Medicare Advantage

Zachary Medicare Advantage: 2027 counts

East Baton Rouge Parish has 65 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 12 plans are not coming back, 12 are new, and 25 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 11 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Zachary, not which plan to pick.

ZACHARY, La. — If you're turning 65 or already on Medicare here in Zachary, you have a lot of choices to weigh for the 2027 plan year. Understanding how many options are on the table — and where those numbers come from — is the first step toward picking a path that fits your health and budget.

Zachary seniors have plenty to sort through for 2027

Zachary is in East Baton Rouge Parish, and Medicare plan availability is set at the county (parish) level. That means the counts below apply to everyone with a Medicare address in the parish, not just the city of Zachary.

The 2027 numbers, at a glance

According to CMS Medicare Plan Finder data for the 2027 plan year, here is what's available in East Baton Rouge Parish:

• 65 Medicare Advantage plans are offered in the parish.
• 10 carriers offer Medicare Advantage plans that include prescription drug coverage (MA-PD).
• Louisiana has 8 stand-alone Part D plans for 2027, sold statewide — and most local drug coverage is also built into Medicare Advantage plans. (Stand-alone Part D availability is set at the regional level and is worth confirming on medicare.gov by ZIP code.)
• 0 contracts in the local area currently carry a Medicare Star Rating of 4 stars or higher.

These are area-level counts. They tell you how crowded the shelf is — not which product is right for you.

What "65 plans" actually means

A big number can feel overwhelming, but it helps to know what's being counted. Each "plan" is a distinct offering — often the same carrier will offer several plans in the parish that differ in network, drug coverage, or extras. Ten carriers producing 65 MA-PD options is common in a mid-sized market like the Baton Rouge area.

If you already have a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, your carrier will send you an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) each September. Read it. Even if you like your plan, the details for 2027 may shift.

What about Star Ratings?

Medicare Star Ratings (1 to 5 stars) are CMS's way of measuring plan quality on things like customer service, member complaints, and how well plans manage chronic conditions. Under CMS's 2027 Star Ratings, 5 contracts offering plans in the area are rated 4 stars or higher.

That doesn't tell you a plan is "good" or "bad" on its own — ratings can change year to year, some newer contracts aren't rated yet, and ratings are just one factor. But it is a data point worth knowing as you compare.

Program-level facts that apply everywhere — including Zachary

Some 2027 Medicare rules are the same no matter where you live:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your out-of-pocket drug spending hits that amount, you pay nothing for covered Part D drugs the rest of the year.
• Part D maximum deductible: $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027.
• The coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone as of 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: an optional program that 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 incomes) begin above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026.

Key dates to circle

• Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7, 2026. This is when most people compare and switch Medicare Advantage or Part D plans for 2027.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance to switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare.