Medicare Advantage

Before you compare plans, make this short Everett checklist

Everett residents have a lot to weigh this fall. Everett is in Middlesex County, where the 2026 Medicare Advantage landscape included 49 plans offered by 9 carriers, according to CMS Medicare Plan Finder data. The 2027 lineup is detailed in each plan's Annual Notice of Change and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. That is a lot of paperwork to sift through — but with a simple method, you can narrow the field to the handful that actually fit your life.

Medicare AdvantageEverett, MA

Start with what you already use

Before you compare a single plan, write down what matters to you. That short list is your filter.

Jot down:

• The doctors and hospitals you want to keep.
• The prescriptions you take, with dosage and frequency.
• Any pharmacies you prefer, including mail order.
• Extras you actually use (dental, vision, hearing, fitness).

If a plan does not cover your doctor or your medication, you can set it aside quickly — no matter how appealing it looks on paper.

Understand the parts before you compare plans

Medicare has moving pieces, and each one plays a different role.

• Part A covers hospital stays and is premium-free for most people.
• Part B covers doctor visits and outpatient care and has a standard monthly premium.
• Part C (Medicare Advantage) is offered by private insurers and bundles Parts A and B, usually with drug coverage and extras.
• Part D covers prescription drugs, either through a stand-alone plan or built into a Medicare Advantage plan.
• Medigap (Medicare Supplement) helps pay Original Medicare's out-of-pocket costs.

For 2026, CMS listed 49 Medicare Advantage plans and 0 stand-alone Part D plans in the Middlesex County landscape data; the 2027 lineup is in each plan's ANOC and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. Most people here who want drug coverage will get it through a Medicare Advantage plan that includes it (an MA-PD).

Use the counts, not the noise

Forty-nine plans sounds like a maze, but you rarely need to look at all of them.

Here is a practical way to shrink the list on medicare.gov: 1. Enter your ZIP code and your medications. 2. Add your preferred pharmacies. 3. Sort by total estimated yearly cost, not just premium. 4. Check each remaining plan's provider directory for your doctors.

By the end of that exercise, most people are choosing between three or four plans — not 49.

Know the program-wide rules that affect everyone

A few program-wide numbers are worth writing down, because they apply no matter which plan you pick.

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your drug spending hits that amount, you pay nothing for covered 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 across the year in monthly bills rather than paying at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA: higher-income enrollees pay a surcharge on Part B and Part D. For a single filer in 2026, the surcharge kicks in above $109,000 in income.

Watch the calendar

Two windows matter most:

• Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7. This is when anyone with Medicare can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for the following year.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31. If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance during these months to switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare.

Outside those windows, you generally need a Special Enrollment Period — for example, if you move or lose other coverage.

About Star Ratings

CMS publishes Star Ratings each year to measure how contracts perform on things like customer service and preventive care. In the Middlesex County area, CMS lists 0 contracts rated 4 stars or higher in the current data. Ratings are one data point among many; use them as context alongside network, drug coverage, and total cost, not as a shortcut for picking a plan.

Where to get unbiased help

You do not have to do this alone, and you do not have to rely on a mailer or a TV ad.

• medicare.gov/plan-compare — the official Plan Finder, which uses your ZIP and drug list.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — available 24/7.
• SHINE (Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Everyone) — the Massachusetts SHIP program offers free, one-on-one Medicare counseling. Local councils on aging in and near Everett often host SHINE appointments.