Medicare Advantage

Medicare plan counts across the Nicholasville metro area

For people turning 65 around Nicholasville — or helping a parent sort through the mail — the Medicare landscape can feel bigger than it needs to. This snapshot looks at what's available across the local metro for 2026, using county-level data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), so you can walk into your own decision for 2027 with a clearer picture.

What "plan availability" actually means around here

Medicare plan choices are set at the county level, not the city level. So when we talk about what's available near Nicholasville, we're really talking about Jessamine County. A neighbor a few miles away in Fayette or Woodford County may see a different menu of plans, even though you shop at the same grocery store.

That's why two friends the same age can compare notes and end up with very different options. Neither of them is wrong — the map just draws lines that Medicare follows.

A look at the local numbers

Here's what CMS data shows for Jessamine County for 2026:

• 62 Medicare Advantage plans are offered in the county in 2026.
• 8 carriers offer Medicare Advantage plans that include prescription drug coverage (MA-PD) in 2026.
• 0 stand-alone Part D prescription drug plans are listed at the county level in the 2026 data set — if you want drug coverage and are staying with Original Medicare, confirm what's available in your ZIP code on medicare.gov. The 2027 lineup appears on Plan Finder during Annual Enrollment.
• The county is home to roughly 8,878 residents age 65 and older, which gives you a sense of how many neighbors are navigating these same choices.

Sixty-two Advantage plans in 2026 is a lot to sort through, and the 2027 menu will look similar in scale. The good news: you don't have to look at all of them. Plan Finder on medicare.gov lets you narrow the list by the doctors you see, the pharmacy you use, and the medicines you take.

How the nearby metro compares

Because plan menus are drawn county by county, a quick scan of the surrounding metro is worth doing if you live near a county line or split time between homes. Availability in Fayette, Woodford, Madison, Mercer, and Garrard counties is set separately, and the number of carriers and plans can shift from one county to the next.

If you're helping a family member across town, don't assume their options mirror yours. Run their ZIP code through Plan Finder on its own.

What Star Ratings tell you (and what they don't)

CMS rates Medicare Advantage and Part D contracts on a 1-to-5 scale based on things like customer service, member complaints, and how well plans manage chronic conditions. In the local area, the 2026 data shows 0 contracts rated 4 stars or higher — but ratings shift each year, and a single contract can cover plans across many states, so the local picture can change for 2027.

Stars are one useful signal among several. Your doctor network, your drug list, and your total yearly cost usually matter more to your day-to-day experience.

Part D rules worth knowing for 2026 and 2027

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

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your drug spending hits that ceiling, you pay nothing for covered Part D drugs the rest of the year.
• Part D deductible: up to $615 in 2026 and up to $700 in 2027, depending on the plan.
• The coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: an optional program that lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly payments instead of paying at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA: higher-income beneficiaries pay a surcharge on Part B and Part D. For a single filer in 2026, it starts above $109,000 in income.

Dates to circle

• Oct. 15 – Dec. 7: Annual Enrollment Period. You can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. Changes take effect Jan. 1.
• Jan. 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment. If you're already in an Advantage plan, you get one chance to switch to another Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare (with a Part D plan if you need one).

Special Enrollment Periods can also open up after certain life events, like moving or losing other coverage.