on this site comes from the plan landscape files that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services publishes each year. These definitions follow the notes in those files.
Advantage plans with drug coverage
Medicare Advantage plans (Part C) that include Part D drug coverage, open to general enrolment. CMS lists these as MA-PD. Special Needs Plans are counted separately.
Special Needs Plans
Advantage plans limited to people with Medicaid as well as Medicare, people with certain chronic conditions, or people living in an institution.
Monthly premium
The monthly consolidated premium: the Part C premium plus the total Part D premium, after rebates. You still pay your Part B premium.
In-network out-of-pocket limit
The most you pay in a year for in-network Part A and Part B services. Drug costs are separate.
Star rating
The overall Medicare Star Rating for the plan's contract, from 1 to 5 stars. New plans may show as too new to be rated.
Companies leaving or entering a county
We compare which parent companies offer Advantage plans (excluding Special Needs Plans) in each county in the 2026 and 2027 files. A plan ID that disappears is not always a plan that closed: plans are sometimes renamed or merged.
Counties with no plans
Counties that have no plans in either year do not appear in the CMS files. We add them from the US Census county list so they are not missed, and list them on state pages rather than giving each a page.
Key dates
Medicare Open Enrollment runs from 15 October to 7 December each year. Changes made then start on 1 January.
Sources
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CY2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape file (data last updated 18 October 2026)
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CY2026 Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape file (September 2026 release)
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, counties
Checked 29 October 2026. Plans and premiums can change before 1 January 2027. Confirm any plan on Medicare.gov before you enrol.