Medicare Advantage
Before you pick a Cook County MA plan for 2027, read this
CHICAGO — As the fall 2026 Medicare Annual Enrollment Period opens, Chicago-area residents weighing a HealthSpring Medicare Advantage plan for 2027 have five plans to look through in Cook County, spanning HMO, HMO-POS and PPO designs, all offered with drug coverage. The window to switch runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, with any change taking effect January 1, 2027.
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Key takeaways
- HealthSpring offers five Medicare Advantage plans in Cook County for 2027 — two HMOs, one HMO-POS and two PPOs — and all five include drug coverage.
- HealthSpring is not adding new plans and is not dropping any plans in Cook County for 2027, but every renewing plan still sends an Annual Notice of Change you should read.
- The deadline to change plans for 2027 coverage is December 7, 2026; if you do nothing, your current plan simply renews.
- Use medicare.gov's Plan Finder or call 1-800-MEDICARE to check each plan against your doctors, pharmacies and prescriptions before you decide.
MyMedicarePlans.org is an independent consumer news and education site. We are not HealthSpring, and we are not Medicare. The plan names below come from the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source File for plan year 2027.
HealthSpring's 2027 lineup in Cook County
Chicago is in Cook County, where plan availability is set by Medicare at the county level. For 2027, CMS lists five HealthSpring Medicare Advantage plans in the county:
- HealthSpring Preferred (HMO)
- HealthSpring Preferred Savings (HMO)
- HealthSpring Premier (HMO-POS)
- HealthSpring True Choice (PPO)
- HealthSpring True Choice Savings (PPO)
All five include Part D drug coverage. CMS lists these plans under their parent organization, Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC); they are marketed as HealthSpring plans. The table below shows every plan by type and whether it includes drug coverage.
What is new, renamed or not returning
For 2027 in Cook County, HealthSpring has zero new Medicare Advantage plans, zero plans that are not returning, and zero renamed plans. In short, the lineup is the same five plans as before.
That does not mean nothing is changing. Every renewing plan can adjust its premium, deductible, copays, provider network, drug formulary and extra benefits from one year to the next. Those details are in the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) your plan mails out each fall — read it before December 7 so you know what your 2027 plan actually looks like.
Special Needs Plans and drug coverage
HealthSpring is not offering a Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP), Chronic Condition SNP (C-SNP) or Institutional SNP (I-SNP) in Cook County for 2027. If you qualify for a SNP based on Medicaid eligibility or a specific chronic condition, you would need to look at other carriers in the county.
All five HealthSpring plans here include Medicare Part D drug coverage, so you would not need a separate standalone drug plan if you enrolled in one of them.
How HealthSpring fits the wider Cook County picture
HealthSpring is one of 12 Medicare Advantage carriers offering plans in Cook County for 2027. Across all carriers, there are 67 Medicare Advantage plans available in the county. Naming the full field matters because it is a reminder: this article covers one carrier's lineup, not the whole market.
How to check a plan against your doctors and prescriptions before December 7
Plan details — what each one costs, which doctors are in network, which pharmacies are preferred, which drugs are on the formulary and at what tier — change every year and vary by plan. The reliable way to check them for yourself:
1. Go to medicare.gov and open the Plan Finder. Enter your ZIP code and your prescription list. 2. Filter to the specific HealthSpring plan you are considering and look at that plan's drug list and pharmacy network. 3. Open the plan's provider directory on the carrier's own site and search for each doctor and specialist you want to keep. Call the office to confirm — directories can lag. 4. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (available 24/7) if you want help walking through the comparison with a representative. 5. Read your current plan's ANOC side-by-side with any plan you are considering for 2027.
A few 2027 Medicare numbers worth knowing
Even if you do not change plans, two Part D numbers are shifting in 2027. The Part D out-of-pocket cap on covered drugs rises to $2,400 in 2027 (it is $2,100 in 2026). The maximum Part D deductible a plan can charge rises to $700 in 2027 (it is $615 in 2026). The Part D national base beneficiary premium for 2027 is $41.33 — that is a formula input Medicare uses, not what any specific plan charges.
CMS has not yet announced the 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible or the 2027 IRMAA income brackets. Those usually come out later in the fall. We will update once they are posted.
By the numbers
Medicare Part B premium, 2006–2026
The standard monthly Part B premium has climbed from $88.50 in 2006 to $202.90 in 2026. Hover any point for that year’s premium.
Source: CMS. Standard premium shown; in some hold-harmless years many existing enrollees paid less. Confirm at Medicare.gov.
By the numbers
How people get Medicare in Cook County
(MA penetration in Cook County)
MA penetration from CMS enrollment data; Medigap share is an estimate. U.S. average is about 54% Medicare Advantage. These are area-level figures, not plan-specific.
2027 plan lineup
HealthSpring Medicare Advantage plans in Cook County for 2027
CMS lists 5 HealthSpring Medicare Advantage plans in Cook County for 2027, alphabetically by carrier. 11 other carriers also offer plans there.
| Plan | Type | Drug coverage | For 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| HealthSpring 5 plans | |||
| HealthSpring Preferred (HMO) | HMO | Yes | Returning |
| HealthSpring Preferred Savings (HMO) | HMO | Yes | Returning |
| HealthSpring Premier (HMO-POS) | HMO-POS | Yes | Returning |
| HealthSpring True Choice (PPO) | PPO | Yes | Returning |
| HealthSpring True Choice Savings (PPO) | PPO | Yes | Returning |
Source: CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files, plan years 2026 and 2027. Plan availability is set at the county level. No plan is ranked or recommended; premiums, benefits, networks and star ratings are not shown. Plan details come from the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov or the plan itself.
The 2027 choices, by type
How HealthSpring Medicare Advantage plans in Cook County break down for 2027
HMO plans use a network and usually a primary-care doctor and referrals; HMO-POS plans add some out-of-network coverage; PPO plans also cover out-of-network care, at a higher share; PFFS plans pay any provider that accepts the plan’s terms. Special Needs Plans serve people with Medicare and Medicaid (D-SNP), certain chronic conditions (C-SNP) or living in an institution (I-SNP).
Source: CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files, plan years 2026 and 2027. Plan availability is set at the county level. No plan is ranked or recommended; premiums, benefits, networks and star ratings are not shown. Plan details come from the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov or the plan itself.
Key dates
Medicare enrollment periods at a glance
- Around your 65thInitial Enrollment PeriodA 7-month window around the month you turn 65 — your first chance to sign up.
- October 15 – December 7Annual Enrollment PeriodAnyone with Medicare can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.
- January 1 – March 31Medicare Advantage Open EnrollmentIf you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can make one change.
- January 1 – March 31General Enrollment PeriodFor people who missed their first chance to sign up for Part B.
- VariesSpecial Enrollment PeriodTriggered by life events like moving or losing other coverage.
Dates are set by Medicare and apply nationwide. Confirm your personal windows at Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.
Explore
When can you enroll? An interactive year
Enrollment windows are federal and the same nationwide. Confirm your personal dates at Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.
Explore
The parts of Medicare
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to do anything during Annual Enrollment if I like my HealthSpring plan?
Is HealthSpring dropping any Chicago-area plans for 2027?
Does HealthSpring offer a Special Needs Plan in Cook County?
What is the deadline to switch plans for 2027?
- CMS — MA Landscape Source File (plan-level availability by county)
- CMS — MA Landscape Source Files, current and coming plan year (year-over-year comparison)
- CMS — Medicare enrollment periods (medicare.gov)
For personalized answers, contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.
Also for Chicago
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This page was last updated: October 2026.