Medicare Advantage

Detroit Medicare Advantage changes for 2027: 16 plans leaving, 12 new

For 2027, Detroit is looking at 81 Medicare Advantage plans from 16 carriers: 12 new, 16 gone since 2026, and 32 continuing plans that changed something in their terms, 5 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Wayne County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

DETROIT — As the Annual Enrollment Period runs through Dec. 7, some Detroit-area Medicare Advantage members will see a letter in the mail that says their current plan will not be offered in 2027. Others will see a new name on familiar coverage, or notice their plan looks different than it did last year. Here is what is actually changing in Wayne County, and what to do if your plan is one of them.

What is changing in Wayne County for 2027

Detroit sits in Wayne County, where Medicare plan availability is set. According to CMS's 2026 and 2027 Medicare Advantage Landscape files for the county:

• 16 plans are leaving after 2026
• 12 plans are new for 2027
• 5 plans have been renamed
• 32 plans have a change on premium, deductible, plan type or name
• 69 plans are continuing

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

Plans that will not be offered in 2027

If you are enrolled in one of these plans, your carrier is required to send you a non-renewal notice. In alphabetical order by carrier, the plans leaving after 2026 are:

• Aetna Medicare Enhanced (PPO)
• Aetna Medicare Prime Care (HMO-POS)
• BCN Advantage Elements (HMO-POS) — from Blue Care Network
• Medicare Plus Blue + Meijer (PPO) — from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
• Wellcare Patriot Giveback Open (PPO) — from Centene
• Wellcare Simple Open (PPO) — from Centene
• Humana Full Access H5216-287 (PPO)
• Humana Full Access H7617-055 (PPO)
• Humana Gold Plus Chronic Kidney Disease (HMO C-SNP)
• Humana Gold Plus H8908-001 (HMO-POS)
• Humana USAA Honor Giveback with Rx (PPO) (two contracts)
• PriorityMedicare Thrive (PPO)
• PriorityMedicare Vintage (HMO-POS)
• PriorityMedicare Vital (PPO)
• UHC Dual Complete MI-Y1 (HMO D-SNP)

Note that some of these names look familiar for a reason: a plan can leave under one contract number and appear as a new offering under another. For example, BCN Advantage Elements (HMO-POS), Medicare Plus Blue + Meijer (PPO) and UHC Dual Complete MI-Y1 all appear on both lists this year. If your plan name shows up in both places, do not assume you are automatically enrolled in the "new" version — read your mail from the carrier to see how you will be handled.

New Medicare Advantage plans for 2027

Twelve plans are new to Wayne County for 2027:

• BCN Advantage Elements (HMO-POS) — Blue Care Network
• Medicare Plus Blue + Meijer (PPO) — Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
• Humana Full Access (PPO) — two new contracts
• PriorityMedicare Align (HMO-POS) — Priority Health
• PriorityMedicare Thrive (PPO) — Priority Health
• Trinity Health Plan of Michigan Plus (HMO)
• AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC MI-4 (HMO-POS) — UnitedHealthcare
• AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx MI-MA2 (HMO-POS) — UnitedHealthcare
• UHC Complete Care MI-5 (HMO-POS C-SNP) — UnitedHealthcare
• UHC Dual Complete MI-Y1 (HMO D-SNP) — UnitedHealthcare
• Zing Elite Essentials Diabetes & Heart MI (HMO C-SNP)

Renamed plans

Five plans in Wayne County kept their contract but changed names for 2027:

• Humana Full Access (PPO) — was Humana Full Access H5216-011 (PPO)
• Humana Full Access Giveback (PPO) — was Humana Full Access Giveback H5216-306 (PPO)
• Humana Full Access Giveback (PPO) — was Humana Full Access Giveback H7617-058 (PPO)
• McLaren Medicare Inspire Giveback (HMO) — was McLaren Medicare Inspire Select (HMO)
• Zing Elite Balance IN-MI (HMO C-SNP) — was Zing Elite Balance MI (HMO C-SNP)

A renamed plan is still the same plan on the CMS file, but the details inside — network, drug list, cost sharing — can still change year to year. That is what the ANOC is for.

What to do if your plan is leaving

If your plan will not be offered in 2027, Medicare gives you a Special Enrollment Period that runs from Dec. 8 through the end of February. During that window you can:

• Join a different Medicare Advantage plan (with or without drug coverage that matches your situation), or
• Return to Original Medicare and add a standalone Part D drug plan.

You do not have to wait for the SEP — you can also make the switch during the Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7), and that is usually the smoother option because your new coverage starts Jan. 1 with no gap.

If your plan is continuing but the CMS file shows a change to premium, deductible, plan type or name, the ANOC your carrier mailed in September spells out exactly what is different. It is worth 10 minutes of your time before you decide to stay put.

How to decide — without getting overwhelmed

Wayne County has 81 Medicare Advantage plans from 16 carriers for 2027, down from 90 the year before. That is a lot to sort through. A short checklist helps:

1. Check your doctors and hospitals. Confirm each is in the plan's 2027 network before you enroll. 2. Check your prescriptions. Plug your drug list into the Plan Finder at medicare.gov to see how each option covers them. Remember that the Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027, and the maximum deductible is $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027; the old "donut hole" no longer exists. 3. Think about how you like to get care. HMO, HMO-POS and PPO plans handle referrals and out-of-network care differently. 4. If you have Medicaid or a specific chronic condition, ask whether a Dual Eligible or Chronic Condition Special Needs Plan (D-SNP or C-SNP) fits. 5. Ask for help. Michigan's SHIP program — called MMAP — gives free, unbiased counseling to people on Medicare.