Medicare 2026

Medicare in Arkansas for 2027: 20 Advantage Plans Leaving, 13 New, and What Else Changes

LITTLE ROCK — For the roughly 75 counties across Arkansas, the 2027 Medicare year brings a smaller Medicare Advantage lineup, one new carrier entering the state, a higher annual cap on out-of-pocket drug costs, and a 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security benefits. Here's what the public files say so far, and what Arkansas residents can do between now and December 7, 2026.

How many Medicare Advantage plans are offered in Arkansas for 2027?

Arkansas will have 84 Medicare Advantage plans available in 2027, compared with 91 in 2026. Within that shift, 20 plans are not returning anywhere in the state, 13 plans are new, and 20 are changing in at least one way — a different premium, drug deductible, plan type or plan name. One carrier, Healthy Arkansas, Inc., is new to the Arkansas Medicare Advantage market for 2027.

Because Medicare Advantage is sold county by county, a plan counted in the statewide total may or may not be offered where you live. The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov shows the exact plans available by ZIP code.

If you are already in a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, watch the mail in September and October 2026 for two documents. The Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) spells out what will be different about your current plan in 2027. If your plan is being discontinued, you will also get a non-renewal letter. People whose plan is leaving qualify for a Special Enrollment Period that runs through February 2027 to choose a new Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare — a window beyond the regular Annual Enrollment deadline of December 7, 2026.

Which Arkansas counties have the most Medicare Advantage change in 2027?

Five Arkansas counties show the largest churn in the 2027 Landscape file. Saline County has 17 plans leaving and 18 changing. Pulaski County, which includes Little Rock, has 16 leaving and 18 changing. Lonoke County has 15 leaving and 17 changing. Van Buren County has 21 leaving and 11 changing. Cleburne County has 18 leaving and 13 changing.

If you live in one of those counties, there is a higher chance that your current plan is either not returning or is changing in some way for 2027. Read the ANOC when it arrives, and if your plan is leaving, use the Special Enrollment Period to compare options on medicare.gov rather than defaulting into whatever happens automatically.

How many stand-alone Part D drug plans does Arkansas have for 2027?

Arkansas will have 11 stand-alone Part D prescription drug plans in 2027, down from 12 in 2026, offered by 6 insurers. Stand-alone Part D plans are typically paired with Original Medicare (or with certain Medicare Advantage plans that don't include drug coverage).

Two national Part D rules apply to every one of those plans in 2027: the out-of-pocket cap on covered drugs is $2,400, and no Part D plan may charge a deductible higher than $700. Specific premiums, formularies and pharmacy networks vary plan by plan and are shown in the Plan Finder at medicare.gov.

How many Medigap insurers are listed in Arkansas for 2027?

Medicare.gov lists 24 Medigap (Medicare Supplement) insurers for a ZIP code in Arkansas. Medigap policies work with Original Medicare and are standardized by letter (Plan G, Plan N and so on), meaning the benefits of a given letter are the same from one insurer to the next, though premiums and customer service differ.

Medigap enrollment rules are separate from the Annual Enrollment Period for Medicare Advantage and Part D. The strongest federal protection to buy a Medigap policy without medical underwriting is the one-time, six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period that begins when you are 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. Outside that window, Arkansas rules and insurer rules apply. The current list of insurers and plan letters is on medicare.gov.

What are the 2027 national Medicare numbers so far?

For 2027, the Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026), the maximum Part D deductible any plan may charge is $700, and the Part D base beneficiary premium — a national figure used to calculate the late-enrollment penalty — is $41.33. Individual plan premiums are set plan by plan.

The Social Security Administration announced on October 14, 2026 a 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for benefits payable beginning in January 2027.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income-related surcharges, have not yet been announced. CMS typically releases them in the fall, usually November. Check medicare.gov or ssa.gov for the official numbers once they are posted.

What should Arkansas Medicare members do before December 7, 2026?

A short checklist for Annual Enrollment 2027, which runs October 15 through December 7, 2026:

• Open the Annual Notice of Change from your current plan and note anything marked different for 2027.
• If you got a non-renewal letter, mark the Special Enrollment Period that runs through February 2027.
• Make a current list of your prescriptions, dosages, pharmacies and regular doctors.
• Run that list through the Plan Finder at medicare.gov to compare 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D options in your ZIP code.
• Confirm any choice directly with the plan or insurer before January 1, 2027.

Where can Arkansas residents get free Medicare help?

Two free, official sources: medicare.gov, which hosts the Plan Finder and the current lists of Medicare Advantage, Part D and Medigap options by ZIP code; and 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Neither charges a fee, and neither sells plans.