Medicare Advantage

Four new Medicare Advantage plans land in Boise for 2027: how to check one before Dec. 7

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 — Shoppers in Ada County will see four Medicare Advantage plans on the 2027 Medicare Plan Finder that were not sold here this year, part of the lineup that opens for the Annual Enrollment Period running October 15 through December 7, 2026. Three come with drug coverage built in, one does not, and one is a Dual Special Needs Plan. Because none of them has a 2026 track record in Ada County, the way you vet them is a little different from checking a plan you already know.

What Medicare Advantage plans are new in Boise for 2027?

Four Medicare Advantage plans are new in Ada County, which includes Boise, for the 2027 plan year, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source File. They are offered by three carriers. Listed in alphabetical order by carrier, with plan type and drug coverage:

• PacificSource Medicare Idaho Basic (HMO-POS) — HMO-POS; without drug coverage
• PacificSource Medicare River Select Rx (HMO-POS) — HMO-POS; with drug coverage
• St. Luke's Advantage Rx 01 (HMO) — HMO; with drug coverage
• UHC Dual Complete ID-YL (HMO-POS D-SNP) — HMO-POS D-SNP; with drug coverage

The table below lists every Medicare Advantage plan offered in the county for 2027, new and renewing.

Which carriers are adding plans in Ada County this year?

Three carriers are adding plans for 2027 in the county Boise sits in. PacificSource Medicare is adding two plans, St. Luke's Health Plan is adding one, and UnitedHealthcare is adding one. St. Luke's Health Plan is a name worth noting because it marks a locally based carrier adding to the Ada County lineup for 2027.

Overall, the county's 2027 landscape is a mix of movement: 4 plans are new, 5 are renamed versions of plans sold in 2026, and 9 plans offered in 2026 are not returning in 2027. If one of your plans is in the "renamed" group, your carrier will spell out the change in your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), the yellow-and-white packet mailed by late September.

Are any of the new Boise plans Special Needs Plans, and do they include drug coverage?

Yes — one of the four new plans for Ada County is a Special Needs Plan. UHC Dual Complete ID-YL (HMO-POS D-SNP) is a Dual Special Needs Plan, meaning it is designed for people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. Eligibility rules are set by Medicare and Idaho Medicaid, not by the plan.

On drug coverage, three of the four new plans include Part D built in: PacificSource Medicare River Select Rx (HMO-POS), St. Luke's Advantage Rx 01 (HMO), and UHC Dual Complete ID-YL (HMO-POS D-SNP). The fourth, PacificSource Medicare Idaho Basic (HMO-POS), does not include drug coverage. If you enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan without Part D, your options for adding stand-alone drug coverage are limited, so read the plan materials carefully before you decide.

How is picking a new plan different from staying with a renewing one?

The difference is simple: a renewing plan has a 2026 Star Rating and a track record you can look up. A plan new for 2027 does not have a Star Rating yet because Star Ratings are built from past performance data. That is a program fact, not a reason to pick or skip a plan.

With a renewing plan, you already know how its network treats your clinic and whether your prescriptions have been covered. With a new plan, you have to confirm those things from scratch using the 2027 materials. Even a renewing plan can change networks, formularies and cost-sharing from one year to the next — that is what the ANOC exists to tell you — so the vetting steps overlap more than you might expect.

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

Use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov. It is the one tool that pulls together the 2027 provider directory and 2027 drug formulary for every plan sold in your ZIP code. A practical order of operations:

1. Make a short list: your doctors and clinics (primary care, any specialists, your preferred Boise-area hospital system), and every prescription you take with its dose and how often. 2. Enter your ZIP code and drugs at medicare.gov/plan-compare. The tool will show which plans cover each drug and at what tier. 3. For each plan you are considering, open its 2027 provider directory from the plan's own website and search for each doctor by name. For a brand-new plan, this directory is the only way to confirm your providers are in network for 2027. 4. Call your doctor's billing office and ask directly: "Will you be in-network for this specific plan name in 2027?" Directories can lag. 5. If you take a specialty or brand-name drug, call the plan's member services line (listed on medicare.gov) and ask whether it requires prior authorization or step therapy. 6. If you prefer to talk it through, call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), open 24/7.

For 2027, the Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026) and the Part D maximum deductible rises to $700 (up from $615 in 2026). The 2027 Part B standard premium and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets have not been announced yet; CMS typically publishes them later in the fall.

What happens if I do nothing by December 7?

Nothing happens to you automatically — your current plan renews on January 1, 2027 if the carrier is offering it, with whatever changes are described in your ANOC. If your 2026 plan is one of the 9 in Ada County not returning for 2027, you will get a non-renewal letter from the carrier, and you have a Special Enrollment Period to pick a new plan. If your plan is being renamed, it is still the same contract — just under a new name — and the ANOC will say so.

The Annual Enrollment Period ends December 7, 2026. If you enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan and change your mind, there is also a Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31, 2027, when you can switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan or go back to Original Medicare once.