Medicare 2026

Medicare in Kansas for 2027: 23 Advantage Plans Leaving, 16 New, and What Else Changes

TOPEKA — The Medicare lineup Kansans will choose from for 2027 is set, and it looks different from 2026. The state goes from 87 Medicare Advantage plans in 2026 to 80 in 2027, with 23 plans not returning anywhere in Kansas, 16 brand-new plans, and 27 others changing in some way — a different premium, drug deductible, plan type or plan name — across all 105 counties. Annual Enrollment for 2027 runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and the choice you make takes effect January 1, 2027.

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What is changing with Medicare Advantage plans in Kansas for 2027?

Kansas will have 80 Medicare Advantage plans in 2027, down from 87 in 2026. Within that count, 23 plans are not returning anywhere in the state, 16 are new, and 27 are changing a premium, drug deductible, plan type or plan name. Because Medicare Advantage is sold county by county, the plans available where you live may be a smaller slice of that statewide list — a plan counted in the state total may not be offered in your ZIP code.

One carrier, HealthSpring, will not offer a Medicare Advantage plan anywhere in Kansas for 2027. If you are enrolled with that carrier today, expect a non-renewal letter.

Two mailings carry the key information this fall. The Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) from your current plan, typically arriving in September, spells out what is different for 2027 — the premium, the drug deductible, the plan name or type. A separate non-renewal letter arrives if your specific plan is leaving. When a plan does not return, members get a Special Enrollment Period that runs through February 2027 to join a different Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare (and, if desired, add a stand-alone Part D plan). You do not have to wait for December 7 to make that switch.

Which Kansas counties have the most Medicare Advantage change for 2027?

The biggest churn is concentrated in the Kansas City suburbs and nearby counties. Johnson County has 16 plans leaving and 16 changing. Jefferson County has 13 leaving and 16 changing. Leavenworth County has 13 leaving and 16 changing. Franklin County has 14 leaving and 14 changing. Miami County has 13 leaving and 15 changing.

If you live in one of those counties, there is a higher-than-average chance that either your plan is going away or something inside it — the premium, the drug deductible, the plan type, the plan name — is different for 2027. The exact plans available at your address are listed in the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov.

How many stand-alone Part D drug plans are offered in Kansas for 2027?

Kansas has 12 stand-alone Part D plans for 2027, the same count as in 2026, offered by 6 insurers. Stand-alone Part D is the drug coverage people pair with Original Medicare (or with a Medigap policy); most Medicare Advantage plans already include drug coverage.

Two national rules apply to every Part D plan in 2027. The out-of-pocket cap on covered drugs is $2,400, up from $2,100 in 2026. The most any Part D plan may charge as a deductible is $700. Individual plan premiums, formularies and pharmacy networks vary and are listed plan by plan on the Medicare Plan Finder.

How many Medigap insurers are listed for Kansas in 2027?

Medicare.gov lists 26 Medigap insurers for a Kansas ZIP code. Medigap (Medicare Supplement Insurance) works alongside Original Medicare to help with cost-sharing and is standardized by lettered plans — the benefits inside Plan G, for example, are the same from any insurer that sells it. Price and customer service vary. Medigap is separate from Medicare Advantage, has its own enrollment rules, and in most states medical underwriting can apply outside your initial window. The rules are described on medicare.gov.

What national Medicare numbers are confirmed for 2027?

Three figures are set. The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,400 in 2027, compared with $2,100 in 2026. The maximum Part D deductible any plan may charge is $700. The Part D base beneficiary premium, used to calculate the late-enrollment penalty, is $41.33 (actual 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 January 2027.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible have not been announced yet. CMS typically releases them in the fall, usually November, along with the 2027 IRMAA income brackets and surcharges. Until those are posted on medicare.gov, no one has the official numbers.

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

A short checklist for Annual Enrollment 2027:

• Read your Annual Notice of Change when it arrives. Flag any change to premium, drug deductible, plan name or plan type.
• Watch for a non-renewal letter. If your Medicare Advantage plan is one of the 23 leaving Kansas, your Special Enrollment Period runs through February 2027.
• Make a current list of your prescriptions, dosages, pharmacies and regular doctors before comparing plans.
• Run your situation through the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov using your ZIP code; the plans available in Johnson County are not the same as those in Franklin or Miami County.
• Make your choice by December 7, 2026, for coverage starting January 1, 2027.

Where can Kansans get free Medicare help for 2027?

Two no-cost options are available year-round. Medicare.gov has the official Plan Finder, the Annual Enrollment dates, and the rulebooks for Part D and Medigap. 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in English and Spanish, and can look up plans in your county, confirm whether your current plan is returning, and explain the Special Enrollment Period if your plan is leaving.