Medicare 2026

Albuquerque Medicare for 2027: the Part D numbers that are locked, and what still isn't

Fall 2026 — If you have Medicare in Albuquerque, this is the stretch where a few decisions matter. The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and any change you make takes effect January 1, 2027. Some 2027 numbers are already set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Others — the ones that get the most headlines — won't be published until later this fall. Here is what Bernalillo County residents can plan around today, and what to wait on.

What CMS has confirmed for 2027

Three Part D numbers are already locked in for next year:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,400 in 2027 (it is $2,100 in 2026). Once your out-of-pocket spending on covered drugs hits that cap, you pay $0 for covered drugs for the rest of the year.
• Part D maximum deductible: $700 in 2027 ($615 in 2026). Plans can set a lower deductible, but not higher.
• Part D national base beneficiary premium: $41.33 for 2027. This is a formula input CMS uses — it is not what any single plan charges you.

The coverage gap (the old "donut hole") is gone as of 2025, so Part D now has three phases: deductible, initial coverage, and catastrophic. The optional Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which spreads your drug costs across the year in level monthly bills, continues in 2027.

What CMS has not announced yet

Hold off on budgeting for these — CMS publishes them later in the fall, typically in November:

• The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible.
• The 2027 IRMAA income brackets and surcharges (the higher Part B and Part D amounts paid by beneficiaries with higher incomes). For reference, in 2026 IRMAA begins above $109,000 in income for a single filer.

If you see a specific 2027 Part B figure floating around before CMS releases it, it is a projection, not a rule. We'll update this page when the official numbers are out.

The ANOC letter — your most important piece of mail this fall

Every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan is required to send an Annual Notice of Change by the end of September. It describes what will be different about your plan on January 1, 2027: premium, deductible, drug tiers, copays, provider network, supplemental benefits, and whether the plan is being renamed, consolidated, or discontinued.

A few things to look for:

• Changes to the drug formulary — a medication you take may move tiers or require prior authorization.
• Changes to provider and pharmacy networks — confirm your doctors and the pharmacy you use are still in-network for 2027.
• Changes to extra benefits like dental, vision, hearing, or over-the-counter allowances.
• A notice that your plan is not being offered in 2027. In that case, you have a Special Enrollment Period to pick a new plan.

If you can't find your ANOC, call the number on your member ID card.

How the Albuquerque plan lineup is moving

Plan availability is set at the county level. Albuquerque sits in Bernalillo County, where 51 Medicare Advantage plans from 8 carriers are offered for 2026, including HMO, HMO-POS and PPO options, and 17 Special Needs Plans for people with specific conditions or dual Medicare-Medicaid eligibility. All 51 include drug coverage, and there are no stand-alone Part D plans listed in the county for this year's data.

For 2027, the picture shifts: 24 plans are not returning, 9 are new, and 9 have been renamed. That doesn't tell you whether any individual plan got better or worse — only your ANOC can do that — but it does mean the shelf you shop from in October will not look the same as the shelf you shopped from a year ago.

The eight carriers offering Medicare Advantage with drug coverage in the county are Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC), CHRISTUS Health Advantage, Devoted Health, Humana, Molina Healthcare of Arizona, Presbyterian Health Plan, SCAN Health Plan, and UnitedHealthcare. The table below lists every plan by carrier.

How to decide this fall

A simple sequence works for most people:

1. Read your ANOC. Mark anything that changed — premium, drugs, network, extra benefits. 2. List your doctors, your drugs, and your pharmacy. This is what you compare plans against. 3. Use the official Plan Finder at medicare.gov. Enter your drugs and ZIP code; it shows your total estimated yearly cost under each plan available in your county. 4. Decide by December 7, 2026. If you do nothing and your plan is still offered, it renews with the ANOC changes. If your plan is leaving, you'll get a separate notice and a Special Enrollment Period. 5. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, remember the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, January 1 – March 31, 2027, which lets you make one change after the year begins.

Star Ratings are published by CMS and can be one input, but they describe past plan performance — not a prediction, and not a reason by themselves to pick a specific plan.

Where to get personalized help

• medicare.gov — the Plan Finder and official plan documents.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), 24/7.
• New Mexico's SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program), called Benefits Counseling through the New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department, offers free, unbiased one-on-one counseling. Reach the Aging and Disability Resource Center at 1-800-432-2080.