Medicare Advantage

Fort Myers Medicare 2027: how big the Lee County lineup really is

For 2027, Fort Myers is looking at 67 Medicare Advantage plans: 13 new, 24 gone since 2026, and 35 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 12 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Lee County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

Medicare AdvantageFort Myers, FL

FORT MYERS, Fla. — If you are shopping for Medicare coverage in Southwest Florida this fall, the local menu has shifted. Fort Myers sits in Lee County, where 55 Medicare Advantage plans are on offer for 2027, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Plan Finder data. Eleven different carriers are selling Medicare Advantage plans in the county, with Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC) not returning and Devoted Health new to the area.

The Fort Myers Medicare picture, by the numbers

That is a lot to sort through, especially in a county where more than 236,000 residents are age 65 or older. This article is about the size of the choice set — how many options a Fort Myers shopper is actually looking at — not which plan to pick.

What "78 plans" actually means

Medicare Advantage availability is set at the county level, not the city level. So when you see "78 plans in Fort Myers," what CMS is really saying is that 78 Medicare Advantage plans are offered somewhere in Lee County, and Fort Myers residents can choose among them.

That number counts each plan separately. One carrier may offer several plans — an HMO, a PPO, a special needs plan for people with certain chronic conditions, and so on. Ten carriers offering 78 plans works out to an average of roughly eight plans per carrier, though in practice some carriers offer many more options than others.

Stand-alone Part D in the county

The county file for this snapshot does not list stand-alone Part D prescription drug plans as a separate category. That does not mean Fort Myers residents cannot get drug coverage. Stand-alone Part D plans are sold on a regional basis across Florida, and most Medicare Advantage plans in Lee County already bundle drug coverage in.

If you stay with Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) and want drug coverage, you would look at Part D plans available in Florida's Part D region on medicare.gov. If you go with a Medicare Advantage plan that already includes drugs (an MA-PD), you generally cannot also enroll in a stand-alone Part D plan.

Star Ratings in the local market

CMS publishes Star Ratings each fall to give people a general quality signal about Medicare Advantage and Part D contracts. Ratings can change year to year, and a contract can cover multiple plans across multiple states, so it is worth checking the current rating for any specific plan on medicare.gov before you enroll.

Star Ratings are one input among several. They are not a recommendation, and CMS does not tell you which plan to pick.

Program facts for 2027 that apply everywhere, including Fort Myers

A few Medicare rules are set nationally and matter no matter which of the 78 plans you consider:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your covered drug spending hits that amount, you pay nothing for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D maximum deductible can be no higher than $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027.
• The old "donut hole" coverage gap was eliminated in 2025. Part D now has three phases (deductible, initial coverage, catastrophic).
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly payments instead of paying at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA surcharges — higher Part B and Part D premiums for higher earners — begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Dates to circle

• Oct. 15 – Dec. 7: Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. This is when most people compare, switch, or drop Medicare Advantage and Part D plans. Coverage starts Jan. 1.
• Jan. 1 – Mar. 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment. If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can make one change during this window.

How to work through 78 options without losing your afternoon

Seventy-eight is a lot, but you rarely need to look at all of them. Most Fort Myers shoppers narrow the list quickly by asking three questions:

1. Are my doctors and preferred hospitals in the plan's network? 2. Are my prescriptions on the plan's formulary, and at what tier? 3. Do I want an HMO structure (usually a tighter network with referrals) or a PPO (usually broader, with higher out-of-network costs)?

Medicare.gov's Plan Finder lets you plug in your ZIP code and your drug list and filter directly. If you would rather talk to a human at no cost, Florida's SHINE program — Florida's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) — provides free, unbiased counseling to Medicare beneficiaries.