Medicare Advantage

Kentwood, MI Medicare options for 2027

For 2027, Kentwood is looking at 89 Medicare Advantage plans: 20 new, 11 gone since 2026, and 43 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 10 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Kent County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

If you live in Kentwood and you've ever felt overwhelmed opening the Medicare Plan Finder, there's a reason. Kentwood sits in Kent County, where 79 Medicare Advantage plans are available for 2027 — a big menu that can feel more like a maze than a marketplace.

Knowing the size of that menu is the first step to shopping it with confidence. Here's a clear look at what's on the table locally, what's not, and how the numbers fit into the rest of Medicare's 2027 rules.

The Kentwood snapshot: a large menu, many carriers

Kentwood is in Kent County, where CMS's 2026 Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape data shows 80 Medicare Advantage plans on offer. Those plans come from 12 different carriers, which is a healthy amount of competition compared with many parts of the country.

For context, roughly 98,825 people ages 65 and older live in Kent County. That's the pool of neighbors, friends and family members sorting through the same options you are.

What the "80 plans" number really means

Eighty is a count of distinct plan offerings, not a count of companies. One carrier can offer several plans in the same county — for example, an HMO, a PPO and a special needs plan aimed at people with certain chronic conditions or dual Medicare-Medicaid eligibility.

That's why the carrier count (12) matters just as much as the plan count. It tells you how many different companies are competing for your business, even if the plan list looks longer at first glance.

What about stand-alone Part D?

In Kent County, the 2027 landscape data shows 0 stand-alone Part D prescription drug plans in the Medicare Advantage-Prescription Drug availability file. In practice, most people shopping Medicare Advantage locally will find drug coverage built into the plan itself (often called an MA-PD).

If you prefer Original Medicare and want a stand-alone drug plan, the national Part D marketplace is separate — and you can compare those plans directly on medicare.gov's Plan Finder by entering your ZIP code.

Star Ratings, briefly

CMS publishes Star Ratings each fall to help people compare Medicare Advantage and Part D contracts on things like customer service, member experience and how well plans manage chronic conditions. Ratings can shift year to year, so check the current Star Ratings on medicare.gov as you compare plans for 2027.

Ratings are one data point — not a verdict. They can shift year to year, and they don't replace checking whether your doctors, hospitals and prescriptions are covered.

2027 rules everyone on Medicare should know

A few program-wide changes and figures are worth writing down before you shop:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your out-of-pocket drug spending hits that amount, you pay nothing more for covered Part D drugs the rest of the year.
• Part D maximum deductible: $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027.
• Coverage gap ("donut hole"): eliminated as of 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: an optional program that lets you spread your Part D costs into monthly payments instead of paying at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA surcharges: higher-income beneficiaries pay more for Parts B and D. For 2026, surcharges start above $109,000 in income for a single filer.

Key dates for Kentwood shoppers

• Oct. 15 – Dec. 7: Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. You can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.
• Jan. 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance to change to another Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare (and add a Part D plan).

Where to get unbiased help

With 79 plans on the local menu for 2027, don't try to sort them all in your head. Two free, official resources are built for exactly this:

• Medicare.gov Plan Finder — enter your ZIP code, your drugs and your preferred pharmacies to see side-by-side comparisons.
• 1-800-MEDICARE — available 24/7 for questions about your coverage.
• Michigan's SHIP (MMAP, the Michigan Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program) — offers free, one-on-one counseling from trained volunteers. Call 1-800-803-7174.