Medicare Advantage

Twelve new Medicare Advantage plans land in Detroit for 2027: how to size one up

For 2027, Detroit is looking at 86 Medicare Advantage plans: 12 new, 16 gone since 2026, and 37 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 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 — Seven insurers are bringing 12 Medicare Advantage plans to Wayne County that were not sold here in 2026, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files for the current and coming plan year. The new options show up on the Medicare Plan Finder when the 2027 Annual Enrollment Period opens October 15, 2026, and any change you make before December 7, 2026, takes effect January 1, 2027.

A brand-new plan can look appealing — but it also has no local track record yet, and that's worth a careful look before you move your coverage.

What "new for 2027" actually means in Detroit

Medicare Advantage availability is set at the county level. Detroit is in Wayne County, where 86 Medicare Advantage plans are being offered for 2027. Twelve of those are brand new — they were not available to Wayne County residents in 2026.

Here is the full list of the new ones, grouped by carrier (the table on this page shows every 2027 plan in the county):

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

Every one of these new plans includes Part D prescription drug coverage.

The Special Needs Plans among them

Three of the 12 new plans are Special Needs Plans, which only accept members who meet the plan's eligibility rules:

• UHC Complete Care MI-5 (HMO-POS C-SNP) — a Chronic Condition SNP, for people with a qualifying chronic illness.
• UHC Dual Complete MI-Y1 (HMO D-SNP) — a Dual Eligible SNP, for people with both Medicare and Medicaid.
• Zing Elite Essentials Diabetes & Heart MI (HMO C-SNP) — a Chronic Condition SNP focused on diabetes and cardiovascular conditions.

If you do not meet the plan's SNP criteria, you cannot enroll in it, even if it is available in your ZIP code.

How a "new" plan differs from a renewing one

The biggest practical difference is history. A renewing plan has been in Wayne County long enough to have:

• A Medicare Star Rating based on past performance in areas like customer service, drug pricing accuracy and chronic condition care.
• A known provider network that your doctor's office has either seen before or hasn't.
• A drug formulary that members have used, so pharmacists in Detroit are familiar with it.

A new plan has none of that local track record yet. CMS does not assign a Star Rating until a plan has enough data, so you will often see "Not enough data available" on Plan Finder for a plan in its first year. That isn't a red flag — it's just a fact. It does mean you have to lean more heavily on the plan's own paperwork and on direct calls to confirm things, instead of relying on ratings as a shortcut.

How to vet a new plan before December 7

Whether a plan is new or renewing, the checklist is the same — it just matters more when there is no history to lean on.

1. Go to Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov. Enter your ZIP code and your prescription list. Plan Finder will show you the plans available in Wayne County and estimate your yearly drug costs. 2. Check your doctors and hospitals. Call each provider's office and ask whether they are in-network for the specific plan name and plan ID (for example, "AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC MI-4"). Don't rely on a general "we take UnitedHealthcare" — networks differ by plan. 3. Check every prescription. Look up each drug in the plan's formulary. Confirm the tier, any prior-authorization or step-therapy rules, and your preferred pharmacy. 4. Read the plan's Summary of Benefits and Evidence of Coverage on the carrier's website. These documents are the source of truth for what the plan actually covers. 5. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048) if anything is unclear. The line runs 24/7.

If you already have a Medicare Advantage plan and do nothing, it will automatically renew for 2027 if the carrier offers it next year — with any changes spelled out in the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) that was mailed to you by late September.

A few 2027 numbers worth knowing

CMS has confirmed these Part D figures for 2027:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026).
• Part D maximum deductible: $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026).

The 2027 Part B standard premium, Part B deductible and the updated IRMAA income brackets have not been announced yet; CMS typically publishes them later in the fall.