Medicare Advantage

How to compare Wichita's 2027 Medicare Advantage plans before the Dec. 7 deadline

People in Wichita can choose from 31 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 37 this year. Eleven of this year’s plans are gone, 5 are new to Sedgwick County, and 16 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 7 of them under a new name.

WICHITA, Kan. — Fall 2026 is the stretch when Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period is open, and Sedgwick County residents have until December 7, 2026 to pick the Medicare Advantage plan that will cover them starting January 1, 2027. The lineup looks a little different next year, so it is worth setting aside an afternoon to compare — even if you like the plan you have.

What is on the table in Sedgwick County for 2027

Wichita is in Sedgwick County, and that is the level where Medicare plan availability is set. For plan year 2027, CMS lists 31 Medicare Advantage plans from 6 carriers in the county. By plan type, that breaks down to 6 HMO, 14 HMO-POS, 10 PPO and 1 PFFS. All 31 include prescription drug coverage.

Special Needs Plans (SNPs) are included in that count: 5 Dual-eligible (D-SNP), 4 Chronic Condition (C-SNP) and 3 Institutional (I-SNP) plans. These are for people with specific situations — being on both Medicare and Medicaid, living with certain chronic conditions, or living in a nursing facility — so most shoppers will not qualify for them.

The six carriers offering plans in the county for 2027, in alphabetical order, are Aetna (CVS Health), Centene (WellCare), Elevance Health (Anthem), Humana, Kansas Health Advantage, and UnitedHealthcare. The table below lists every plan.

What is new, and what is leaving

Year to year, insurers add plans, drop plans, rename them, or change what they cover. For 2027 in Sedgwick County, CMS data shows 5 new plans, 11 plans not returning, and 7 renamed plans. The county also went from 7 carriers in 2026 to 6 in 2027.

What this means for you: if your current plan is among the 11 not returning, your carrier will send you a non-renewal letter. You will have a Special Enrollment Period, but it is still simpler to pick a replacement during the Annual Enrollment Period. If your plan is renamed or changed, the specifics will be in your Annual Notice of Change.

Step 1: Read your Annual Notice of Change

Every current Medicare Advantage member should have received an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) by the end of September 2026. This document, from your carrier, spells out exactly how your plan is changing for 2027 — premium, deductible, copays, drug tier placements, the provider network, and extra benefits like dental or OTC allowances.

If you cannot find it, call the number on the back of your member card and ask them to resend it. Read the ANOC before you shop. It tells you whether you even need to switch.

Step 2: Check your doctors and hospitals

Networks change every year. Before you lock in a plan for 2027:

• Make a list of the doctors, specialists and hospitals you actually use (Ascension Via Christi, Wesley, your primary care clinic, etc.).
• For each plan you are considering, confirm those providers are in network for 2027 — not 2026. Call the provider's billing office directly; online directories lag.
• Note the plan type. An HMO generally requires you to stay in network and get referrals. An HMO-POS or PPO gives you more flexibility, usually at a different cost. A PFFS works differently again.

Step 3: Check your prescriptions and your pharmacy

This is where many people get surprised in January. For 2027:

• List every prescription you take, with the dose and how often.
• Enter them into the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov/plan-compare. The tool will show each plan's estimated yearly drug cost based on your actual list.
• Check your preferred pharmacy. A plan might cover your drug but charge more at your corner pharmacy than at a preferred one.
• Remember the 2027 Part D rules: the out-of-pocket cap for drugs is $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026), and the maximum Part D deductible is $700 (up from $615 in 2026). The optional Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in level monthly payments.

Step 4: Use the Medicare Plan Finder the right way

The Plan Finder at medicare.gov is the only tool that compares every plan available to you in Sedgwick County side by side using CMS data. A few tips:

• Log in with your Medicare account so your drug list and pharmacies save.
• Sort by "lowest estimated total yearly cost," not just by premium — a $0 premium plan can cost more overall once drugs and copays are added.
• Open the plan details and scroll to extra benefits (dental, vision, hearing, OTC, transportation, fitness). These vary a lot.
• Star Ratings, from 1 to 5, measure plan quality on things like member experience and customer service. They are one input, not the whole decision.

If you want to talk to a person, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), available 24/7.

A note on 2027 figures still coming

A few 2027 numbers were not yet announced as of September 2026: the standard Part B premium and deductible, and the IRMAA income brackets and surcharges for higher earners. CMS typically publishes these in the fall, usually November. Watch medicare.gov for the official release — do not rely on projections.