Medicare Advantage

Chicago Medicare Advantage changes for 2027: 17 plans leaving, 6 new, and what members should do

For 2027, Cook County is looking at 58 Medicare Advantage plans from 11 carriers: 6 new, 17 gone since 2026, and 21 continuing plans changing something in their terms, with 9 more continuing under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Cook County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

CHICAGO — If you have a Medicare Advantage plan in Chicago, this fall's mail is worth opening carefully. According to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape files comparing 2026 and 2027, 17 plans offered in Cook County this year will not return in 2027, six new plans are joining the lineup, and nine plans are keeping the same coverage under a new name. Another 21 plans are changing on details like premium, deductible, plan type or name, and 52 are continuing as-is.

That means many Chicago-area members will see something different when their Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) arrives — and the Annual Enrollment Period, October 15 through December 7, is the main window to act.

What's changing in Cook County for 2027

Chicago is in Cook County, and Medicare Advantage availability is set at the county level. Comparing the 2026 and 2027 CMS Landscape files for Cook County, here is what shifts next year:

• 17 plans leaving after Dec. 31, 2026
• 6 plans new for 2027
• 9 plans renamed (same plan, new name on your card and paperwork)
• 21 plans changing on premium, deductible, plan type or name — the ANOC has the specifics
• 52 plans continuing without those changes

One carrier is exiting the county entirely: Clear Spring Health will not offer Medicare Advantage plans in Cook County in 2027. Members of its plans will need to choose something else during the Annual Enrollment Period or use the Special Enrollment Period described below.

The table below lists every plan available in Cook County for 2027.

Plans not returning in 2027

If you're in one of these plans, your coverage ends Dec. 31, 2026, and you'll need to make a new choice. In alphabetical order by carrier:

• Aetna (CVS Health): Aetna Medicare Prime Chronic Total (HMO C-SNP)
• Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC): Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Basic Plus (HMO-POS); Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Choice Plus (PPO); Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Choice Premier (PPO); Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Premier Plus (HMO-POS); Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Secure (HMO)
• Centene (WellCare): Wellcare Patriot Giveback (HMO); Wellcare Simple Essential (HMO); Wellcare Simple Value (HMO-POS)
• Clear Spring Health: Clear Spring Health Balance+ Diabetes & Heart (HMO C-SNP); Clear Spring Health BrightPath Advantage (HMO) (two contract IDs)
• Humana: Humana Full Access H5216-412 (PPO); Humana Full Access H7617-009 (PPO); Humana USAA Honor Giveback (PPO)
• Molina Healthcare of Illinois: Molina Medicare Choice Care (HMO); Molina Medicare Complete Care Plus (HMO D-SNP)

If your plan is on this list, watch for a non-renewal notice from your insurer. That notice is your ticket to a Special Enrollment Period.

New plans for 2027

Six plans are joining the Cook County lineup for 2027:

• Aetna (CVS Health): Aetna Medicare Prime Extra Care (HMO)
• Centene (WellCare): Wellcare Simple Exclusive Value (HMO-POS)
• Devoted Health: DEVOTED C-SNP GIVEBACK EXTRAS 007 IL (HMO C-SNP); DEVOTED GIVEBACK EXTRAS 008 IL (HMO)
• Molina Healthcare of Illinois: Molina Medicare Complete Care Plus (HMO D-SNP)
• UnitedHealthcare: AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx IL-MA2 (HMO-POS)

Plans that got a new name

Nine plans are keeping their coverage but changing what they're called. If a plan below looks unfamiliar on your ANOC, that may be why:

• Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Basic (HMO-POS) — was Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Basic (HMO)
• Wellcare Simple Essential (HMO) — was Wellcare Simple Essential Value (HMO)
• DEVOTED C-SNP ENHANCED 005 IL (HMO C-SNP) — was DEVOTED C-SNP PREMIUM 005 IL (HMO C-SNP)
• Humana Essentials Plus Giveback (HMO) — was Humana Gold Plus Giveback H1468-021 (HMO)
• Humana Total Complete (HMO) — was Humana Gold Plus H1468-013 (HMO)
• Humana Value Choice (PPO) — was HumanaChoice H5216-251 (PPO)
• Humana Value Choice (PPO) — was HumanaChoice H7617-018 (PPO)
• Zing Select Care IL (HMO) — was Zing Choice IL (HMO)
• Zing Select Diabetes & Heart IL (HMO C-SNP) — was Zing Essential Wellness Diabetes & Heart IL (HMO C-SNP)

A renamed plan is still a change worth reviewing. Even if the name is the only thing different, other details can move too — that's what the ANOC exists to show you.

What to do if your plan is leaving

If your Medicare Advantage plan will not be offered in 2027, Medicare gives you a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) that runs from Dec. 8, 2026 through the end of February 2027. During that SEP you can:

• Join a different Medicare Advantage plan (with or without drug coverage), or
• Return to Original Medicare and sign up for a standalone Part D drug plan.

You don't have to wait for the SEP — you can also make the switch during the Annual Enrollment Period, Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026, which is the simpler path if you're already reviewing your options.

If your plan is continuing but the ANOC shows changes you don't like, you have two windows: the Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7) and the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (Jan. 1 – March 31), when current Advantage members can switch once to another Advantage plan or drop back to Original Medicare with a Part D plan.

A few program figures worth knowing

While you compare options, keep these program-level numbers in mind for the 2026 plan year (they apply everywhere, not just Chicago):

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026 ($2,400 in 2027) for the year.
• Part D maximum deductible: $615 in 2026 ($700 in 2027).
• The coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone as of 2025 — Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly amounts.
• IRMAA income-based surcharges start above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026.

Where to get personalized help

For a decision this specific, use the official tools:

• medicare.gov/plan-compare — enter your ZIP code and prescriptions to see every plan in Cook County side-by-side.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), available 24/7.
• Illinois SHIP (Senior Health Insurance Program) — free, unbiased one-on-one counseling for Illinois Medicare beneficiaries.