Medicare Advantage

Comparing Boston's 2027 Medicare Advantage plans: a step-by-step guide before Dec. 7

For 2027, Boston is looking at 50 Medicare Advantage plans: 12 new, 14 gone since 2026, and 24 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 3 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Suffolk County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

Boston — Fall 2026. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan in Boston, the Annual Enrollment Period that runs October 15 through December 7, 2026 is your window to switch, change or stay. Any change you make now takes effect January 1, 2027. If you do nothing, your current plan renews for 2027 — with whatever changes are spelled out in the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) your plan mailed you in late September.

Boston sits in Suffolk County, and that is where Medicare plan availability is set. For plan year 2027, Suffolk County has 50 Medicare Advantage plans from 11 carriers, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source File. That is slightly fewer plans than in 2026 (when the county had 52), with 12 plans new for 2027 and 14 not returning. This guide walks you through a calm, step-by-step way to compare what is on offer before the deadline.

What Boston has to choose from for 2027

For 2027, Suffolk County's 50 Medicare Advantage plans break down by type as 32 HMO, 8 HMO-POS, and 10 PPO. All 50 include prescription drug coverage. 17 are Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) designed for people who also qualify for Medicaid.

The 11 carriers offering plans in the county for 2027 are, in alphabetical order: Aetna (CVS Health), Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Commonwealth Care Alliance Massachusetts, Commonwealth Care Alliance, Inc., eternalHealth, Fallon Health, Humana, Mass General Brigham Health Plan, Molina Healthcare of Massachusetts, Tufts Health Plan, and UnitedHealthcare. The table below lists every plan, carrier and plan type for Suffolk County.

A few shifts worth noticing year over year: Humana's lineup in the county goes from 5 plans in 2026 to 2 plans in 2027; UnitedHealthcare moves from 7 plans to 8; Fallon Health moves from 5 to 6; Mass General Brigham Health Plan moves from 6 to 5. The total plan count across all carriers drops by two.

What is new for 2027

Two things are changing on the program side that apply to any Part D or Medicare Advantage drug plan nationwide:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (it is $2,100 in 2026). Once your out-of-pocket spending on covered drugs hits that cap, you pay $0 for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $700 in 2027 (it is $615 in 2026). Plans can set a lower deductible, but not higher.
• The Part D national base beneficiary premium is $41.33 for 2027. This is a formula input CMS uses, not what any specific plan charges.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets have not been announced yet. CMS typically publishes them in the fall, usually in November. Avoid any source that quotes a specific 2027 Part B number before CMS makes it official.

Locally in Suffolk County: 12 plans are new for 2027, 14 plans are not returning, and 3 have been renamed. If your plan is one of the 14 not returning, you need to actively choose a new plan during this window or you will be left without Medicare Advantage coverage on January 1 (you would fall back to Original Medicare).

A step-by-step way to compare

Here is a calm way to work through your options.

1. Read your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). Your current plan sent it in late September. It lists exactly what is changing for 2027 — premium, deductible, copays, drug list (formulary), network, extra benefits. Read it first. If nothing meaningful changes and you are happy, you may be done.

2. List what matters to you. Write down: your doctors and the hospitals you want to be able to use, the prescriptions you take (name, dose, how often), the pharmacy you prefer, and whether you need coverage when you travel.

3. Open the Medicare Plan Finder. Go to medicare.gov/plan-compare. Enter your ZIP code and your drug list. The tool will show every Medicare Advantage plan available in Suffolk County for 2027, with each plan's premium, deductible, estimated yearly drug cost based on your medications, and star rating.

4. Check doctors and hospitals. Plan Finder will not confirm every provider. For each plan on your short list, use the carrier's online provider directory, or call the plan directly, and ask: "Is Dr. [name] in network for 2027? Is [hospital] in network for 2027?" Get the answer for the specific 2027 plan, not just the carrier.

5. Check your prescriptions. The Plan Finder uses each plan's 2027 formulary. Confirm your drugs are covered, what tier they are on, and whether there is a prior authorization or step therapy rule.

6. Check your pharmacy. The same medication can cost different amounts at different pharmacies within the same plan. Set your preferred pharmacy in Plan Finder so the estimates reflect where you actually fill.

7. Understand the plan type.

• HMO: You pick a primary care doctor and generally must stay in network except for emergencies.
• HMO-POS: Like an HMO, but allows some out-of-network care for certain services, usually at a higher cost.
• PPO: More flexibility to see out-of-network providers, usually at a higher cost than in-network.
• D-SNP: A Special Needs Plan for people with both Medicare and Medicaid.

8. If you need help, call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048). It is free and available 24/7.

If you do nothing

If you take no action by December 7, 2026, your current plan simply renews for 2027 with the changes in the ANOC — unless your plan is one of the 14 not returning. In that case, you will get a non-renewal letter from the plan, and you have a Special Enrollment Period to choose a new one.

There is also a second window if you change your mind: the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, January 1 – March 31, 2027, lets anyone already in a Medicare Advantage plan switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare (with a Part D plan) once.