Medicare 2026

Las Vegas Medicare in 2027: the Part D changes CMS has confirmed, and what's still pending

LAS VEGAS — If you have Medicare in the Las Vegas area, the fall 2026 Annual Enrollment Period is the window to compare your 2027 coverage. It runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and any change you make takes effect January 1, 2027. Some of the key 2027 numbers are already set by CMS. Others — including the Part B premium most people pay — will be published later this fall.

Here is a plain-English guide to what is confirmed, what is still pending, and what Clark County residents will see on their plan paperwork this season.

What CMS has confirmed for Part D in 2027

Two Part D figures are already locked in by CMS for 2027, and they matter whether you have a Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage or a stand-alone drug plan:

• Out-of-pocket cap on covered Part D drugs: $2,400 in 2027. That is up from $2,100 in 2026. Once your spending on covered drugs hits that cap, you pay $0 for the rest of the calendar year.
• Maximum Part D deductible: $700 in 2027, up from $615 in 2026. Plans can set a lower deductible, but not a higher one.
• National base beneficiary premium: $41.33 for 2027. This is a formula input CMS uses — it is not what any specific plan charges. Your actual premium depends on the plan you pick.

The coverage gap (the old "donut hole") was eliminated in 2025, so Part D now has three phases: deductible, initial coverage, and catastrophic. The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan is still available in 2027 as an option to spread your drug costs into monthly payments instead of paying a big bill at the pharmacy.

What CMS has not yet announced

A few numbers Las Vegas readers always ask about are not out yet:

• 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 come out at the same time as the Part B figures. For reference, 2026 IRMAA begins above $109,000 in income for a single filer.

We will not estimate these or quote outside projections. When CMS posts the official numbers, you will see them on medicare.gov.

Read your Annual Notice of Change before December 7

If you are already in a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, your plan mailed (or emailed) you an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) in September 2026. It is the single most useful piece of mail you will get this season. The ANOC compares your 2026 coverage with your 2027 coverage from the same plan and lists:

• Premium, deductible, and copay changes
• Drug formulary changes
• Network changes for doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies
• Changes to extra benefits (dental, vision, hearing, over-the-counter, transportation)

If you do nothing, your current plan renews on January 1, 2027 with the changes described in the ANOC — as long as it is still offered next year. Nothing dramatic happens to someone who takes no action, but you want to be sure the plan you have still fits.

How the Las Vegas plan landscape is moving for 2027

Las Vegas is in Clark County, where Medicare Advantage availability is set at the county level. For the current plan year, 74 Medicare Advantage plans from 12 carriers are offered in Clark County, all of them with drug coverage, and 34 of those are Special Needs Plans for people with specific conditions or dual Medicare-Medicaid status. The table below lists every plan available in the county by carrier.

For 2027, Clark County will see some turnover: 11 plans are not returning, 9 are new, and 15 are being renamed. A rename does not necessarily mean benefits are changing in a big way, but it does mean the plan on your card may look different in January. Your ANOC will tell you exactly what applies to you.

Carriers offering MA-PD plans in Clark County include Aetna (CVS Health), Alignment Health Plan, Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC), Centene (WellCare), Champion Health Plan, Elevance Health (Anthem), Humana, Kaiser Permanente, Molina Healthcare of Nevada, SCAN Health Plan, Select Health, and UnitedHealthcare. There are no stand-alone Part D plans listed in the county landscape data for the current plan year — Part D in Clark County comes bundled inside Medicare Advantage plans. If you want a stand-alone drug plan with Original Medicare, use Plan Finder on medicare.gov to see what is offered in your ZIP code.

What to actually do between now and December 7, 2026

• Open your ANOC and your Evidence of Coverage. Look for changes to your prescriptions, your primary doctor, and the specialists you use.
• Check your drugs. Formularies change every year. If a medication moved tiers or was removed, that could be the biggest cost change you face in 2027.
• Compare on medicare.gov. Plan Finder shows every plan available at your ZIP code, including the confirmed 2027 Part D cost structure.
• Call your SHIP (Nevada's State Health Insurance Assistance Program) for free, unbiased, one-on-one counseling. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE 24/7.
• Mark December 7, 2026. After that date, changes generally wait until next year, though people in Medicare Advantage still have the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31, 2027 to switch to another MA plan or return to Original Medicare.