Medicare Advantage
UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage in Iowa for 2027: 15 Plans, County by County
DES MOINES — For the 2027 plan year, UnitedHealthcare will offer 15 Medicare Advantage plans across Iowa, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Landscape Source Files. That statewide count includes a mix of HMO, HMO-POS and PPO plans, several Special Needs Plans, and both drug-inclusive and drug-free options. Because Medicare Advantage is sold county by county, any single plan on the statewide list may or may not be sold where you live.
Compare Medicare Advantage options near you
Answer 3 quick questions to see Medicare Advantage listings from licensed insurance partners.
What’s your ZIP code?
Plan availability is set by your county, so we start here.
How old are you?
This helps match you with options you’re eligible for.
Do you have Medicare Parts A & B?
This affects which Medicare Advantage options you can choose.
These listings are provided by licensed insurance partners.
Medicare Advantage plans in your area are changing or leaving for 2027.
One call tells you whether your plan is on the list — before enrollment opens.
Available now — current wait: 0 min
A real person answers. No phone menu, ever.
Medicare Advantage plans in your area are changing or leaving for 2027.
Is your plan on the list? One call tells you — before enrollment opens.
Available now — current wait: 0 min
A real person answers. About 5 minutes, no obligation.
Agents available Mon–Fri, 8am–6pm CT
Want to see more plan options?
Answer a few more questions to continue to additional options from licensed partners.
Continue →Advertising disclosure: MyMedicarePlans.org may be compensated when you contact a partner or licensed agent. Listings are not ranked or endorsed by us, and we do not recommend specific plans. You can also contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.
Speak to a Licensed Insurance Agent
Click to call 855-729-3240Found a plan you like online?
One free call confirms it's actually right for you — online directories are wrong more often than you'd think.
- Your doctors — confirmed in-network for 2027
- Your prescriptions — checked against the plan's 2027 drug tiers
855-729-3240 · free · about 5 minutes
Key takeaways
- UnitedHealthcare lists 15 Medicare Advantage plans in Iowa for 2027, including 1 HMO, 9 HMO-POS and 5 PPO plans.
- Of those 15 plans, 11 include drug coverage and 4 Special Needs Plans are listed (1 D-SNP and 3 C-SNPs).
- UnitedHealthcare has 6 plans that are new for 2027 in Iowa, and 3 of its plans are not returning.
- The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 – December 7, 2026, and choices made then take effect January 1, 2027.
| Fact | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Part B standard monthly premium (2026) | $202.90 | Medicare.gov |
| Part D out-of-pocket cap (2026) | $2,100 | CMS |
| Part D out-of-pocket cap (2027) | $2,400 | CMS |
| Annual Enrollment Period (for 2027 coverage) | October 15 – December 7, 2026 | Medicare.gov |
| Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period | January 1 – March 31 | Medicare.gov |
Area counts are for the county as a whole and are not a recommendation of any plan. Program figures are set nationally.
This article is published by an independent Medicare education site. We are privately owned, not part of the federal government, and not affiliated with UnitedHealthcare or any other insurance carrier.
How many UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans are offered in Iowa for 2027?
UnitedHealthcare lists 15 Medicare Advantage plans in Iowa for the 2027 plan year, per the CMS Landscape Source File. By plan type, that breaks down to 1 HMO, 9 HMO-POS and 5 PPO plans.
Within that total, 11 plans include Part D prescription drug coverage and the remaining plans are offered without drug coverage. UnitedHealthcare's Special Needs Plan lineup for Iowa includes 1 Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) for people with both Medicare and Medicaid, 3 Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans (C-SNPs) for people with qualifying health conditions, and no Institutional Special Needs Plans. For context, CMS lists 15 other carriers offering Medicare Advantage in Iowa for 2027, with 74 plans statewide from all carriers combined.
Which UnitedHealthcare plans reach the most Iowa counties in 2027?
The UnitedHealthcare plan with the widest Iowa county reach for 2027 is UHC Dual Complete IA-S001 (HMO-POS D-SNP), which is listed in 82 counties. After that, several plans are listed in 54 Iowa counties, including AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx IA-MA01 (PPO), AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx IA-MA2 (HMO-POS), and UHC Complete Care Support IA-1A (HMO C-SNP).
Other plans — such as AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC IA-0002 (HMO-POS), AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC IA-0003 (PPO), and UHC Complete Care IA-5 (HMO-POS C-SNP) — are listed in 47 counties under one service area and in 7 counties under another. A handful of plans in border areas, including the AARP Medicare Advantage and Patriot plans tied to Nebraska service areas, are listed in a smaller number of Iowa counties. The full plan-by-plan table on this page shows each plan's county count; county reach alone does not say anything about cost, benefits or quality.
What is new or not returning from UnitedHealthcare in Iowa for 2027?
For 2027, UnitedHealthcare has 6 Medicare Advantage plans that are new in Iowa and 3 plans that are not returning, based on the year-over-year comparison between the CMS 2026 and 2027 Landscape Source Files.
The new-for-2027 plans named in the CMS file include AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC IA-0002 (HMO-POS) in 47 counties, AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx IA-MA2 (HMO-POS) in 54 counties, AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx NE-MA2 (HMO-POS) in 1 county, UHC Complete Care IA-5 (HMO-POS C-SNP) in both its 47-county and 7-county listings, and UHC Complete Care Support IA-1A (HMO C-SNP) in 54 counties. If you are enrolled in a 2026 UnitedHealthcare plan that is not continuing into 2027, you should receive an Annual Notice of Change or non-renewal letter from the carrier explaining your options.
How do I check whether a UnitedHealthcare plan is offered in my Iowa county and covers my doctors and drugs?
To confirm whether a specific UnitedHealthcare plan is offered in your Iowa county for 2027, use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov and enter your ZIP code, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
A plan on this statewide list is not necessarily sold in your county. Once you see the plans available where you live, check three things against each plan's own documents: whether your doctors, hospitals and other providers are in the plan's network; whether your prescriptions are on the plan's formulary and at what tier; and the plan's rules for referrals, prior authorization and out-of-area care. Those details live in each plan's Evidence of Coverage, Summary of Benefits, provider directory and drug list — not in the CMS Landscape file.
What should Iowa Medicare beneficiaries do before December 7, 2026?
Before December 7, 2026, Iowa Medicare beneficiaries should review their current coverage against the 2027 plan options available in their county. The Annual Enrollment Period for 2027 runs October 15 – December 7, 2026, and any choice made in that window takes effect January 1, 2027.
A practical sequence: read the Annual Notice of Change from your current plan, list your doctors and prescriptions, then use the Plan Finder at medicare.gov to compare the 2027 plans serving your ZIP code. If a UnitedHealthcare plan appears, you can look at it alongside plans from the other 15 carriers CMS lists in Iowa. You can switch plans, stay put, or move between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage during this window.
Where can Iowa residents get free help comparing 2027 Medicare plans?
Iowa residents can get free, unbiased help from Medicare itself. The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov lets you compare every 2027 plan available in your ZIP code, and 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048) is staffed around the clock.
For questions about enrollment in Medicare Parts A and B, the Social Security Administration handles sign-ups. For plan-specific questions — benefits, networks, drug coverage, prior authorization — contact the plan directly using the phone number on its Summary of Benefits.
By the numbers
Medicare Part B premium, 2006–2026
The standard monthly Part B premium has climbed from $88.50 in 2006 to $202.90 in 2026. Hover any point for that year’s premium.
Source: CMS. Standard premium shown; in some hold-harmless years many existing enrollees paid less. Confirm at Medicare.gov.
2027 plan lineup
UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans in Iowa for 2027
CMS lists 15 UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans across Iowa for 2027, alphabetically by carrier, widest county reach first. 15 other carriers also offer plans there.
| Plan | Type | Drug coverage | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| UnitedHealthcare 15 plans | |||
| UHC Dual Complete IA-S001 (HMO-POS D-SNP) | HMO-POS D-SNP | Yes | 82 |
| AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx IA-MA01 (PPO) | PPO | No | 54 |
| AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx IA-MA2 (HMO-POS) | HMO-POS | No | 54 |
| UHC Complete Care Support IA-1A (HMO C-SNP) | HMO C-SNP | Yes | 54 |
| AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC IA-0002 (HMO-POS) | HMO-POS | Yes | 47 |
| AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC IA-0003 (PPO) | PPO | Yes | 47 |
| UHC Complete Care IA-5 (HMO-POS C-SNP) | HMO-POS C-SNP | Yes | 47 |
| AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC NE-0002 (PPO) | PPO | Yes | 8 |
| AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx NE-MA01 (PPO) | PPO | No | 8 |
| AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC IA-0002 (HMO-POS) | HMO-POS | Yes | 7 |
| AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC IA-0003 (PPO) | PPO | Yes | 7 |
| UHC Complete Care IA-5 (HMO-POS C-SNP) | HMO-POS C-SNP | Yes | 7 |
| AARP Medicare Advantage Essentials from UHC NE-3 (HMO-POS) | HMO-POS | Yes | 1 |
| AARP Medicare Advantage Extras from UHC NE-5 (HMO-POS) | HMO-POS | Yes | 1 |
| AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx NE-MA2 (HMO-POS) | HMO-POS | No | 1 |
Source: CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files, plan years 2026 and 2027. Plans are offered county by county; a plan listed for the state may not be offered in your county. No plan is ranked or recommended; premiums, benefits, networks and star ratings are not shown. Plan details come from the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov or the plan itself.
The 2027 choices, by type
How UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans across Iowa break down for 2027
HMO plans use a network and usually a primary-care doctor and referrals; HMO-POS plans add some out-of-network coverage; PPO plans also cover out-of-network care, at a higher share; PFFS plans pay any provider that accepts the plan’s terms. Special Needs Plans serve people with Medicare and Medicaid (D-SNP), certain chronic conditions (C-SNP) or living in an institution (I-SNP).
Source: CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files, plan years 2026 and 2027. Plans are offered county by county; a plan listed for the state may not be offered in your county. No plan is ranked or recommended; premiums, benefits, networks and star ratings are not shown. Plan details come from the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov or the plan itself.
Explore
When can you enroll? An interactive year
Enrollment windows are federal and the same nationwide. Confirm your personal dates at Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.
Explore
The parts of Medicare
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
How many UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans are listed in Iowa for 2027?
Does every UnitedHealthcare plan on this list serve every Iowa county?
When is the Annual Enrollment Period for 2027 coverage?
Where can I compare plans without a sales pitch?
Watch
The Medicare Advantage changes for 2027 in every state, in 30 seconds
- CMS — MA Landscape Source File (plan-level availability by county)
- CMS — MA Landscape Source Files, current and coming plan year (year-over-year comparison)
- CMS — Medicare enrollment periods (medicare.gov)
For personalized answers, contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.
Sources and methodology
- Medicare.gov, Medicare costs (Part B premium)
- CMS, Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D) program rules
- CMS, Medicare Advantage and Part D plan-year announcements
- Medicare.gov, enrollment periods and plan rules
- CMS, Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape Source Files
Figures cited in this article
- CMS — MA Landscape Source File (CY2027): the Iowa plan counts, plan types, SNP categories, drug-coverage counts and county reach for UnitedHealthcare.
- CMS — MA Landscape Source Files (CY2026 and CY2027): the year-over-year comparison identifying 6 new and 3 non-returning UnitedHealthcare plans.
- Medicare.gov (CMS — Medicare enrollment periods): the October 15 – December 7, 2026 Annual Enrollment dates and the January 1, 2027 effective date.
How we put this together: area counts come from the CMS files listed above for the county that contains this city, program figures come from CMS, Medicare.gov and the Social Security Administration, and no plan is ranked or recommended.
By The Medicare Desk · Published . For personalized answers, contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.
Content Integrity Standards
- No invented figures. Program-level numbers come from CMS / Medicare.gov; we never use placeholder data.
- No plan recommendations. This is educational content. We don't score or recommend specific plans; any Star Ratings shown are Medicare's own CMS ratings, stated as published.
- AI-assisted, human-reviewed. Articles are produced with AI-assisted tools and reviewed by the responsible desk before publishing.
- Inline sourcing. Facts and figures are cited to primary sources — CMS, SSA, and Medicare.gov.
- Correction transparency. We fix errors openly and note when a page was last updated.
- Not a government site. MyMedicarePlans.org is privately owned and not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency.
This page was last updated: October 2026.