Medicare Advantage

Six new Medicare Advantage plans debut in Chicago for 2027: how to vet one before Dec. 7

For 2027, Chicago is looking at 67 Medicare Advantage plans: 6 new, 17 gone since 2026, and 30 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 9 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Cook County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

CHICAGO — When the Annual Enrollment Period opens Oct. 15, 2026, Cook County shoppers will see six Medicare Advantage plans on the shelf that were not sold here for 2026. They are brand-new entries for the 2027 plan year, which starts Jan. 1, and they come from five carriers. Because they are new, they do not yet have a Star Rating or a local track record — a program fact, not a reason to pick or avoid them. Here is how to look each one over before the Dec. 7, 2026 deadline.

What "new for 2027" actually means

A new plan is one a carrier is offering in Cook County for the first time in the 2027 plan year — it was not on the 2026 Landscape file. That is different from a renewing plan (same plan ID coming back for another year, usually with tweaks spelled out in the Annual Notice of Change) and different from a renamed plan (same contract, new label).

The practical difference for a shopper: a renewing plan has history you can look at — a Star Rating, prior formularies, member experience data. A new plan does not have that yet. CMS assigns Star Ratings based on past performance, so a plan in its first year is typically shown without a rating until enough data accumulates. That is simply how the rating system works.

The six new plans, carrier by carrier

Across Cook County, 67 Medicare Advantage plans are being offered for 2027. Six of them are new. The table on this page lists the full lineup; here are the new entries in alphabetical order by carrier, as they appear in the CMS Landscape file:

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

All six include Part D prescription drug coverage. Two of the six are Special Needs Plans: the Devoted C-SNP (a Chronic Condition Special Needs Plan, built around people with specific conditions) and the Molina D-SNP (a Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan, for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid). SNPs have their own eligibility rules; you cannot just pick one because it looks interesting.

How plan types shape your choice

Chicago-area shoppers will see four plan types on the Landscape for 2027. Among the six new plans:

• HMO plans typically require you to use an in-network doctor and get a referral to see a specialist.
• HMO-POS plans are HMOs with a "point of service" option that lets you go out of network in limited circumstances.
• HMO C-SNP and HMO D-SNP plans are HMOs restricted to people who meet the special-needs criteria.

The type matters because it determines how your current doctors fit — or do not fit — into the plan.

How to vet a new plan before Dec. 7

Because a new plan has no history to lean on, the review has to be hands-on. A straightforward checklist:

1. Pull your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). If you are already on a Medicare Advantage plan, you got the ANOC in September. It tells you what is changing about your current plan for 2027. Read it before you shop. 2. Build your drug list. Write down every prescription, exact dose and quantity. Keep your pharmacy name handy. 3. Build your doctor list. Name every physician and facility that matters to you — primary care, specialists, hospital system. 4. Run the plan on medicare.gov. The Medicare Plan Finder lets you enter the plans you want to compare side by side. It shows whether each drug is on the plan's formulary, what tier it sits on, and whether each provider is listed in the plan's network. Confirm the directory match by calling the provider's office — directories can lag. 5. Request the plan's Evidence of Coverage and Summary of Benefits directly from the carrier if you want the full rulebook before you decide. New plans publish these the same way renewing ones do. 6. Call 1-800-MEDICARE if you want to talk through the comparison with someone neutral.

The 2027 figures you can lock in now

A few program-wide numbers for 2027 are already confirmed by CMS and apply no matter which plan you end up with:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap moves to $2,400 in 2027 (it is $2,100 in 2026).
• The Part D maximum deductible 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 CMS uses, not what any specific plan charges.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, have not been announced yet — CMS publishes those later in the fall, usually in November. The coverage gap, the old "donut hole," has been gone since 2025; Part D now has three phases.

If you do nothing

Nothing happens automatically if you miss Dec. 7 and your current plan is being offered again — it renews for 2027 with whatever changes the ANOC describes. The point of looking at the new plans is not pressure; it is simply to make sure the plan you end up in next year still fits your doctors, your medicines and your budget.