Medicare Advantage

Before Dec 7: how Louisville's 2027 Medicare stacks up

Jefferson County has 67 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 13 plans are not coming back, 13 are new, and 23 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 9 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Louisville, not which plan to pick.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The window to change your Medicare coverage for 2027 is open now and closes December 7, 2026. In Jefferson County, where Louisville sits, 10 carriers are offering 67 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027 — with 13 plans new to the area and 13 not returning from this year. If your plan is one that is changing, your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) spells out what is different starting January 1.

Here is a plain-English way to work through the choices before the deadline.

What Louisville's 2027 lineup looks like

Medicare Advantage availability is set at the county level. Louisville is in Jefferson County, where the 2027 lineup breaks down like this: 15 HMO plans, 18 HMO-POS plans and 34 PPO plans. All 67 plans include prescription drug coverage.

Special Needs Plans (SNPs) are built for people with specific situations: 16 Dual Eligible SNPs (D-SNPs) for people with both Medicare and Medicaid, 8 Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) for conditions like diabetes or chronic kidney disease, and 6 Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs) for people living in long-term care settings.

The 10 carriers offering plans in Jefferson County for 2027, in alphabetical order, are Abilis Health (HMO SNP), Aetna (CVS Health), American Health Advantage of Indiana, Centene (WellCare), Devoted Health, Elevance Health (Anthem), Essence Healthcare, Humana, Passport Advantage and UnitedHealthcare. The table below lists every plan by carrier.

What is new for 2027

Three things stand out this year in Jefferson County:

• 13 plans are new. They may be from carriers already in the market or from a carrier that is new to the area.
• 13 plans are not returning. If yours is one of them, your carrier must notify you and help you understand your options; you have until December 7 to pick a replacement, and a Special Enrollment Period runs into early 2027 if you miss that date because your plan was discontinued.
• Part D costs are changing nationally. For 2027, the Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026), and the Part D maximum deductible rises to $700 (up from $615 in 2026). CMS has not yet announced the 2027 Part B premium, Part B deductible or IRMAA income brackets; those usually come out in November.

A step-by-step way to compare

Here is the order that usually saves people the most time and second-guessing.

1. Read your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). Your current plan mailed it in late September. It is a side-by-side of 2026 versus 2027 — premium, deductible, copays, the drug list, the pharmacy network and extra benefits. If nothing important changed and your doctors and drugs are still covered, you may not need to switch.

2. Make your personal list. Write down your doctors and the hospital system you prefer, every prescription you take (name, dose, how often), and the pharmacies you actually use.

3. Use the Medicare Plan Finder. Go to medicare.gov/plan-compare, enter your ZIP code, and add your drugs and pharmacies. The tool shows every Medicare Advantage plan in Jefferson County with estimated yearly drug costs based on your prescriptions. You can filter by plan type (HMO, HMO-POS, PPO) and by SNP status.

4. Check the provider network. Click into any plan you're considering and look for a link to its provider directory, or call the plan directly to confirm your doctors and hospital are in-network for 2027 specifically — networks can change year to year.

5. Check the drug list (formulary) and pharmacy tier. The same pill can be a different tier at a different plan, and some pharmacies are "preferred" (lower cost-sharing) while others are "standard." Both matter.

6. Weigh the plan type.

• HMO plans use a set network and usually require a primary care referral for specialists.
• HMO-POS plans use a network but let you go out of network for some services at a higher cost.
• PPO plans let you see any Medicare-accepting provider, usually at a higher cost out of network.

7. If you qualify, look at SNPs. D-SNPs, C-SNPs and I-SNPs are built around specific needs and often coordinate benefits more tightly. You must meet the eligibility rules.

What happens if you do nothing

If you take no action by December 7 and your current plan is being offered again in 2027, you stay in it — with the changes described in your ANOC taking effect January 1. If your plan is one of the 13 not returning, you'll need to pick a new plan or you'll fall back to Original Medicare without drug coverage, which usually isn't what people want.

There is also a second window: the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, January 1 – March 31, 2027. During that period, if you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can switch to a different one or go back to Original Medicare (and add a stand-alone Part D plan). It is a safety net, not a reason to skip the fall review.

Where to get help you can trust

• medicare.gov/plan-compare — the official Plan Finder, with your drugs and pharmacies.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — 24/7, free, and can walk you through options.
• Your plan's member services line — the number is on your member card, and they can confirm 2027 networks and formulary.