Medicare Advantage

Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicare Advantage in Illinois for 2027: 2 Plans

For the 2027 plan year, Blue Cross and Blue Shield — which CMS groups under Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC) — is offering 2 Medicare Advantage plans across Illinois, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files for CY2027. Both plans include prescription drug coverage. This article is published by an independent Medicare education site; we are not the government, not affiliated with any government agency, and not the carrier.

Because Medicare Advantage plans are offered county by county, a plan listed on a statewide roster may or may not be available where you live. The notes below are meant to help you read the full table on this page and know what to check before the Annual Enrollment Period closes on December 7, 2026.

What Blue Cross and Blue Shield offers in Illinois for 2027

Across Illinois, Blue Cross and Blue Shield's 2027 Medicare Advantage lineup totals 2 plans. By plan type, that breaks down as 1 HMO and 1 HMO-POS. Both plans include Part D prescription drug coverage.

The carrier is not listing any Special Needs Plans in Illinois for 2027: 0 Dual-Eligible SNPs (D-SNP), 0 Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNP), and 0 Institutional SNPs (I-SNP). Shoppers who were specifically looking for a Blue Cross and Blue Shield SNP in Illinois will not find one in the 2027 CMS file and will need to look at other carriers or plan categories.

For context, 12 other carriers offer Medicare Advantage plans in Illinois for 2027, and all carriers together list 139 plans statewide. The full set is shown in the carrier and plan tables elsewhere on this page.

Plans with the widest county reach

The two Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Illinois for 2027, ordered by the number of counties where each is offered, are:

• Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Basic (HMO-POS) — listed by CMS as HMO, with drug coverage, offered in 4 counties. This plan was renamed for 2027 (previously Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Basic (HMO)).
• Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Select (HMO-POS) — HMO-POS, with drug coverage, new for 2027, offered in 2 counties.

Because county footprints are narrow — 4 counties and 2 counties — many Illinois residents will see neither plan on their Medicare.gov results. That is normal: Medicare Advantage is a county-by-county product, and the statewide list simply tells you what exists somewhere in Illinois.

What's new, what's returning

For 2027, Blue Cross and Blue Shield has 1 new Medicare Advantage plan in Illinois: Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Select (HMO-POS). The other plan on the roster, Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Basic (HMO-POS), is a returning plan that was renamed from Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Basic (HMO).

The CMS file we are using does not provide a figure for plans this carrier is discontinuing in Illinois for 2027, so none is stated here. If you are currently in a Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicare Advantage plan, the most reliable way to confirm whether your specific contract and plan number is continuing — and under what name — is to read the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) the plan mails each fall, then compare it with the 2027 listing on Medicare.gov.

Checking whether a plan is offered in your county — and covers your doctors and prescriptions

A statewide list is a starting point, not an answer. To see what is actually available where you live, and what any given plan covers:

1. Go to medicare.gov and open the Medicare Plan Finder. Enter your ZIP code so results are filtered to your county. 2. Look for the specific plan name — for example, Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Basic (HMO-POS) or Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Select (HMO-POS). If it does not appear, it is not offered in your county for 2027. 3. For any plan you are considering, check the provider directory to see whether your doctors, specialists, and preferred hospitals are in network. 4. Use the plan's formulary (drug list) to confirm each of your prescriptions is covered, and note any coverage rules. 5. Read the plan's Evidence of Coverage for the full picture of rules, referrals, and service area.

You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to confirm what is offered in your county and request plan materials.

What to do before December 7

The Annual Enrollment Period for 2027 coverage runs October 15 through December 7, 2026. Elections made during that window take effect January 1, 2027. A practical checklist:

• Read your current plan's ANOC and compare 2026 to 2027.
• Make a list of your doctors, hospitals, and prescription drugs (with doses).
• On Medicare.gov, enter your ZIP code and compare every plan available in your county — not just plans from one carrier.
• Confirm your providers are in network and your medications are on the formulary for any plan you are considering.
• Save your confirmation number if you enroll online, or the representative ID if you enroll by phone.

If you take no action, in most cases your current plan simply continues into 2027 under its 2027 terms — which is why reading the ANOC matters even when you are satisfied.

Where to get free help

• Medicare.gov — the official site for plan comparisons, enrollment, formularies, and provider directory links.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY 1-877-486-2048 — official help, 24/7.
• The plan's own Evidence of Coverage and provider/pharmacy directories — the authoritative source for benefits, rules, networks, and drug lists.