Medicare 2026

Medicare in Wisconsin for 2027: 15 Advantage Plans Leaving, 11 New, and What Else Changes

MADISON — People with Medicare in Wisconsin will see a modest reshuffle of Medicare Advantage choices for 2027, along with a lower stand-alone Part D footprint, a higher Part D out-of-pocket cap, and a Social Security cost-of-living bump that takes effect in January. The Annual Enrollment Period for coverage that starts January 1, 2027 runs October 15 through December 7, 2026.

Medicare 2026Wisconsin

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

Wisconsin will have 117 Medicare Advantage plans offered across 72 counties in 2027, compared with 121 in 2026, according to the CMS Landscape Source File. Within that total, 15 plans are not returning anywhere in the state, 11 plans are new, and 55 are changing in at least one of these ways: a different premium, a different drug deductible, a different plan type, or a different plan name.

Medicare Advantage is sold county by county, so the statewide count is a backdrop, not a menu. The plans available on any given street in Wisconsin depend on the ZIP code and county, and the specific premiums, copays, networks and drug lists must be checked on the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.

One carrier footprint change to note: Aspirus Health Plan will not offer a Medicare Advantage plan anywhere in Wisconsin for 2027. Members of a non-returning plan will get a letter and will have options described in the next section.

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

If a Medicare Advantage plan is not being offered in 2027, the insurer must send a non-renewal letter, typically in early October 2026, explaining that the plan will end December 31, 2026. The member is not automatically enrolled in another private plan; without action, coverage defaults back to Original Medicare on January 1, 2027.

Every current Medicare Advantage member — whether the plan is leaving, changing, or staying the same — also receives an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) by late September 2026. The ANOC spells out what will be different in 2027: premium, deductibles, copays, drug tier placement, provider network and extra benefits. Read it next to the Evidence of Coverage before Annual Enrollment opens.

People losing a non-renewing plan get a Special Enrollment Period that runs from December 8, 2026 through the end of February 2027 to pick another Medicare Advantage plan or to join a stand-alone Part D plan with Original Medicare. The standard Annual Enrollment window — October 15 to December 7, 2026 — is open to everyone with Medicare, regardless of what their current plan is doing.

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

Five Wisconsin counties stand out in the 2027 CMS Landscape data for the number of Medicare Advantage plans leaving or changing. Waushara County has 17 plans leaving and 22 changing. Dodge County has 11 leaving and 24 changing. Columbia County has 13 leaving and 21 changing. Dane County has 11 leaving and 22 changing. Green Lake County has 19 leaving and 14 changing.

Residents of these counties are more likely than average to find that their current plan is either gone or materially different in 2027. That makes the ANOC and the non-renewal letter especially important pieces of mail this fall. The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov will show which plans are actually available at a specific address for 2027 once the new plan year is loaded.

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

Wisconsin will have 8 stand-alone Part D prescription drug plans available in 2027, offered by 4 insurers, down from 10 plans in 2026, per the CMS Landscape file. Stand-alone Part D is the drug coverage used with Original Medicare (and with most Medigap policies).

Two national Part D rules change in 2027. The annual out-of-pocket cap on covered Part D drugs rises to $2,400, from $2,100 in 2026. The maximum deductible any Part D plan may charge is $700. The base beneficiary premium used in the Part D late-enrollment penalty calculation is $41.33 for 2027; actual plan premiums are set plan by plan and should be checked on medicare.gov.

How many Medigap insurers are listed for Wisconsin on Medicare.gov?

Medicare.gov lists 23 Medigap insurers for a Wisconsin ZIP code for 2027. Wisconsin is one of three states (with Massachusetts and Minnesota) that standardizes Medigap differently from the lettered A–N plans used elsewhere, so Wisconsin shoppers will see a Wisconsin-specific base plan with optional riders rather than Plan G or Plan N.

Medigap is sold by private insurers under state and federal rules. Pricing, underwriting and the right to switch depend on when the person first enrolled in Part B and on state rules. Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE can walk through what applies.

What national Medicare numbers are confirmed for 2027?

For 2027, the Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,400, the maximum Part D plan deductible is $700, and the Part D base beneficiary premium (used in the late-enrollment penalty) is $41.33. 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 Part B standard premium and deductible have not been announced; CMS typically releases those figures in the fall, usually November. The 2027 IRMAA income brackets and surcharges, which are published alongside the Part B figures, are also not yet released. Those numbers should be looked up directly on medicare.gov once posted.

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

A short checklist for Annual Enrollment 2027:

• Open the Annual Notice of Change from the current plan and mark anything that is different for 2027.
• If a non-renewal letter arrived, note that coverage ends December 31, 2026 and that the Special Enrollment Period runs through the end of February 2027.
• Make a current list of prescriptions, pharmacies and preferred doctors.
• Run the list through the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov, or call 1-800-MEDICARE, to compare 2027 plans available at the home ZIP code.
• Make any change by December 7, 2026 for a January 1, 2027 start.

Where can Wisconsin residents get free Medicare help?

Free, unbiased help is available directly from Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and at medicare.gov, which hosts the Plan Finder, plan documents, and the Medigap search tool.