Medicare 2026

Medicare in New Jersey for 2027: 26 Advantage Plans Leaving, 12 New, and What Else Changes

TRENTON, N.J. — People with Medicare in New Jersey will see a smaller Medicare Advantage lineup for 2027, a new national cap on Part D drug costs, and a Social Security cost-of-living bump that lands in January. Here is what the public files show and what to do with that information before the December 7, 2026 deadline.

How many Medicare Advantage plans will New Jersey have in 2027?

New Jersey will have 71 Medicare Advantage plans in 2027, down from 85 in 2026, according to the CMS Landscape Source File. Of the 2026 lineup, 26 plans are not returning anywhere in the state, 12 plans are new, and 14 are changing in a way that matters on paper — a different premium, a different drug deductible, a different plan type, or a different plan name. Those changes are spread across all 21 counties.

Two carrier-level shifts stand out. Braven Health is not offering a Medicare Advantage plan anywhere in New Jersey for 2027, and Devoted Health is entering the state's Medicare Advantage market for the first time. Because Medicare Advantage plans are sold county by county, a plan counted in the statewide totals may or may not be available where you live; the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov shows the plans for your ZIP code.

If your plan is one of the 26 leaving, you will get a non-renewal letter from the insurer. That letter triggers a Special Enrollment Period that runs through February 28, 2027, giving you time past the regular December 7 deadline to pick a new Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare and add a stand-alone Part D plan. If your plan is one of the 14 that is "changing," the Annual Notice of Change mailed in September 2026 is the document that tells you exactly what is different.

Which New Jersey counties see the most Medicare Advantage change for 2027?

Five New Jersey counties account for most of the churn in 2027. Mercer, Monmouth, and Union counties each have 16 plans leaving and 10 changing. Atlantic County has 15 leaving and 9 changing. Burlington County has 13 leaving and 11 changing.

If you live in one of those counties, assume the lineup you shopped from last fall looks different now, and verify your plan's status for 2027 on medicare.gov before the Annual Enrollment Period closes.

How many stand-alone Part D plans will New Jersey have in 2027?

New Jersey will have 11 stand-alone Part D prescription drug plans in 2027, offered by 6 insurers, compared with 12 plans in 2026. Stand-alone Part D is what you add to Original Medicare, or to a Medicare Advantage plan that does not include drug coverage.

Two national Part D rules matter for 2027. The out-of-pocket cap on covered drugs is $2,400, up from $2,100 in 2026. The maximum deductible any Part D plan may charge is $700. Individual plan premiums, formularies and pharmacy networks are set plan by plan — look them up on the Medicare Plan Finder.

How many Medigap insurers are listed for New Jersey in 2027?

Medicare.gov lists 22 Medigap (Medicare Supplement) insurers for a New Jersey ZIP code. Medigap is separate from Medicare Advantage: it works alongside Original Medicare to help with cost-sharing, and it does not include drug coverage, so people with Medigap typically add a stand-alone Part D plan.

Medigap enrollment rules and consumer protections — including the one-time Medigap Open Enrollment Period that opens when you first have Part B at 65 or older — are explained on medicare.gov. Rules about switching Medigap plans later vary; check medicare.gov before you make a change.

What national Medicare numbers are confirmed for 2027?

For 2027, the Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,400, the maximum Part D deductible is $700, and the Part D base beneficiary premium (the national figure used to calculate the late-enrollment penalty) is $41.33. Plan premiums themselves are set plan by plan.

The Social Security Administration announced on October 14, 2026 a 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment for benefits payable beginning January 2027. The 2027 standard Part B premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income-related surcharges, have not been announced yet; CMS typically releases those figures in the fall, usually November. Watch medicare.gov for the official numbers.

What should New Jersey Medicare members do before December 7, 2026?

Use the Annual Enrollment Period, October 15 – December 7, 2026, to confirm your 2027 coverage. A short checklist:

• Open the Annual Notice of Change your current plan mailed in September 2026 and read what is different for 2027.
• If you got a non-renewal letter, mark the Special Enrollment Period that runs through February 2027.
• Log in at medicare.gov, enter your ZIP code, drugs and pharmacies, and compare the 2027 plans available in your county.
• If you take prescription drugs, check that each one is still on your plan's 2027 formulary and that your pharmacy is still in network.
• Confirm your doctors and hospitals are in the 2027 network of any Medicare Advantage plan you are considering.

Any choice you make during Annual Enrollment takes effect January 1, 2027.

Where can New Jersey residents get free Medicare help?

Two free, official sources: medicare.gov (the Medicare Plan Finder, the Medigap search tool, and plan documents) and 1-800-MEDICARE, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For the specifics of any plan — premium, deductible, copays, drug list, pharmacy network, provider network or star rating — go to the plan's or the insurer's own documents.