Medicare Advantage

Medicare in Fayetteville: 2027 Plan Options in Washington County

Fayetteville seniors have a lot to sort through this fall. For 2026, Washington County residents can choose from 68 Medicare Advantage plans — one of the widest menus in Northwest Arkansas — according to CMS Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape data. The 2027 lineup is detailed in each plan's Annual Notice of Change and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. With more than 31,000 residents age 65 or older in the county, that means real choice, but also real homework before the Annual Enrollment Period closes on December 7, 2026.

What "68 plan options" really means in Fayetteville

Fayetteville is in Washington County, where CMS counted 68 Medicare Advantage plans available for 2026. That figure was the total number of distinct plan options a person with Original Medicare could pick from if they wanted to switch to Medicare Advantage. The 2027 count is published in each plan's ANOC and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. It doesn't mean every plan fits every person — networks, drug lists, and service areas all vary — but it does show the local market is crowded.

Plan availability is set at the county level, not the city level. So a neighbor in Springdale or Elkins sees the same 68-plan menu you do in Fayetteville, because you all share the same county.

How many carriers are behind those 68 plans

Nine insurance carriers offered Medicare Advantage prescription drug (MA-PD) plans in Washington County for 2026. That's why the plan count was so much higher than the carrier count — each company typically sells several versions of its plan with different structures. The 2027 carrier lineup is on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder.

When you're comparing on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder, it can help to first narrow by carrier or by the doctors and pharmacies you use, rather than trying to read all 68 side by side.

What about stand-alone drug plans?

The county's MA-PD landscape file shows 0 stand-alone Part D plans locally attached to the Medicare Advantage market. Stand-alone Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs) are still sold nationally through separate PDP regions, and Arkansas residents do have PDP options through Medicare.gov if they stay with Original Medicare. If drug coverage is your main concern, run your medication list through Plan Finder to see which route — a PDP paired with Original Medicare, or an MA-PD plan — matches your prescriptions.

Program-level numbers worth knowing for 2026 and 2027

A few Medicare rules apply no matter which plan you pick:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your drug spending hits that amount in a given year, you pay nothing more for covered Part D drugs the rest of that year.
• The maximum Part D deductible any plan can charge is $615 in 2026 ($700 in 2027).
• The old "donut hole" coverage gap was eliminated in 2025. Part D now has three phases: deductible, initial coverage, and catastrophic.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs into level monthly payments instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA — the income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D — starts above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

About Star Ratings in Washington County

CMS publishes Star Ratings each fall to help people judge plan quality. In the current data for the Fayetteville area, 0 contracts are rated 4 stars or higher. Ratings can shift year to year as CMS updates its measures, so treat them as one signal among several — alongside your doctors' networks, your prescriptions, and your budget — rather than the whole story.

Key dates to circle

• October 15 – December 7: Annual Enrollment Period. You can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. Coverage starts January 1.
• January 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can switch to another MA plan or return to Original Medicare (and add a Part D plan).