Medicare Advantage

Medicare in Peoria: 79 Maricopa County plans for 2027

People in Peoria can choose from 92 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 88 this year. 13 of this year’s plans are gone, 17 are new to Maricopa County, and 33 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 13 of them under a new name.

Medicare in Peoria: 79 plan options available in Maricopa County for 2027 from 16 carriers. Counts, dates, and program facts.

PEORIA, Ariz. — If you're sorting through Medicare choices this fall, here's a useful piece of local context: Peoria sits in Maricopa County, where 79 Medicare Advantage plans are available for 2027, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). That's a lot of options to weigh before the Annual Enrollment Period closes on December 7.

What the numbers look like in Maricopa County

Medicare plan availability is set at the county level, not the city level. So while you live in Peoria, your options come from what's offered across Maricopa County. For 2027, that includes:

• 88 Medicare Advantage plans available to residents.
• 16 carriers offering Medicare Advantage plans that include drug coverage (MA-PD).
• 0 stand-alone Part D plans listed in the county's landscape file. Most people in the area who want drug coverage get it bundled into a Medicare Advantage plan, though your situation may differ — call 1-800-MEDICARE if you're unsure how to get Part D coverage.

With more than 742,000 residents age 65 and older in Maricopa County, there's a large Medicare population here, and the plan landscape reflects that.

Why "how many plans" matters

Counts don't tell you which plan fits you — but they do tell you how much comparison work is worth doing. Nearly 90 Medicare Advantage plans is a wide field. That means:

• Two neighbors on the same street can end up in very different plans and both be right for their own needs.
• It's worth using Medicare's official Plan Finder tool at medicare.gov/plan-compare, where you can enter your ZIP code, your prescriptions, and your preferred doctors to narrow the field.
• Don't rely on a mailer or a TV ad to represent the whole market. What you see advertised is a small slice of what's available in the county.

A quick refresher on the parts of Medicare

• Part A covers inpatient hospital care.
• Part B covers doctor visits and outpatient care.
• Part C (Medicare Advantage) is an all-in-one alternative offered by private insurers approved by Medicare.
• Part D is prescription drug coverage, either stand-alone or bundled into a Medicare Advantage plan.
• Medigap (Medicare Supplement) helps pay some of the out-of-pocket costs that come with Original Medicare (Parts A and B).

2027 program-level facts worth knowing

These figures apply nationwide, not just in Peoria:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once you hit that amount, you pay nothing more for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• Part D maximum deductible: $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027.
• Coverage gap ("donut hole"): eliminated as of 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: optional. It lets you spread your out-of-pocket drug costs across the calendar year in monthly payments instead of paying at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA surcharges: kick in for single filers with income above $109,000 (based on your 2024 tax return for 2026 premiums).

Star Ratings and what they mean

CMS publishes Star Ratings each year to measure plan quality on things like customer service and care coordination. Star Ratings are one input among many — they're not a shopping list, and they can shift year to year. Use them for context, not as a stand-in for checking whether your doctors, hospitals, and medications are covered.

Key dates to circle

• Annual Enrollment Period (AEP): October 15 – December 7, 2026. This is when most people can join, switch, or drop Medicare Advantage and Part D plans for 2027.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period: January 1 – March 31. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance during this window to switch to another Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare.

Where to get unbiased help in Arizona

• medicare.gov — the official site, including Plan Finder.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — available 24/7.
• Arizona SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program): free, one-on-one Medicare counseling. In Arizona, this program is run through the Area Agencies on Aging. Call 1-800-432-4040 to be connected with a local counselor.