Medicare Advantage

Got an ANOC in Pulaski County? Read It Before Dec. 7

Pulaski County has 73 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 16 plans are not coming back, 12 are new, and 31 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 13 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Little Rock, not which plan to pick.

Medicare AdvantageLittle Rock, AR

LITTLE ROCK — If you have a Medicare Advantage plan in Pulaski County, this fall's mail is worth opening. When CMS compared the 2026 plan year to the 2027 plan year for the county, 16 Medicare Advantage plans are set to leave, 12 are brand new, 13 have been renamed, and another 18 are changing on things like premium, deductible, plan type or name. A new carrier — Healthy Arkansas, Inc. — is also entering the county for 2027.

That is a lot of movement, and it matters because the Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7. If your plan is one of the ones not returning, you have a little more time — but not much — to pick a new one.

First, check your mailbox for the ANOC

Every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan has to send members an Annual Notice of Change by the end of September. It spells out what will be different next year — the premium, deductible, drug list, network, extras, and even the plan's name.

CMS's file shows 18 plans in Pulaski County are changing on premium, deductible, type or name for 2027. We are not allowed to tell you which line changed on which plan; the ANOC is the source of truth for that. If you have tossed yours, you can find it in your plan's member portal or call the number on your ID card.

Plans leaving Pulaski County after 2026

Sixteen plans available to Little Rock residents in 2026 will not be offered in 2027. In alphabetical order by carrier, they are:

• Aetna (CVS Health): Aetna Medicare Dual (PPO D-SNP); Aetna Medicare Dual Extra (PPO D-SNP); Aetna Medicare Dual Extra Care (HMO D-SNP)
• Arkansas Blue Medicare: BlueMedicare Preferred (PFFS)
• Centene (WellCare): Wellcare Dual Access Harmony (HMO-POS D-SNP); Wellcare Dual Liberty Nurture (HMO-POS D-SNP); Wellcare Giveback (HMO-POS); Wellcare Giveback Dividend (HMO-POS); Wellcare Patriot Giveback (HMO-POS); Wellcare Patriot Giveback Preferred (HMO-POS); Wellcare Simple Open (PPO); Wellcare Simple Preferred (HMO-POS)
• Humana: HumanaChoice SNP-DE H5216-470 (PPO D-SNP)
• UnitedHealthcare: UHC Complete Care AM-1 (Regional PPO C-SNP); UHC Complete Care Support AM-1A (Regional PPO C-SNP); UHC Medicare Advantage AM-0002 (Regional PPO)

If you are in one of these plans, your carrier is required to send a non-renewal notice. That notice unlocks a Special Enrollment Period that runs through the end of February. During that window you can join another Medicare Advantage plan, pick a stand-alone Part D drug plan, or go back to Original Medicare. If you switch to Original Medicare, you may also want to look at a Medigap policy — but Medigap has its own rules about medical underwriting, so ask before you assume you qualify.

Plans new to the county for 2027

Twelve plans are entering Pulaski County next year, including three from Healthy Arkansas, Inc., a carrier that did not serve the county in 2026. In alphabetical order by carrier:

• Aetna (CVS Health): Aetna Medicare Chronic Care (HMO C-SNP); Aetna Medicare Eagle Giveback (PPO); Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO); Aetna Medicare Signature Giveback (PPO); Aetna Medicare Signature Plus (PPO)
• Arkansas Blue Medicare: BlueMedicare Preferred (PFFS)
• Devoted Health: DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE GIVEBACK EXTRAS 011 AR (PPO C-SNP); DEVOTED CHOICE GIVEBACK EXTRAS 012 AR (PPO)
• Healthy Arkansas, Inc.: Healthy Arkansas Dual Advantage (PPO D-SNP); Healthy Arkansas Preferred (PPO); Healthy Arkansas Premier Advantage (HMO-POS)
• Humana: HumanaChoice SNP-DE H5216-219 (PPO D-SNP)

Being new does not make a plan better or worse — it just means it is available to shop. The table below on this page lists every 2027 plan in the county so you can compare them side by side on medicare.gov.

Plans that were renamed

Thirteen plans kept their contract but changed their name. That can be confusing when your ID card arrives with different branding. In alphabetical order by carrier, here is what changed:

• Aetna Medicare Eagle Classic Giveback (PPO) — was Aetna Medicare Eagle Giveback (PPO)
• Aetna Medicare Elite Classic (PPO) — was Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO)
• Aetna Medicare Signature Classic Giveback (PPO) — was Aetna Medicare Signature Giveback (PPO)
• Aetna Medicare Signature Classic Plus (PPO) — was Aetna Medicare Signature Plus (PPO)
• Wellcare Arkansas Total Care Dual Access (HMO-POS D-SNP) — was Wellcare Dual Access (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• Wellcare Arkansas Total Care Dual Liberty (HMO-POS D-SNP) — was Wellcare Dual Liberty (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• Wellcare Arkansas Total Care Dual Reserve (HMO-POS D-SNP) — was Wellcare Dual Reserve (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE ENHANCED 007 AR (PPO C-SNP) — was DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE PREMIUM 007 AR (PPO C-SNP)
• Humana Essentials Plus Giveback (PPO) — was HumanaChoice Giveback H7617-056 (PPO)
• Humana Total Complete (HMO-POS) — was Humana Gold Plus H5619-111 (HMO-POS)
• Humana Value Choice (PPO) — was HumanaChoice H7617-066 (PPO)
• UHC Dual Advantage AR-V1 (PPO D-SNP) — was UHC Dual Complete AR-V001 (PPO D-SNP)
• UHC Dual Complete AR-Q1 (PPO D-SNP) — was UHC Dual Complete AR-S001 (PPO D-SNP)

A rename by itself does not affect your coverage, but the ANOC will tell you whether anything else moved along with the label.

How to decide

Even if your plan is continuing, next year is a good year to re-shop. Here is a straightforward way to work through it:

1. Pull out your ANOC and the letter, if any, saying your plan is not renewing. 2. List your doctors, hospitals, and every prescription you take (name, dose, how often). 3. On medicare.gov, use the Plan Finder for ZIP codes in Pulaski County to see every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan side by side. Enter your drugs — that is where next year's Part D changes really show up. 4. Keep in mind the 2026 program-level rules that carry into 2027: the Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 for 2026, the Part D maximum deductible is $615, the coverage gap is gone (Part D now has three phases), and the optional Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year. IRMAA surcharges start above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026. 5. If you want a second set of eyes,