Medicare Advantage

Phoenix Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: Jan 1–March 31

For 2027, Phoenix is looking at 92 Medicare Advantage plans: 17 new, 13 gone since 2026, and 33 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 13 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Maricopa County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

PHOENIX — If you signed up for a Medicare Advantage plan during fall enrollment and are having second thoughts, you still have time. From January 1 through March 31, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period gives you one more chance to change course for 2027.

This window is narrower than the fall Annual Enrollment Period, and it exists for a specific reason: to let people who are already in a Medicare Advantage plan fix a choice that isn't working. To use it well, it helps to understand how the program's cost pieces — premiums, deductibles and the new out-of-pocket cap — fit together before you make a move.

Who this window is for

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period is not a second Annual Enrollment Period. It is aimed at one group: people who are already in a Medicare Advantage plan as of January 1, 2027.

If that's you, you can:

• Switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan (with or without drug coverage).
• Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and go back to Original Medicare, and add a stand-alone Part D drug plan if you want one.

You cannot use this window to move from Original Medicare into a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time. And you get one change — not several — so it pays to think through the cost math before you act.

The three cost pieces to weigh together

When people compare coverage, they often fixate on the monthly premium. That's only one piece. At the program level, three numbers work together:

Premium. This is what you pay every month to have the coverage, regardless of whether you use it. A Medicare Advantage plan may have its own premium in addition to the Part B premium you already pay to Medicare.

Deductible. This is what you pay out of pocket before the plan starts sharing costs. For Part D drug coverage in 2026, federal rules say the deductible can't be higher than $615. Medical deductibles inside Medicare Advantage plans vary.

Out-of-pocket limit. This is the ceiling — the most you'd pay in a year before the plan covers the rest. Medicare Advantage plans must have an annual limit on in-network medical costs. And in 2026, Part D drug spending is capped at $2,100 out of pocket across all Medicare drug coverage. That cap is new-era: the old "donut hole" coverage gap was eliminated in 2025, leaving three simpler phases.

A plan with a low premium can still leave you paying more overall if the deductible or out-of-pocket exposure is high for the care you actually use. And a plan with a higher premium may make sense if it protects you from big bills later. Neither is automatically "better" — it depends on your prescriptions, doctors and health.

A tool that can smooth big drug bills

If your medications are expensive early in the year, the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan is worth knowing about. It's an optional program that spreads your Part D out-of-pocket drug costs across monthly payments instead of hitting all at once at the pharmacy counter. It does not lower what you owe overall — it just changes the timing. You can opt in through your drug plan.

Income can change the math

Higher-income beneficiaries pay an extra amount called IRMAA on top of standard Part B and Part D premiums. In 2026, IRMAA surcharges begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer (higher thresholds apply for joint filers). This is based on your tax return from two years earlier. It won't change your plan choice for you, but it should be part of your total-cost picture.

What's on the shelf in Maricopa County

Phoenix is in Maricopa County, where a wide selection of Medicare Advantage plans is offered for 2027 — 79 plans from 16 carriers, according to CMS Landscape files. Of those, 62 are continuing from 2026, 17 are new, 13 are not returning, and 13 have been renamed; 20 continuing plans changed something in their terms, which their ANOC spells out. Availability counts are set at the county level, not the ZIP code, so two neighbors in Phoenix generally see the same menu. The exact plan names, benefits and costs are not something we compare here — that's what medicare.gov's Plan Finder is built for, and it will show you what applies to your specific medications and doctors.

Before you switch, do these three things

1. Pull your 2027 Annual Notice of Change. Your current plan sent this in the fall. It spells out how your premium, deductible and cost sharing changed for the new year. 2. List your prescriptions and providers. A new plan is only a good fit if it covers your drugs and includes your doctors. 3. Run the numbers on medicare.gov. The Plan Finder estimates your full-year cost — premium plus expected drug and medical costs — so you're not comparing premiums alone.