Medicare Advantage

What’s Changing in Louisiana Medicare Advantage for 2027: 20 Plans Leaving, 22 Changing

BATON ROUGE — Louisiana's Medicare Advantage menu is shifting again for the 2027 plan year, and every one of the state's 64 parishes will see at least one plan leave or change, according to the Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) publishes each fall for the current and coming plan year.

Medicare AdvantageLouisiana

Counting each plan once statewide, no matter how many parishes it serves, Louisiana will have 124 Medicare Advantage plans available in 2027, up from 111 in 2026. Behind that net gain, 20 plans offered somewhere in Louisiana for 2026 will not be offered anywhere in the state for 2027, 22 plans that are offered in both years will differ in at least one parish on premium, drug deductible, plan type or plan name, 33 plans are new for 2027, and 69 plans continue unchanged.

What the statewide numbers mean

CMS publishes two Landscape files each year — one for the current plan year and one for the coming plan year — and the difference between them is where these figures come from. A plan is counted as "leaving" when it was offered somewhere in Louisiana in 2026 but is not offered anywhere in Louisiana in 2027. A plan is counted as "changing" when the same plan appears in both years' files but differs in at least one parish on premium, drug deductible, plan type or plan name. A plan is "new" when it appears in the 2027 file but not the 2026 file, and "continuing unchanged" when the file entries match across years in every parish where it is offered.

With 111 plans in 2026 and 124 plans in 2027, Louisiana's statewide plan count rose by 13. That net number hides a lot of movement underneath: 20 exits, 33 arrivals, 22 changes and 69 steady plans.

If your plan is leaving

If the plan you are in now is one of the 20 leaving Louisiana for 2027, your carrier is required to send you a non-renewal notice. You will qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) that runs through the end of February to choose a different Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare and, if you want it, a stand-alone Part D drug plan.

You do not have to wait for the SEP. You can also use the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7, 2026) to pick your 2027 coverage, with that choice taking effect January 1, 2027. Doing something during AEP avoids any gap between the end of your current plan and the start of your new one.

If you do nothing and your plan is not renewed, you will not be automatically rolled into another Medicare Advantage plan. You would return to Original Medicare on January 1, 2027, which is why acting during AEP or the SEP matters.

If your plan is changing

If your plan is among the 22 that are offered in both 2026 and 2027 but differ in at least one parish, the specifics are in the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) your plan mails each fall before AEP. The ANOC lays out, side by side, what the plan looked like in the current year and what it will look like in the coming year.

CMS flags a plan as "changing" when the Landscape file shows a difference in premium, drug deductible, plan type or plan name in at least one parish. We are not going to tell you what changed or by how much — that is exactly what the ANOC is for, and the ANOC is the authoritative document for your situation.

If you do nothing, you stay in a renewing plan with the changes described in its ANOC applied automatically on January 1, 2027.

Parishes with the most change

Every one of Louisiana's 64 parishes sees at least one plan leave or change for 2027. The parishes with the highest counts in the CMS files are:

• St. James Parish: 19 leaving, 11 changing
• Pointe Coupee Parish: 19 leaving, 10 changing
• St. Bernard Parish: 18 leaving, 11 changing
• St. John the Baptist Parish: 17 leaving, 11 changing
• West Baton Rouge Parish: 17 leaving, 11 changing
• Orleans Parish: 10 leaving, 17 changing
• Plaquemines Parish: 16 leaving, 11 changing
• St. Tammany Parish: 16 leaving, 11 changing

These are counts of plans in each parish, not of people. A single parish can appear on both the "leaving" and "changing" lists because different plans are affected differently.

What to do before December 7

A simple checklist for Louisiana members between now and December 7, 2026:

1. Watch the mail in late September and early October for your plan's ANOC and any non-renewal letter. 2. Make a short list of what matters to you — your doctors, your pharmacy, your prescriptions, and whether you travel. 3. Compare your current plan's 2027 version against other plans available in your parish, using Medicare's Plan Finder. 4. If you decide to switch, enroll between October 15 and December 7, 2026, for coverage that starts January 1, 2027. 5. If your plan is not renewed and you miss AEP, use the SEP that runs through the end of February.

Where to get free help

You do not have to figure this out alone. Three no-cost resources:

• Medicare.gov — the official Plan Finder lets you enter your ZIP code, parish, drugs and pharmacy and compare the plans available to you.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — available 24/7 for questions about your coverage and enrollment.
• Louisiana SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) — free, unbiased, one-on-one counseling from trained local volunteers.