Medicare 2026

Jacksonville Medicare for 2027: the Part D numbers CMS has set, and what's still to come

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Annual Enrollment Period for 2027 Medicare coverage opens Oct. 15, 2026 and closes Dec. 7, 2026. CMS has already locked in several Part D numbers for next year, but a few of the figures most Jacksonville retirees ask about — the Part B premium and the IRMAA income brackets — have not been announced yet. Here is where things stand right now, and what to watch for before you decide anything.

What CMS has confirmed for 2027

Three Part D figures are already set for next year:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026). Once your covered drug spending hits that limit, you pay $0 for covered drugs the rest of the calendar year.
• Part D maximum deductible: $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026). This is the most a stand-alone or Medicare Advantage drug plan can charge as its deductible — plans may charge less.
• Part D national base beneficiary premium: $41.33 for 2027. This is a formula input CMS uses behind the scenes; it is not what any particular plan charges you.

The coverage gap (the old "donut hole") remains gone — Part D has three phases now, not four. The optional Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which lets you spread covered drug costs across the year in monthly bills instead of paying at the pharmacy counter, continues into 2027.

What CMS has not announced yet

Two big numbers Jacksonville readers ask about every fall are still pending:

• The 2027 Part B standard premium and Part B deductible. CMS usually announces these in the fall, often in November.
• The 2027 IRMAA income brackets and surcharges. These are the higher Part B and Part D premiums that apply to higher-income beneficiaries. They are published alongside the Part B figures. (For reference, in 2026 IRMAA begins above $109,000 in income for a single filer.)

We will update our coverage when CMS posts the official numbers. Until then, be cautious about any "estimate" you see floating around — projections are not the rule, and the rule is what will actually show up on your bill.

Read your Annual Notice of Change

If you are already in a Medicare Advantage or stand-alone Part D plan, your insurer must send you an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) in September. It compares your plan's 2026 benefits with its 2027 benefits side by side — premium, deductible, drug tiers, copays, provider network changes, extra benefits like dental or OTC allowances, and anything else that moves.

A few things to look for:

• Is your prescription still on the formulary, and on the same tier?
• Are your doctors and hospitals still in network?
• Did the plan premium, Part B giveback, or any copay change?
• Did the plan's name change? (It happens — the plan can continue under a new name.)

If you do nothing during the enrollment window and your plan is being offered again next year, it renews automatically on Jan. 1, 2027, with whatever changes the ANOC describes.

How plan availability is shifting locally

Jacksonville is in Duval County, where 90 Medicare Advantage plans from 13 carriers are listed on the CMS 2026 Landscape. All 90 include drug coverage. The mix includes HMOs, HMO-POS and PPO options, and 44 of the 90 are Special Needs Plans (for people with certain chronic conditions, people who also have Medicaid, or residents of long-term care facilities).

For 2027 in Duval County, CMS's landscape data shows 18 plans not returning, 15 new plans, and 17 plans being renamed. That does not mean 18 people are losing coverage — if your plan is one of the ones not returning, your insurer must tell you in writing and you get a Special Enrollment Period to choose something else. Carriers active in the county include Aetna (CVS Health), American Health Advantage of Florida, Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC), Centene (WellCare), Devoted Health, Elevance Health (Anthem), Florida Blue, Florida Blue HMO, Florida Complete Care, Gold Kidney Health Plan, Humana, Longevity Health Plan and UnitedHealthcare. The table below lists every 2026 plan offered in Duval County.

One Jacksonville-specific note: CMS currently shows 0 stand-alone Part D plans listed in the county landscape file we are working from, and 0 contracts rated 4 stars or higher in the local MA data. Star Ratings are a quality measure CMS updates each year — they are useful background, not a reason by themselves to pick or drop a plan.

Your calendar between now and Dec. 7

• September–October 2026: Watch your mailbox for the ANOC and the Evidence of Coverage from your current plan.
• Oct. 15, 2026: Annual Enrollment Period opens. The 2027 plans go live on Medicare's Plan Finder at medicare.gov.
• Later in fall 2026 (often November): CMS announces the 2027 Part B premium, Part B deductible, and IRMAA brackets.
• Dec. 7, 2026: Annual Enrollment Period closes. Any change you make takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.
• Jan. 1 – March 31, 2027: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment. If you are already in an MA plan, you get one chance to switch to a different MA plan or return to Original Medicare.