Medicare Advantage

Before You Toss That Medicare Letter, Read the ANOC

Montgomery County has 67 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 4 plans are not coming back, 15 are new, and 17 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 6 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Montgomery, not which plan to pick.

Medicare AdvantageMontgomery, AL

Montgomery, Ala. — If you have a Medicare Advantage plan in Montgomery County, this fall's mail is worth opening. According to CMS's 2027 Medicare Advantage Landscape file, four plans available in the county in 2026 will not be offered in 2027, 15 new plans are joining the local market, and six are keeping the same underlying plan but changing their name. Another 17 plans are continuing with a change to premium, deductible, plan type or name — details that will be spelled out in each insurer's Annual Notice of Change (ANOC).

That is a lot of moving pieces, so here is what Montgomery residents need to know before the Annual Enrollment Period closes on December 7.

What's leaving Montgomery County in 2027

Four plans offered in Montgomery County in 2026 will not be sold in 2027:

• Blue Advantage Premier (PPO) — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama
• HealthSpring Preferred AL (HMO) — Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC)
• HealthSpring TotalCare (HMO D-SNP) — Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC)
• HealthSpring TotalCare Plus (HMO D-SNP) — Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC)

If you are enrolled in one of these plans, your insurer must send you a non-renewal notice. You do not lose Medicare — only that specific plan is going away. You will need to pick a new Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare (and, if you want it, add a stand-alone Part D drug plan).

Note that the HealthSpring TotalCare and HealthSpring TotalCare Plus names also appear on the "new for 2027" list. In CMS's file that means the 2026 versions of those plans are ending and new plans using the same names are starting — they are technically different contracts. Read the ANOC to see how the 2027 version compares to what you have today.

What's new in Montgomery County for 2027

Fifteen plans are new to Montgomery County for 2027, spread across four carriers:

• Aetna (CVS Health): Aetna Medicare Signature Extra Care (HMO)
• Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC): HealthSpring TotalCare (HMO D-SNP) and HealthSpring TotalCare Plus (HMO D-SNP)
• Devoted Health: DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE ENHANCED 013 AL (PPO C-SNP); DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE GIVEBACK EXTRAS 017 AL (PPO C-SNP); DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE PLUS 015 AL (PPO C-SNP); DEVOTED CHOICE 007 AL (PPO); DEVOTED CHOICE GIVEBACK 009 AL (PPO); DEVOTED CHOICE GIVEBACK EXTRAS 038 AL (PPO); DEVOTED DUAL CHOICE FULL 011 AL (PPO D-SNP)
• UnitedHealthcare: AARP Medicare Advantage Extras from UHC AL-7 (HMO-POS); AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx AL-MA2 (HMO-POS); UHC Complete Care AL-8 (HMO-POS C-SNP); UHC Dual Complete AL-Q3 (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• VIVA Medicare: VIVA Medicare Healthy Lifestyles (HMO C-SNP)

Several of these are Special Needs Plans (SNPs), which are limited to people who qualify — for example, people with both Medicare and Medicaid (D-SNP), certain chronic conditions (C-SNP), or an institutional level of care (I-SNP). Check the table below for the full 2027 lineup, and use Medicare.gov's plan finder to see the 2027 details as they load.

Six plans keeping the plan but changing the name

Six plans in Montgomery County are being renamed for 2027. The insurer and underlying contract are staying in place — only the name on the card is changing:

• DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE ENHANCED 009 AL (PPO C-SNP) — was DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE PREMIUM 009 AL
• Humana Dual QMB Only (HMO D-SNP) — was Humana Gold Plus SNP-DE H4461-074
• AARP Medicare Advantage Essentials from UHC AL-3 (HMO-POS) — was AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC AL-0003
• UHC Dual Advantage AL-V2 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — was UHC Dual Complete AL-V002
• UHC Dual Complete AL-Q1 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — was UHC Dual Complete AL-D001
• UHC Dual Complete AL-Q2 (PPO D-SNP) — was UHC Dual Complete AL-D002

If a plan you recognize is not in your mail this fall, check whether it was renamed before assuming it was cancelled.

What if my plan is changing but not leaving?

Beyond the plans leaving, being added or renamed, CMS's file flags 17 plans in Montgomery County as changing on at least one of these: premium, deductible, plan type or name. That doesn't tell you which one changed or by how much — only that something moved. Your Annual Notice of Change, mailed by the end of September, is where those specifics live. Look for:

• What you'll pay in premium and deductible next year
• Any change to the plan type (HMO, HMO-POS, PPO)
• Changes to the drug formulary or pharmacy network
• Changes to the provider network — especially your doctors and preferred hospital
• Changes to extra benefits like dental, vision, hearing or over-the-counter allowances

Even if your ID card looks the same, the plan may work differently in 2027.

The deadlines that matter

• Annual Enrollment Period (AEP): October 15 – December 7. This is when anyone with Medicare can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage plan or a Part D drug plan for the coming year.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period: January 1 – March 31. If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1, you get one chance to switch to a different Advantage plan or go back to Original Medicare (with a Part D plan).
• Special Enrollment Period for a non-renewed plan. If your plan is on the "leaving" list above, you have a Special Enrollment Period that runs through the end of February to choose a new plan or return to Original Medicare. Your non-renewal notice from the insurer will explain your options.

A few program facts to keep in mind

These are set by Medicare, not by any plan:

• Part D has a $2,100 out-of-pocket cap in 2026.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615.
• The old "donut hole" coverage gap has been eliminated as of 2025 — Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly installments if you choose to opt in.
• Income-related Part B and Part D surcharges (IRMAA) begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

How to decide, step by step

1. Read your ANOC and Evidence of Coverage. These arrive by late September. Compare what you're paying and using this year to what the plan says for 2027. 2. List your must-haves. Your regular doctors, your hospital, your prescriptions, and any specialty care you expect. 3. Check networks and formularies for 2027. A plan that covered your drug or doctor this year may not next year. 4. Compare on Medicare.gov. The plan finder loads 2027 details each fall and lets you enter your drugs and pharmacies for a personalized cost estimate. 5. Get free, unbiased help. In Alabama, the State Health Insurance