Medicare Advantage

Counting Medicare Advantage plans in Decatur for 2026

Medicare in Decatur: how many Medicare Advantage and Part D options are listed in Macon County heading into 2027.

DECATUR, Ill. — If you're sorting through Medicare choices this fall for 2027 coverage, here's a plain-language snapshot of what was on the shelf locally for 2026, with the 2027 lineup arriving in each plan's Annual Notice of Change and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. Decatur sits in Macon County, and that's the level at which Medicare sets plan availability. For 2026, county residents had 26 Medicare Advantage plans to consider, offered by 6 different carriers, according to CMS Medicare Plan Finder data.

That's a lot of options — enough to make a careful comparison worthwhile, and enough to make it worth taking your time.

What "26 plans" actually means

The 26 figure is the number of Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan options offered in Macon County. Some of those plans include prescription drug coverage (called MA-PD), and some may not. Six carriers are behind those 26 offerings, so you'll see the same company's name attached to several plan variations.

Availability is set by county, not by ZIP code or city. So a neighbor in a different county may see a different list, even if you shop at the same pharmacy or see the same doctor.

Stand-alone Part D in the area

Here's a wrinkle worth noting: the Landscape data showed 0 stand-alone Part D prescription drug plans listed for Macon County for 2026. Stand-alone Part D is what people on Original Medicare typically use to cover prescriptions. If you rely on Original Medicare and need drug coverage for 2027, check the current options on medicare.gov or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE, since drug plan availability can shift from year to year and between the initial Landscape release and the finalized options on Plan Finder.

What the Star Ratings picture looks like

CMS rates Medicare contracts on a 1-to-5 star scale for quality and member experience. In the Macon County area, the current data shows no contracts rated 4 stars or higher. Stars are just one data point — they don't tell you whether a plan fits your doctors, drugs, or budget — but they're a useful piece of context when you compare.

Key Part D numbers to keep in mind

A few program-wide figures apply no matter which plan you choose:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your drug spending hits that limit, you're done paying for covered drugs for the rest of the year.
• Part D maximum deductible: $615.
• Coverage gap: The old "donut hole" was eliminated in 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: An optional way to spread your drug costs into monthly payments across the year, rather than paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA: Higher-income surcharges on Part B and Part D start above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026.

Dates to circle

• October 15 – December 7, 2026: Annual Enrollment Period. This is when most people join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for 2027.
• January 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. If you're already in an MA plan, you get one chance during this window to switch to another MA plan or move back to Original Medicare.

How to compare without getting overwhelmed

With 26 Medicare Advantage plans on the table locally, the fastest way to narrow the field is to start with your own needs:

1. List your doctors and preferred hospitals. 2. List your prescriptions with dosages. 3. Note the pharmacies you actually use.

Then plug those into Plan Finder at medicare.gov, which will filter plans against your specifics. For free, unbiased help, Illinois residents can contact the Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP), the state's official Medicare counseling service.