Medicare 2026

Indianapolis Medicare in 2027: the Part D numbers CMS has set, and what to watch for

INDIANAPOLIS — The Annual Enrollment Period for 2027 Medicare coverage runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and this year the picture is a little unusual: Medicare's biggest prescription drug numbers for 2027 are already public, while the Part B premium and the IRMAA income brackets have not been released yet. For Indianapolis residents sorting through mail from their plan, that means some of the math you need is on the table — and some of it is still coming.

Here is a plain read on what CMS has confirmed, what it has not, and how to use the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) that landed in your mailbox in late September.

The 2027 Part D figures CMS has locked in

Three Part D numbers for 2027 are already published:

• Out-of-pocket cap: $2,400 in 2027, up from $2,100 in 2026. Once your out-of-pocket spending on covered drugs reaches that amount, you pay $0 for covered drugs the rest of the calendar year.
• Maximum Part D deductible: $700 in 2027, up from $615 in 2026. A plan can set its deductible lower, but not higher.
• 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.

A quick reminder: the old "donut hole" coverage gap went away in 2025. Part D now has three phases (deductible, initial coverage, catastrophic), and the out-of-pocket cap is the ceiling. If paying for drugs in big chunks is hard on a monthly budget, the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread those costs across the year at no extra charge; you can opt in through your drug plan.

What CMS has not announced yet

Two important 2027 numbers are still pending:

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

We're not going to estimate these or quote anyone else's projection. When CMS posts them, medicare.gov will show the official figures.

Read your Annual Notice of Change — it's the one that matters to you

If you are already in a Medicare Advantage or stand-alone Part D plan, your carrier was required to send you an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) by the end of September. It is the document that tells you, line by line, what is different on your plan next year: the premium, the deductible, copays, the drug formulary, the pharmacy and provider networks, and extra benefits like dental or over-the-counter allowances.

If you do nothing during Annual Enrollment, nothing dramatic happens — your plan simply renews on January 1, 2027, with whatever changes the ANOC describes, as long as the plan is still offered. If your plan is not being offered next year, your carrier is required to tell you in a separate non-renewal letter.

A simple way to use the ANOC:

1. Find the "Summary of Changes" table near the front. 2. Check whether your regular medications are still covered and in the same tier. 3. Check whether your doctors and preferred hospital are still in network for 2027. 4. Compare the new numbers to what you actually used in 2026.

How plan availability moves in Marion County

Indianapolis is in Marion County, where CMS lists 78 Medicare Advantage plans from 11 carriers for 2026. All 78 include drug coverage, and 29 are Special Needs Plans designed for people with specific conditions, dual Medicare-Medicaid eligibility, or who live in a nursing facility. The county has 0 stand-alone Part D plans listed in the 2026 Landscape file, which is unusual — most Indianapolis residents who want drug coverage get it bundled inside a Medicare Advantage plan.

Heading into 2027, the lineup is shifting: 14 plans are not returning, 15 are new, and 7 are being renamed. A rename does not necessarily mean the plan itself changed much — but the ANOC will say.

The 11 carriers offering MA-PD plans in Marion County are Aetna (CVS Health), American Health Advantage of Indiana, Centene (WellCare), Communicare Advantage, Devoted Health, Elevance Health (Anthem), Humana, MyTruAdvantage, Provider Partners Health Plans, UnitedHealthcare and Zing Health. The table below lists every plan by carrier.

A note on star ratings

CMS rates Medicare Advantage contracts on a 1–5 scale each fall. In the Marion County area, 0 contracts are rated 4 stars or higher for the current rating cycle. Star Ratings are one input among many — they look at things like customer service, member complaints and preventive care — and they are not a substitute for checking whether your drugs and doctors are covered.

How to decide, step by step

• Open your ANOC first. It is the only document that tells you what is changing on your plan.
• List your "must-haves." Your prescriptions (with dosage), your doctors, your preferred hospital, and any benefit you actually use (dental, hearing aids, transportation).
• Use the Plan Finder on medicare.gov. Enter your drugs and pharmacies to compare 2027 plans side by side once plan details go live in October.
• Wait for the Part B and IRMAA numbers before you lock in income-based decisions; CMS usually posts them in November.
• Decide by December 7, 2026. If you want to switch Medicare Advantage plans or drop one for Original Medicare, there is also a Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 – March 31, 2027 for one more change.