Medicare Advantage

Orlando's new Medicare Advantage plans for 2027: who is adding what, and how to check one

People in Orlando can choose from 106 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 123 this year. 33 of this year’s plans are gone, 16 are new to Orange County, and 46 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 16 of them under a new name.

ORLANDO — When the Annual Enrollment Period opens on October 15, 2026, Orange County shoppers will see 16 Medicare Advantage plans that were not on the shelf a year ago. They are coming from eight carriers, and because they are brand new, none of them has a Star Rating history or a year of member reviews behind it yet. That makes it worth looking a little closer before you pick one for your 2027 coverage.

This article walks through the new plans carrier by carrier, flags which ones are Special Needs Plans, notes which include drug coverage, and shows how to check a plan against your own doctors and prescriptions before the December 7, 2026 deadline.

What is new for 2027 in Orlando's Medicare Advantage lineup?

Orlando is in Orange County, where CMS Landscape data shows 16 Medicare Advantage plans are new for 2027 — meaning they were not offered for 2026. They sit inside a wider lineup of 106 plans for next year, alongside 33 plans that are not returning and 16 that are being renamed.

"New" here has a specific meaning: the plan did not exist in this county for 2026. It may come from a carrier that already sells here or from one entering the county for the first time. Every number in this article comes from the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files for 2026 and 2027.

Which carriers are adding new Medicare Advantage plans in Orange County for 2027?

Eight carriers are adding plans in Orange County for 2027. In alphabetical order, with the number of new plans each is offering:

• Align Senior Care — 2 new plans
• AmeriHealth Caritas VIP Care (HMO-D-SNP) — 1 new plan
• Centene (WellCare) — 3 new plans
• Devoted Health — 1 new plan
• Doctors HealthCare Plans, Inc. — 3 new plans
• Elevance Health (Anthem) — 2 new plans
• Humana — 2 new plans
• UnitedHealthcare — 2 new plans

AmeriHealth Caritas VIP Care is the only carrier on this list that did not appear in Orange County's 2026 Medicare Advantage lineup; the others are expanding an existing menu. The full table on this page lists every 2027 plan, new or returning.

What are the names of the 16 new plans for 2027?

Here are the 16 new Medicare Advantage plans for Orange County in 2027, listed in alphabetical order by carrier, with plan type and whether they include drug coverage. Every one of them includes Part D.

• Premier Care (HMO I-SNP) — Align Senior Care; HMO I-SNP; with drug coverage
• Senior Care (HMO I-SNP) — Align Senior Care; HMO I-SNP; with drug coverage
• AmeriHealth Caritas VIP Care (HMO D-SNP) — AmeriHealth Caritas VIP Care; HMO D-SNP; with drug coverage
• Wellcare Sunshine Health Dual Access (HMO-POS D-SNP) — Centene (WellCare); HMO-POS D-SNP; with drug coverage
• Wellcare Sunshine Health Dual Align (HMO D-SNP) — Centene (WellCare); HMO D-SNP; with drug coverage
• Wellcare Sunshine Health Dual Align Unity (HMO D-SNP) — Centene (WellCare); HMO D-SNP; with drug coverage
• DEVOTED GIVEBACK EXTRAS 113 FL (HMO) — Devoted Health; HMO; with drug coverage
• DrExtraCare-CFL (HMO C-SNP) — Doctors HealthCare Plans, Inc.; HMO C-SNP; with drug coverage
• DrPartialDual-CFL (HMO D-SNP) — Doctors HealthCare Plans, Inc.; HMO D-SNP; with drug coverage
• DrSelect-CFL (HMO) — Doctors HealthCare Plans, Inc.; HMO; with drug coverage
• Simply Complete Platinum (HMO D-SNP) — Elevance Health (Anthem); HMO D-SNP; with drug coverage
• Simply Integrated Platinum (HMO D-SNP) — Elevance Health (Anthem); HMO D-SNP; with drug coverage
• Humana Dual Integrated (PPO D-SNP) — Humana; PPO D-SNP; with drug coverage
• Humana Essentials Plus Giveback (PPO) — Humana; PPO; with drug coverage
• AARP Medicare Advantage Giveback from UHC FL-40 (HMO-POS) — UnitedHealthcare; HMO-POS; with drug coverage
• UHC Dual Complete FL-Y5 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — UnitedHealthcare; HMO-POS D-SNP; with drug coverage

How many of the new Orlando plans are Special Needs Plans, and what does that mean?

Of the 16 new plans in Orange County for 2027, most are Special Needs Plans (SNPs). SNPs are limited to people who meet one of three criteria:

• D-SNP (Dual Eligible): you have both Medicare and Medicaid.
• C-SNP (Chronic Condition): you have a qualifying condition such as diabetes, heart disease, or COPD.
• I-SNP (Institutional): you live in a long-term care setting or need that level of care at home.

Among the new plans above, you will see HMO D-SNP, HMO-POS D-SNP, PPO D-SNP, HMO C-SNP, and HMO I-SNP labels. If you do not qualify for the specific SNP category, you cannot enroll in it, even if the plan is listed in your area.

The non-SNP new plans — DEVOTED GIVEBACK EXTRAS 113 FL (HMO), DrSelect-CFL (HMO), Humana Essentials Plus Giveback (PPO), and AARP Medicare Advantage Giveback from UHC FL-40 (HMO-POS) — are open to anyone eligible for Medicare Advantage in Orange County.

How is a brand-new Medicare Advantage plan different from one that is renewing?

A new plan looks the same as any other on medicare.gov — it has a plan name, a benefits summary, a drug formulary, and a provider network. What it does not have, by definition, is history. CMS Star Ratings are calculated from past claims, member surveys, and quality measures, so a plan in its first year is shown without an overall Star Rating until enough data accumulates.

That is a program fact, not a verdict. A new plan may be very similar to one the same carrier already runs here, or it may be structured differently. The practical difference for you is that you cannot look up what current members say about it or how it was rated last year. You have to read what the plan itself documents — the Summary of Benefits and the Evidence of Coverage — and check the specifics against your own care.

A renewing plan, by contrast, will send its current members an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) each September. That document spells out what is changing for 2027 compared with 2026 — premium, copays, drug tiers, networks. If you are already in a plan that is returning, read the ANOC before you decide whether to stay or switch.

How do I check a new plan against my doctors and prescriptions before December 7?

Use the Plan Finder at medicare.gov. The steps are the same whether a plan is new or renewing:

1. Enter your ZIP code and answer the questions about your Medicaid status, if any. 2. Add every prescription you take, with the dose and how often you fill it. The tool will estimate your annual drug costs for each plan's formulary. 3. Add your preferred pharmacies — many plans have preferred and standard pharmacy tiers. 4. Open each plan you are considering and look at the provider directory link, then search your doctors and hospitals by name. For a new plan, call the plan directly if you cannot confirm a provider online — directories update throughout the year. 5. Confirm that your specific medications are on the formulary and note any prior authorization, step therapy, or quantity limits attached to them.

If you prefer to talk to someone, call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A few 2027 figures that apply across all Part D and Medicare Advantage drug coverage: the Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,400 for 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026), and the Part D maximum deductible is $700 for 2027 (up from $615 in 2026). The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, along with the IRMAA brackets, have not yet been announced; CMS typically publishes them later in the fall.

What happens if I do nothing by December 7, 2026?

Nothing dramatic. If your current plan is being offered again for 2027, you stay in it automatically, with whatever changes are described in your Annual Notice of Change. If your plan is one of the 33 not returning in Orange County, your carrier is required to notify you, and you will have a special enrollment window to pick a new plan. Original Medicare remains the fallback.

The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and any change you make takes effect January 1, 2027. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31) also gives Advantage members one more chance to switch Advantage plans or return to Original Medicare.