Medicare Advantage

Springdale Medicare 2027: Washington County

In Springdale, the 2027 Medicare season brings a wide field of choices. Washington County residents shopping during this fall's Annual Enrollment Period will choose among the 2027 Medicare Advantage lineup, which is detailed in each plan's Annual Notice of Change and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. For 2026, CMS Landscape files listed 68 Medicare Advantage plans in Washington County, home to roughly 31,687 people age 65 and older. The homework is less about "is there a plan?" and more about "which of these fits me?"

How many Medicare choices does Springdale actually have?

Medicare plan availability is set at the county level, not the city level. Springdale sits mostly in Washington County (with a smaller piece in Benton County), so the counts here reflect what a Washington County ZIP code will pull up on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder.

For 2026, Washington County has:

• 68 Medicare Advantage plans available to shop.
• 9 carriers offering Medicare Advantage with prescription drug coverage (MA-PD).
• 0 stand-alone Part D plans listed at the county level in the current Landscape data — a reminder to double-check drug coverage carefully if you're staying on Original Medicare.
• 0 contracts rated 4 stars or higher in the 2026 local Landscape snapshot, which simply means Star Ratings shouldn't be your only filter.

Sixty-eight is a lot of options. That's good news for choice, but it can feel like a wall of noise if you try to compare them all at once.

What the numbers do — and don't — tell you

An availability count is just that: how many plans a Washington County resident is allowed to enroll in. It doesn't tell you:

• Which doctors or hospitals are in a given plan's network.
• Whether your specific prescriptions are covered.
• What a plan will cost you personally.

Those answers depend on the plan you pick and your own situation. The count is a starting point, not a shortcut.

Key 2027 rules every Springdale shopper should know

A few program-wide changes take effect in 2027 that apply no matter which plan you choose:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026 ($2,400 in 2027). Once your covered drug spending hits that number, you pay $0 for covered prescriptions the rest of the year.
• Part D deductible ceiling: $615 in 2026 ($700 in 2027). No Part D plan can charge a drug deductible higher than that.
• No more "donut hole." As of 2025, Part D has three phases instead of four. That structure continues in 2027.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. This optional program lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly installments instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA. Higher-income beneficiaries pay a surcharge on Part B and Part D premiums. For 2026, IRMAA starts above $109,000 in income for a single filer.

Enrollment 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. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance to switch to another MA plan or return to Original Medicare (and add a Part D plan).

Missing these windows usually means waiting a full year, so mark the calendar.

How to narrow 68 plans down to one

A practical approach most counselors suggest:

1. List your doctors and pharmacies. Network is often the biggest factor. 2. List your prescriptions with dosages. Formularies vary widely. 3. Use the Plan Finder at medicare.gov. It will match your ZIP, drugs, and pharmacies against every plan available in Washington County. 4. Ask for help. Arkansas SHIIP (State Health Insurance Information Program) offers free, unbiased counseling.