Medicare Advantage

Before December 7: how to weigh Ada County's 27 plans

For 2027, Boise is looking at 27 Medicare Advantage plans: 4 new, 9 gone since 2026, and 15 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 5 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Ada County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

Boise, Idaho — Fall 2026 is the stretch when Medicare Advantage shoppers do their homework. The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and any choice you make takes effect January 1, 2027. If you do nothing, your current plan simply renews next year — but only if it is coming back, and only with the changes spelled out in your plan's Annual Notice of Change (ANOC).

For Boise residents, 2027 brings a tighter lineup and a few new faces. Here is a plain, step-by-step way to compare what's on the table before the December 7 deadline.

How many Medicare Advantage plans are offered in Boise for 2027?

Boise is in Ada County, where 27 Medicare Advantage plans from 7 carriers will be offered for 2027. By plan type, that is 8 HMO, 8 HMO-POS and 11 PPO. 21 of the 27 plans include Part D drug coverage.

That is a smaller lineup than 2026, when the county had 32 plans. For 2027, 9 plans are not returning, 4 are new, and some have been renamed — your ANOC will say which category your plan falls into.

The seven carriers for 2027, in alphabetical order, are: American Health Advantage of Utah (1), Blue Cross of Idaho (4), Humana (9), Molina Healthcare of Utah & Idaho (1), PacificSource Medicare (2), St. Luke's Health Plan (1), and UnitedHealthcare (9). St. Luke's Health Plan is new to the county roster this year. The table below lists every plan.

What Special Needs Plans are available in Ada County for 2027?

Ada County will have 8 Special Needs Plans (SNPs) in 2027: 4 Dual-Eligible SNPs (D-SNP) for people with both Medicare and Medicaid, 3 Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNP) for people with specific conditions such as diabetes or heart disease, and 1 Institutional SNP (I-SNP) for people living in long-term care.

SNPs are a type of Medicare Advantage plan with enrollment limited to people who meet the plan's criteria. If you qualify, they can be worth a close look because benefits and drug lists are built around that group.

What's new in Boise's 2027 Medicare Advantage lineup?

The 2027 Ada County roster is slightly smaller and reshuffled: 4 new plans, 9 not returning, and 5 renamed. If your plan is on the "not returning" list, your current carrier will send a non-renewal letter in early October, and you have a Special Enrollment Period to pick a new plan.

On the program side, two 2027 Part D figures are confirmed: the out-of-pocket drug cost cap rises to $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026), and the maximum Part D deductible a plan can charge rises to $700 (up from $615 in 2026). The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, have not yet been published — CMS typically releases those in the fall.

How should I compare Medicare Advantage plans in Boise step by step?

Work through the same five checks for every plan on your short list. The order matters: start with what would be hardest to replace.

1. Read your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). Your current plan mailed this by late September. It lists every change for 2027 — premium, deductible, copays, drug tiers, extra benefits and network changes. If nothing in the ANOC bothers you, you may be fine to stay put.

2. Check your doctors and hospitals. Log in to each plan's online provider directory, or call the plan, and confirm your primary care doctor, specialists and preferred hospital are in-network for 2027. Networks can change year to year. In Boise, this matters most if you use a specific health system; HMO plans generally require you to stay in-network except for emergencies, while PPO plans let you go out-of-network at a higher cost.

3. Price your prescriptions. On the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov/plan-compare, enter each drug, dose and the pharmacy you use. The tool shows the total yearly cost — premium plus drug costs — for every plan that covers your medications. This is usually where plans differ most.

4. Check your pharmacy. A plan can have a preferred pharmacy network where your copays are lower. Make sure your pharmacy is in-network, and ideally preferred.

5. Look at the extras you'll actually use. Dental, vision, hearing, over-the-counter allowances and fitness benefits vary a lot between plans. Only count the ones you will realistically use.

If drug costs are a worry, note that the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your 2027 out-of-pocket drug costs across the year in monthly bills instead of paying at the pharmacy counter.

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

If you take no action by December 7, 2026, and your current plan is being offered again in 2027, you stay enrolled — with the changes in your ANOC applied automatically on January 1, 2027. If your plan is one of the 9 not returning in Ada County, you'll get a non-renewal letter and have until the end of February 2027 to pick a new Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare with a Part D plan.

There is also the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 through March 31, 2027, when people already in a Medicare Advantage plan can make one change — switch to another MA plan or go back to Original Medicare.