Medicare Advantage

Got a Medicare Advantage plan in Des Moines? Read this

For 2027, Des Moines is looking at 38 Medicare Advantage plans: 17 new, 11 gone since 2026, and 14 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 6 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Polk County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

Medicare AdvantageDes Moines, IA

DES MOINES — If you have a Medicare Advantage plan in the Des Moines area, this fall's mail is worth opening carefully. Federal filings for the 2027 plan year show a notable reshuffle in Polk County: 11 plans are being discontinued, 17 new ones are coming in, and 6 are being renamed. Two carriers are pulling out entirely, and three are entering for the first time. The Annual Enrollment Period runs Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, and members whose plan is not returning get extra time to switch.

What's changing in Polk County next year

Medicare Advantage availability is set at the county level, and Des Moines sits in Polk County. Comparing CMS's 2026 and 2027 landscape files, 21 plans continue as-is, 8 continue but have at least one change to premium, deductible, plan type or name, 6 are renamed, 11 are leaving, and 17 are new. The full plan-by-plan lineup is shown in the table on this page.

Two carriers are exiting the county for 2027: Passport Advantage and Wellmark Advantage Health Plan. Three carriers are new to the area: Align Senior Care, Devoted Health, and Molina Healthcare of Iowa, Inc.

Plans that will not return in 2027

If you're enrolled in one of these plans, your coverage will not automatically continue into next year. The plans leaving Polk County after 2026 are:

• Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO)
• Wellpoint Full Dual Advantage (HMO-POS D-SNP) from Elevance Health (Anthem)
• Humana Full Access H5216-411 (PPO)
• Humana Together in Health (PPO I-SNP)
• Humana Together in Health Select (PPO I-SNP)
• Molina Medicare Complete Care (HMO D-SNP) as offered by Passport Advantage
• AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC IA-0002 (HMO-POS)
• AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC IA-1 (HMO-POS)
• UHC Complete Care IA-5 (HMO-POS C-SNP)
• Blue Medicare Advantage PPO (PPO) from Wellmark
• Blue Medicare Advantage Valor PPO (PPO) from Wellmark

If your plan is on this list, watch for a non-renewal letter from your insurer. That letter is important — it's what documents your right to a Special Enrollment Period.

New plans coming to Polk County for 2027

Seventeen plans are entering the county for the 2027 plan year. They come from Aetna (CVS Health), Align Senior Care, Devoted Health, Humana, Molina Healthcare of Iowa, and UnitedHealthcare. Two names — Molina Medicare Complete Care (HMO D-SNP) and Humana Together in Health (PPO I-SNP) — are technically new offerings even though similar names appeared before, because CMS is treating them as new contract entries. Every 2027 plan is shown in the table on this page.

Some of these are Special Needs Plans (SNPs), meaning enrollment is limited to people who qualify — for example, D-SNPs are for people with both Medicare and Medicaid, C-SNPs are for people with certain chronic conditions, and I-SNPs are for people living in institutions like nursing homes.

Plans that are being renamed

A rename does not mean your coverage is ending; the same plan will continue under a new label. In Polk County, six plans are being renamed for 2027:

• Aetna Medicare Enhanced Classic Extra (PPO) — was Aetna Medicare Enhanced Extra (PPO)
• Aetna Medicare Signature Classic (PPO) — was Aetna Medicare Signature (PPO)
• Wellcare Iowa Total Care Dual Access (HMO-POS D-SNP) — was Wellcare Dual Access
• Wellcare Iowa Total Care Dual Liberty Sync (HMO-POS D-SNP) — was Wellcare Dual Liberty Sync
• Wellcare Iowa Total Care Dual Reserve (HMO-POS D-SNP) — was Wellcare Dual Reserve
• Wellpoint Full Dual Advantage (HMO-POS D-SNP) — was Wellpoint Full Dual Advantage 2

If your plan appears here, you should still read your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) carefully. A new name can also come with other adjustments.

What to do, depending on your situation

If your plan is leaving. You have a Special Enrollment Period that runs through the end of February 2027. During that window you can join a different Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare and add a stand-alone Part D drug plan. If you do nothing and your plan ends, you'll typically be moved back to Original Medicare — but without a drug plan, which can create a late-enrollment penalty later.

If your plan is being renamed or "changed." CMS flagged 8 plans as changing on premium, deductible, type or name (beyond the renames listed above). Your ANOC, which arrives by late September, lists exactly what's different. Read it side-by-side with your current coverage before Dec. 7.

If your plan is continuing unchanged. You still have the option to shop during the Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7) or the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (Jan. 1 – March 31, for people already in an MA plan). New carriers in the county mean more choices this year than last.

A few program facts worth knowing

These apply no matter which plan you pick:

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