Medicare Advantage

Gardner Medicare 2027: 29 Options in Johnson County

For 2027, Gardner is looking at 43 Medicare Advantage plans: 6 new, 16 gone since 2026, and 30 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 14 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Johnson County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

GARDNER, Kan. — If you're sorting through Medicare choices in Gardner for 2027, the first thing to know is that the field is narrower than last year. Gardner is in Johnson County, where 29 Medicare Advantage plans are being offered for the coming year, according to CMS Medicare Plan Finder and Landscape data. Of those, 23 are continuing, 6 are new, 16 are not returning, and 14 have been renamed — a good reason to slow down and compare before the December 7 deadline.

What the numbers look like in Johnson County

For plan year 2027, Johnson County residents have 29 Medicare Advantage plans to choose from, spread across 7 carriers offering Medicare Advantage with prescription drug coverage (MA-PD). That's the count for the whole county — Medicare plan availability is set at the county level, so anyone with a Gardner ZIP code sees the same menu as neighbors in Olathe, Overland Park, or Lenexa. One carrier change to note: Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC) is not offering plans in the county for 2027.

Johnson County is also home to about 99,005 people age 65 and older, so carriers compete hard for attention here. That's helpful — more choice — but it can also feel like a lot to sort through.

One note on stand-alone Part D: the county-level data shows 0 stand-alone Part D plans listed in this dataset for the area. In practice, most people who want drug coverage through Original Medicare will still find stand-alone Part D options on medicare.gov, so it's worth checking Plan Finder directly with your ZIP code and medication list.

How to narrow 53 plans down to a short list

Fifty-three is a lot. Instead of reading every brochure that lands in your mailbox, try working from your own life outward:

• Start with your doctors and hospitals. Make a list, then check each plan's provider network before anything else. A plan only works if your care team is in it.
• Add your prescriptions. Type your drugs into medicare.gov's Plan Finder. It will show you how each plan covers them under its formulary.
• Think about how you like to get care. Do you travel? Prefer to stay local? Want dental and vision bundled in? Different plan types (HMO, PPO, etc.) work differently.
• Look at total yearly cost, not just the monthly premium. Deductibles, copays, and drug costs matter more over 12 months than the sticker price.

What's new for 2027 that affects every choice

A few program-level changes apply no matter which plan you end up with:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap of $2,400. Once your drug spending hits that amount in 2027, you pay nothing for covered Part D drugs the rest of the year.
• Part D deductible max of $700. Plans can charge less, but not more.
• The old "donut hole" is gone. As of 2025, Part D has three simpler phases instead of four.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. This is optional. It lets you spread your yearly drug costs into monthly payments instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA. Higher-income enrollees pay extra for Part B and Part D. For 2026, IRMAA starts above $109,000 in income for a single filer.

About Star Ratings

CMS publishes Star Ratings each year to give a snapshot of plan quality — things like customer service, member complaints, and how well plans manage chronic conditions. In this area, the current data shows 0 contracts rated 4 stars or higher. Ratings can and do change year to year, so treat them as one data point among many, not the final word.

Key dates to circle

• October 15 – December 7, 2026: Medicare 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. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance to switch to another MA plan or return to Original Medicare.

Missing these windows usually means waiting a full year, so put them on the calendar now.

Where to get unbiased help

You don't have to figure this out alone, and you don't have to rely on a TV ad.

• medicare.gov — the official Plan Finder lets you compare every plan available in your ZIP code using your actual doctors and prescriptions.
• 1-800-MEDICARE — open 24/7 for questions about enrollment, eligibility, and coverage.
• Kansas SHICK (Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas) — the state's SHIP program offers free, one-on-one counseling from trained volunteers who don't sell plans.