Medicare Advantage

Sizing up Medicare in Westfield: how many choices Hampden County residents have for 2027

WESTFIELD, Mass. — If you are shopping for Medicare coverage in Westfield for 2027, the first thing worth knowing is simply how big the menu is. Medicare plan availability is set at the county level, and Westfield is in Hampden County, where the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) listed 50 Medicare Advantage plans for 2026. The 2027 lineup is in each plan's Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder.

A snapshot of what Westfield has to choose from

That is the raw count — not a ranking, not a recommendation, just the size of the field a Westfield resident is looking at when they open Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. With about 84,523 people age 65 or older living in Hampden County, that field is meant to serve a sizeable local population.

Who is selling those plans

Behind the 50 Medicare Advantage plans in Hampden County are 9 different carriers offering Medicare Advantage with prescription drug coverage (MA-PD). A "carrier" is the insurance company; each carrier can offer several plans that differ in network, drug coverage and structure.

Nine carriers is a reasonable amount of variety. It means most people in Westfield will have more than one company to compare, which is the whole point of the Annual Enrollment Period.

The Part D picture is different

Here is one number that stands out: CMS listed 0 stand-alone Part D prescription drug plans available in Hampden County for 2026. Stand-alone Part D plans are what people on Original Medicare (Parts A and B) typically use to add drug coverage. The 2027 lineup is on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder.

If that count holds, Westfield residents who want drug coverage will generally need to look at Medicare Advantage plans that include drug coverage built in. This is a good question to bring to a licensed agent, SHINE counselor (Massachusetts's SHIP), or 1-800-MEDICARE, because your options depend on your specific situation.

What the star ratings look like locally

CMS also publishes Star Ratings, which measure plan and contract quality on a 1-to-5 scale. In the Hampden County area, 0 contracts were rated 4 stars or higher for 2026.

Star Ratings are one input, not the whole story. They can shift year to year, and they measure a contract — which may cover many plans and many states — not your personal experience. Use them as context alongside network, drug coverage and total cost.

Program rules that apply everywhere, including Westfield

Some numbers are the same whether you live in Westfield or anywhere else in the country. For 2027:

• Part D has a $2,400 annual out-of-pocket cap on covered prescriptions in 2027.
• The Part D deductible can be no more than $700 in 2027.
• The old coverage gap, or "donut hole," is gone as of 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the calendar year in monthly installments, at no extra charge.
• Income-related monthly adjustment amounts (IRMAA) start above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Key dates to keep on the calendar

• October 15 – December 7: Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. You can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.
• January 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can switch to another one or return to Original Medicare once during this window.