Medicare Advantage

Oak Lawn Medicare Advantage: a count of 2026 plans

Cook County has 58 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 17 plans are not coming back, 6 are new, and 21 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 9 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Oak Lawn, not which plan to pick.

OAK LAWN, Ill. — If you're sorting through Medicare choices in Oak Lawn this fall, here's the lay of the land: Oak Lawn sits in Cook County, where 58 Medicare Advantage plans are available for 2027, offered by 11 different carriers. That's a lot of paperwork on the kitchen table — but it also means most residents have real choices to compare during this year's Annual Enrollment Period.

How the count breaks down in Cook County

Medicare plan availability is set at the county level by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Because Oak Lawn is in Cook County, residents here can shop from the same 58 Medicare Advantage plans available across the county for 2027. Those plans come from 11 carriers, which is a wider bench than many parts of the country get.

One note that surprises some readers: CMS's 2027 landscape file shows 0 stand-alone Part D drug plans listed separately for this area. Most people who want prescription coverage in Cook County get it built into a Medicare Advantage plan (an "MA-PD"). If you have Original Medicare and want a stand-alone drug plan, call 1-800-MEDICARE or check medicare.gov to confirm what's offered to your ZIP code.

Why 78 plans is a lot to sort through

With roughly 827,000 people age 65 or older across Cook County, insurers see this as a big market — and they compete for it. That's good news for choice, but it can feel overwhelming. Two honest tips:

• Start with what you actually use — your doctors, your hospital system, your prescriptions — and filter from there.
• Don't judge a plan by its ads. The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov lets you compare plans side by side using your own drug list and pharmacy.

A word on Star Ratings

You'll see plans marked with 1 to 5 stars. Stars are CMS's yearly quality and service scores. They're a useful data point, but they aren't a personal recommendation, and a high-star plan isn't automatically the right fit for your doctors or medications. In this area, CMS's current data shows 0 contracts rated 4 stars or higher — which simply means star scores shouldn't be the only thing you look at. Match the plan to your care first.

Key 2027 program facts to keep in mind

These numbers are set by Medicare and apply nationwide, no matter which plan you choose:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,400 for 2027. Once you hit it, you pay nothing more for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• Part D maximum deductible: $615.
• The coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone as of 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: an optional program that lets you spread drug costs into monthly payments instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA (higher-income premium surcharge): starts above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Dates to circle

• Annual Enrollment Period: Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026. This is when most people switch, join, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for 2027.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: Jan. 1 – March 31. If you're already in an MA plan, you get one chance to switch to another MA plan or return to Original Medicare.

Where to get unbiased help in Oak Lawn

You don't have to figure this out alone, and you don't have to call an insurance agent to get answers.

• Medicare.gov — the official plan comparison tool.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — 24/7, free.
• Illinois SHIP (Senior Health Insurance Program) — free, one-on-one Medicare counseling from trained volunteers who don't sell insurance.
• Your local library or township senior services office often hosts SHIP counselors during AEP.