Medicare Advantage

What’s Changing in Delaware Medicare Advantage for 2027: 3 Plans Leaving, 14 Changing

DOVER, Del. — Delaware's Medicare Advantage lineup is shifting again for the 2027 plan year. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Advantage Landscape files, the state will go from 37 plans offered somewhere in Delaware in 2026 to 38 in 2027. Three plans available somewhere in the state this year will not be offered anywhere in Delaware next year, 14 plans that continue will differ in at least one county on premium, drug deductible, plan type or name, four plans are new, and 20 continue unchanged.

Medicare AdvantageDelaware

All three Delaware counties — New Castle, Kent and Sussex — will see at least one plan leave or change. Here is what the numbers mean, what to watch for in the mail this fall, and the dates that matter.

What the statewide numbers mean

Each fall, CMS publishes Landscape Source Files that list every Medicare Advantage plan offered in each county for the current and coming plan years. Comparing the 2026 and 2027 files for Delaware shows 37 plans offered somewhere in the state for 2026 and 38 for 2027.

In the CMS files, a plan is counted as "leaving" when it is offered somewhere in Delaware for 2026 but nowhere in Delaware for 2027. Three plans fall into that category. A plan is counted as "changing" when it is offered in both years but differs in at least one county on premium, drug deductible, plan type or name. Fourteen plans fall into that category. Four plans are new for 2027, and 20 continue unchanged. Each plan is counted once statewide, no matter how many counties it serves.

Those categories matter because they determine what shows up in your mailbox and what you need to do about it.

If your plan is leaving

If your 2026 Medicare Advantage plan is one of the three not being offered in Delaware for 2027, your carrier is required to notify you in writing. You will not be automatically moved into another Medicare Advantage plan by CMS. Without action, you would return to Original Medicare on January 1, 2027.

Because the plan is not renewing, you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) that runs through the end of February 2027. During that window you can join a different Medicare Advantage plan or make other coverage choices tied to the non-renewal. You can also use the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7, 2026) to pick a 2027 plan that takes effect January 1.

If your plan is changing

Fourteen plans will be offered in both 2026 and 2027 but will differ in at least one Delaware county on premium, drug deductible, plan type or name in the CMS file. If your plan is one of them, your carrier will mail you an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) in the fall. The ANOC is the official document that spells out exactly what is different for next year in your plan — the specifics are there, not in a news article.

If you do nothing, you stay enrolled in your plan for 2027 with the changes described in the ANOC. If something in the ANOC does not work for you, the Annual Enrollment Period is your time to switch.

The counties with the most change

All 3 of Delaware's 3 counties see at least one plan leave or change. From the CMS Landscape comparison:

• New Castle County: 3 plans leaving, 13 plans changing.
• Sussex County: 5 plans leaving, 11 plans changing.
• Kent County: 2 plans leaving, 10 plans changing.

A plan that serves more than one county is counted in each county where it is offered, so these county totals are not meant to add up to the statewide figures. The statewide counts above (3 leaving, 14 changing) count each plan once.

What to do before December 7

A short checklist for Delaware beneficiaries this fall:

1. Watch the mail in September and October. If your plan is continuing, you will get an ANOC. If your plan is leaving, you will get a non-renewal notice. 2. Read the ANOC carefully. It describes everything the CMS file flags as different: premium, drug deductible, plan type or name, plus other plan details for 2027. 3. Check that your doctors, hospitals and prescriptions are still covered under the 2027 version of the plan. 4. Use the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7, 2026) to switch if you want a different plan. Your choice takes effect January 1, 2027. 5. If your plan is not renewed, remember the SEP runs through the end of February 2027 — but you can still act during the Annual Enrollment Period if you prefer.

Where to get free help

You do not have to sort through this alone, and you do not have to pay anyone to help you compare plans.

• Medicare.gov has the official Plan Finder, which uses the same CMS Landscape data to show what is available at your ZIP code for 2027.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Delaware's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) offers free, unbiased, one-on-one Medicare counseling to Delaware residents.