Medicare 2026

Medicare in Maine for 2027: 14 Advantage Plans Leaving, 12 New, and What Else Changes

AUGUSTA, Maine — People with Medicare in Maine will see a reshuffled lineup of Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, along with a smaller stand-alone Part D menu and a new nationwide cap on what Part D plans can require members to pay out of pocket for covered drugs. The choices people make during Annual Enrollment (October 15 – December 7, 2026) take effect January 1, 2027.

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

Maine will have 50 Medicare Advantage plans available across its 16 counties in 2027, compared with 52 in 2026. Within that total, 14 plans are not returning anywhere in the state, 12 are new, and 13 are changing in at least one way — a different premium, drug deductible, plan type or plan name.

Because Medicare Advantage plans are sold county by county, the statewide count is not the menu any one person sees. The plans available in a given ZIP code may be a small slice of the 50. The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov shows the exact list for each address.

Two pieces of mail do most of the work of flagging a change. The Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) arrives in September from a current plan and spells out what will be different in 2027. A separate non-renewal letter goes out if a plan is leaving — that letter is the trigger for action.

What happens if my Medicare Advantage plan is leaving Maine in 2027?

Anyone whose plan is not returning in 2027 qualifies for a Special Enrollment Period that runs through February 28, 2027 to join another Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare and add a stand-alone Part D plan. That window is in addition to Annual Enrollment, which ends December 7, 2026.

Keep the non-renewal letter. It is the proof of the Special Enrollment Period and names the dates. People who do nothing by the end of their coverage will generally fall back to Original Medicare with no drug coverage, which is why using the SEP matters.

Which Maine counties see the most Medicare Advantage change for 2027?

Five counties account for the heaviest churn in 2027. Kennebec County has 9 plans leaving and 8 changing. Androscoggin County has 9 leaving and 7 changing. Cumberland County has 9 leaving and 7 changing. Lincoln County has 10 leaving and 6 changing. Franklin County has 9 leaving and 6 changing.

A "leaving" plan is one that will not be offered in 2027 anywhere in the state. A "changing" plan is still offered but has a different premium, drug deductible, plan type or plan name than its 2026 version. Both are reasons to open the ANOC rather than set it aside.

How many stand-alone Part D drug plans are available in Maine for 2027?

Maine will have 8 stand-alone Part D prescription drug plans in 2027 from 4 insurers, compared with 9 plans in 2026. Stand-alone Part D is the drug coverage used with Original Medicare (and with most Medigap policies).

Even when a plan name carries over, formularies, pharmacy networks and cost-sharing can shift year to year. The Plan Finder at medicare.gov lets a person enter their drug list and preferred pharmacy and see each 2027 plan's own numbers side by side.

How many Medigap insurers are listed in Maine on Medicare.gov?

Medicare.gov lists 12 Medigap insurers for a Maine ZIP code in 2027. Medigap (Medicare Supplement Insurance) works only with Original Medicare, not with Medicare Advantage, and helps pay some of the costs Original Medicare leaves behind.

Medigap rules — including when a person has a guaranteed right to buy a policy — are set in federal and state law and are separate from the Annual Enrollment Period for Medicare Advantage and Part D. Details for Maine are on medicare.gov.

What are the 2027 Medicare numbers Maine should know?

Three national Part D figures are set for 2027. The out-of-pocket cap on covered Part D drugs is $2,400, down from $2,100 in 2026. The most any Part D plan may charge as a deductible is $700. The Part D base beneficiary premium — a national figure used to calculate the late-enrollment penalty — is $41.33; actual plan premiums are set plan by plan.

The Social Security Administration announced a 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment on October 14, 2026, payable with benefits beginning in January 2027. The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets have not been announced yet; CMS typically releases those figures in the fall.

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

A short review before the December 7, 2026 deadline covers most situations:

• Open the ANOC from the current plan and check the 2027 premium, drug deductible, plan type and plan name.
• If a non-renewal letter arrived, keep it — it unlocks a Special Enrollment Period through February 2027.
• Run the current drug list and pharmacy through the Plan Finder at medicare.gov to compare 2027 options for the home ZIP code.
• For Medigap questions, confirm what applies in Maine on medicare.gov before changing anything.

Where can Maine residents get free Medicare help?

Free, personalized help is available from Medicare directly. The Plan Finder at medicare.gov compares the Medicare Advantage, Part D and Medigap options available at a specific Maine address. 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including help in languages other than English.