Medicare Advantage

What’s Changing in Illinois Medicare Advantage for 2027: 44 Plans Leaving, 44 Changing

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois's Medicare Advantage lineup looks different for the 2027 plan year. According to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files, the state goes from 160 plans offered in 2026 to 139 plans offered in 2027. Behind that drop are two separate moves readers should understand: 44 plans are leaving Illinois entirely for 2027, and another 44 plans that are staying have at least one change on file. All 102 Illinois counties see at least one plan leave or change.

Medicare AdvantageIllinois

What the statewide numbers mean

CMS publishes a Landscape Source File each year listing every Medicare Advantage plan offered in every county. Comparing the 2026 and 2027 files for Illinois shows 160 plans for 2026 and 139 for 2027. In CMS's accounting, a plan is "leaving" if it was offered somewhere in Illinois for 2026 but nowhere in Illinois for 2027 — that applies to 44 plans. A plan is "changing" if it is offered in both years but differs on premium, drug deductible, plan type or plan name in at least one county — also 44 plans. On top of that, 23 plans are new for 2027 and 72 are continuing unchanged.

Carriers that have no Illinois plans listed for 2027 include Blue Cross and Blue Shield of IL, NM, OK, TX; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois; and Clear Spring Health.

Each plan is counted once statewide, no matter how many counties it serves. So the headline numbers describe the shape of the market, not the number of member disruptions.

If your plan is leaving

If your current Medicare Advantage plan is one of the 44 leaving Illinois for 2027, your carrier is required to send you a non-renewal notice. You then qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) that runs through the end of February 2027. During that window you can enroll in a different Medicare Advantage plan or move back to Original Medicare and, if you choose, add a stand-alone Part D drug plan.

A member who does nothing in this situation does not automatically land in another Medicare Advantage plan. Coverage ends when the old plan ends, and the person generally returns to Original Medicare without drug coverage until they act. That is why opening the mail from your carrier this fall matters.

If your plan is changing

If your plan is one of the 44 that is staying but has changes on file, you'll receive an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) from your carrier — typically in September. The ANOC is where the specifics live: what the plan will look like in 2027 compared with 2026. CMS flags a plan as "changing" when the premium, drug deductible, plan type or plan name differs in at least one county, so the ANOC is the document to read for the details that apply to you.

A member who does nothing stays enrolled in a renewing plan and accepts whatever is described in that ANOC starting January 1, 2027. There is no penalty for staying — but there is also no do-over later in the year if the plan no longer fits, outside of the regular enrollment windows.

Counties with the most change

Every Illinois county — 102 of 102 — has at least one plan leaving or changing. Among the counties specifically listed in the CMS comparison:

• Cook County: 17 leaving, 21 changing
• Will County: 18 leaving, 20 changing
• McHenry County: 27 leaving, 10 changing
• Kane County: 19 leaving, 16 changing
• DuPage County: 17 leaving, 17 changing
• Winnebago County: 17 leaving, 17 changing
• Kankakee County: 21 leaving, 12 changing
• Madison County: 18 leaving, 15 changing

These are counts of plans, not members. A single plan can appear in multiple county totals, and the fact that your county shows activity does not necessarily mean your specific plan is affected.

What to do before December 7

The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 – December 7, 2026. A choice made during that window takes effect January 1, 2027. A short checklist:

1. Watch the mail in September and October. Look specifically for a non-renewal letter (your plan is leaving) or an Annual Notice of Change (your plan is renewing, possibly with changes). 2. Read the ANOC side-by-side with your current plan materials. The ANOC is written to show you what is different. 3. Make a list of your doctors, hospitals and prescriptions, then check them against any plan you're considering for 2027. 4. If your plan is leaving, remember the SEP through the end of February 2027 — but you don't have to wait; you can also choose during the Annual Enrollment Period. 5. If your plan is changing and the changes work for you, you don't have to do anything. If they don't, use the Annual Enrollment Period to switch.

Where to get free help

You do not have to sort this out alone, and you do not have to pay anyone to help you compare plans.

• Medicare.gov has the official Plan Finder tool, where you can enter your ZIP code and prescriptions and see every plan available in your county for 2027.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is staffed around the clock.
• Illinois's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) offers free, one-on-one Medicare counseling from trained local volunteers and staff. SHIP counselors do not sell insurance and are not paid on commission.