Medicare Advantage

Wichita's 2027 Medicare Advantage roster: 6 carriers, 24 plans, side by side

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.

Medicare AdvantageWichita, KS

Wichita's 2027 Medicare Advantage menu is set. Six insurers are offering a combined 24 Medicare Advantage plans to people on Medicare in Sedgwick County, which includes Wichita, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source File for plan year 2027. Every one of those plans includes prescription drug coverage. Compared with 2026, 19 plans continue, 5 are new, 11 are not returning and 7 have been renamed; 9 of the continuing plans change something in their terms, which the Annual Notice of Change spells out. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas is not offering plans in the county next year.

The table below lists every plan by carrier, along with its plan type and confirmation that drug coverage is built in. This article walks through how to read that list so it is easier to shortlist plans that fit how you use care.

What's on offer in Wichita for 2027

Sedgwick County residents can choose from 24 Medicare Advantage plans in 2027. Some are HMO, HMO-POS, PPO or PFFS plans, and some are Special Needs Plans, designed for people with specific situations such as being on both Medicare and Medicaid (D-SNP), having certain chronic conditions (C-SNP), or living in an institutional setting (I-SNP).

Every plan on the list is an MA-PD, which is Medicare's shorthand for a Medicare Advantage plan that also includes Part D prescription coverage. There are no stand-alone Part D drug plans listed for the area in the 2027 file, so most Wichita shoppers who want drug coverage will get it through their Advantage plan or, if they stay with Original Medicare, through a Part D plan chosen from the broader statewide options on medicare.gov.

The seven carriers, in alphabetical order

Here is the breakdown of the six insurers offering Medicare Advantage plans in Sedgwick County for 2027:

• Aetna (CVS Health): 5 plans (HMO, HMO-POS, PPO)
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas: 4 plans (PPO)
• Centene (WellCare): 6 plans (HMO-POS, PPO; 3 Special Needs)
• Elevance Health (Anthem): 1 plan (HMO; 1 Special Needs)
• Humana: 10 plans (HMO-POS, PFFS, PPO; 2 Special Needs)
• Kansas Health Advantage: 2 plans (HMO; 2 Special Needs)
• UnitedHealthcare: 9 plans (HMO-POS, PPO; 4 Special Needs)

The table below shows each plan by name — for example, Aetna Medicare Eagle (HMO-POS), Blue Medicare Advantage Choice (PPO), Wellcare Simple (HMO-POS), Healthy Blue Full Dual Advantage (HMO D-SNP), Humana Gold Plus H0028-054 (HMO-POS), Kansas Health Advantage Choice (HMO I-SNP), and AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC KS-0001 (HMO-POS). The table is the reliable place to look; costs and benefits vary plan to plan and are not shown here.

How to read the plan types

The plan type next to each name is a shorthand for how you get care.

• HMO plans generally ask you to use a set network of doctors and hospitals and to pick a primary care physician.
• HMO-POS adds a "point of service" option, meaning some out-of-network care may be covered under set rules.
• PPO plans usually let you see out-of-network providers, often at a higher cost share.
• PFFS (Private Fee-for-Service) plans set their own payment terms with providers who agree to accept them.

Special Needs Plans (SNPs) come in three flavors you will see in the roster: D-SNP for people with both Medicare and Medicaid, C-SNP for people with a qualifying chronic condition, and I-SNP for people who live in or need the level of care of an institution. You have to meet the eligibility rules to enroll.

Are you a good fit for a Special Needs Plan?

Twelve of Wichita's 37 plans are SNPs, so it is worth knowing whether one applies to you. If you have full Medicaid in addition to Medicare, look at the D-SNP entries in the table, such as UHC Dual Complete KS-Q1 (HMO-POS D-SNP), Wellcare Dual Access Sync (HMO-POS D-SNP) and Healthy Blue Full Dual Advantage (HMO D-SNP). If you have diabetes or certain heart conditions, the Humana Gold Plus – Diabetes and Heart (HMO-POS C-SNP) and UHC Complete Care KS-4 (HMO-POS C-SNP) entries in the roster are C-SNPs. Kansas Health Advantage and Kansas Health Advantage Choice are I-SNPs.

Being eligible does not mean you must enroll in an SNP; it means you have another door open.

A few 2027 numbers worth knowing

Whichever plan you compare, a handful of program-level numbers shape the year:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once you spend that much on covered drugs, you pay nothing for the rest of the year.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027 (plans can choose a lower deductible).
• The old coverage gap, or "donut hole," is gone as of 2025. Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs into monthly payments instead of paying at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA surcharges — higher Part B and Part D premiums for higher-income beneficiaries — begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Dates to keep on your calendar

The Annual Enrollment Period runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. Choices you make in that window take effect Jan. 1. If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan and want to switch to another Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs Jan. 1 through March 31.

How to compare specifics without guessing

This page cannot show you premiums, copays, deductibles, drug tiers, provider networks or Star Ratings for any of the plans listed, and neither should any source that has not pulled them directly from CMS for your ZIP code. The two trustworthy places to check:

• The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov lets you enter your ZIP code and your prescriptions and see the actual costs for each plan.
• The plan's own Summary of Benefits and Evidence of Coverage documents show the network rules and what is covered.

For one-on-one help, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), or contact SHICK, the State Health Insurance Assistance Program in Kansas, which offers free, unbiased counseling to people on Medicare.