Medicare Advantage

Got a Worcester Medicare Advantage non-renewal letter? Read this

For 2027, Worcester is looking at 46 Medicare Advantage plans from 11 carriers: 9 new, 17 gone since 2026, and 20 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 4 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Worcester County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

Medicare AdvantageWorcester, MA

WORCESTER, Mass. — As the Annual Enrollment Period runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, thousands of Medicare Advantage members in and around Worcester are opening mail that says their current plan will not be offered next year. According to a comparison of the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files for 2026 and 2027, 17 Medicare Advantage plans available in Worcester County this year will not return in 2027, 9 new plans are coming in, and 4 have been renamed. One carrier — Mass Advantage — will not offer plans in the county next year.

If you are affected, you have time and options. Here is what changed, what did not, and what to do next.

What is changing in Worcester County for 2027

Worcester sits in Worcester County, where Medicare Advantage plan availability is set. Comparing this year's CMS landscape file to next year's shows a clear reshuffling:

• 17 plans will not return after 2026.
• 9 plans are new for 2027.
• 4 plans have been renamed (same plan, new name on your card and paperwork).
• 20 plans differ from this year on premium, deductible, type or name — the specifics are in each plan's Annual Notice of Change.
• 37 plans are continuing without a naming or structural change in the CMS file.

The table below lists every Medicare Advantage plan offered in the county so you can find yours by name.

Plans leaving after 2026

If you are enrolled in one of these plans, you will need to pick a new plan or return to Original Medicare for 2027:

• Medicare HMO Blue FlexRx (HMO-POS), Medicare HMO Blue SaverRx (HMO-POS), Medicare HMO Blue ValueRx (HMO), Medicare PPO Blue EssentialRx (PPO), and Medicare PPO Blue ValueRx (PPO) from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
• Fallon Medicare Plus Orange (HMO) from Fallon Health
• Humana Direct Choice Giveback (PPO) from Humana
• Mass Advantage Basic (HMO), Mass Advantage Extra (PPO), Mass Advantage Plus (HMO), and Mass Advantage Premiere (PPO) — Mass Advantage is exiting the county entirely
• Mass General Brigham Advantage (PPO), Mass General Brigham Advantage Premier (PPO), and Mass General Brigham Advantage Signature (PPO) from Mass General Brigham Health Plan
• Tufts Medicare Preferred HMO Smart Saver Rx (HMO) and Tufts Medicare Preferred PPO RX (PPO) from Tufts Health Plan
• AARP Medicare Advantage CareFlex from UHC MA-9 (HMO-POS) from UnitedHealthcare

If your plan is on this list, watch for a non-renewal letter from your carrier. It will tell you when your current coverage ends and describe your rights.

New plans for 2027

Nine plans are entering the Worcester County market:

• Aetna Medicare Enhanced (PPO) from Aetna (CVS Health)
• Fallon Medicare Plus Orange (HMO) and NaviCare (HMO D-SNP) from Fallon Health
• HumanaChoice Giveback H5216-477 (PPO) from Humana
• Mass General Brigham Advantage Core (HMO-POS) and Mass General Brigham Advantage Plus (HMO-POS) from Mass General Brigham Health Plan
• Tufts Medicare Preferred HMO Smart Saver Rx (HMO) and Tufts Medicare Preferred PPO RX (PPO) from Tufts Health Plan
• AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx MA-MA2 (HMO-POS) from UnitedHealthcare

New plans mean new networks and new drug lists. If you are considering one, check that your doctors and prescriptions are covered before you enroll.

Renamed plans — same plan, new name

Four plans in the county are keeping their footing but changing names:

• Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO) was Aetna Medicare Signature (PPO)
• NaviCare NHC (HMO D-SNP) was NaviCare (HMO D-SNP)
• UHC One Care MA-YL (HMO D-SNP) was UHC One Care MA-Y4 (HMO D-SNP)
• UHC Senior Care Options MA-YL (HMO D-SNP) was UHC Senior Care Options NHC MA-Y002 (HMO D-SNP)

A rename alone does not mean you need to do anything — but always read the ANOC to see if anything else about your coverage has shifted.

What to do if your plan is leaving

You have two enrollment windows to work with:

1. Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7). This is when most people switch. A choice you make during AEP takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. 2. Special Enrollment Period for a non-renewed plan. If your plan will not be offered next year, Medicare gives you an SEP that runs through the end of February 2027. You can use it to pick a new Medicare Advantage plan or go back to Original Medicare and add a stand-alone Part D drug plan.

There is also the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (Jan. 1 – March 31), which lets people already in a Medicare Advantage plan make one switch — to another Advantage plan or back to Original Medicare.

Before you decide:

• Read your Annual Notice of Change carefully. It is the single best document for seeing what is different next year.
• Make a list of your doctors, hospitals and regular prescriptions, and check them against any plan you're considering.
• Use the Plan Finder at medicare.gov to compare plans side by side.
• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (24/7) or Massachusetts's SHINE program — the state's SHIP — for free, unbiased counseling.

A quick refresher on program rules

Even if your Medicare Advantage plan is continuing, a few program-wide facts are worth keeping in mind for the coming year:

• Part D has an out-of-pocket cap of $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027 — once you hit it, you pay nothing for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The maximum Part D deductible is $615.
• The coverage gap (the old "donut hole") has been eliminated since 2025; Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the calendar year in monthly amounts, if that helps your budget.
• Income-related monthly adjustment amounts (IRMAA) begin above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026.