Medicare Advantage

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Advantage in Minnesota for 2027: 13 Plans

MINNEAPOLIS — For the 2027 plan year, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is listed in the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files with 13 plans available somewhere in Minnesota. The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and whatever a Minnesotan chooses during that window takes effect January 1, 2027. This explainer is published by an independent Medicare education site; it is not the government, not affiliated with Medicare, and not the carrier.

How many Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Medicare Advantage plans are offered in Minnesota for 2027?

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota lists 13 plans in Minnesota for 2027, counted once statewide. By plan type, that breaks down to 7 PPOs and 6 Cost plans. Nine of the 13 plans include Part D drug coverage, and four do not.

For 2027, the carrier lists 0 Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs), 0 Chronic-Condition SNPs (C-SNPs), and 0 Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs). Across Minnesota, 10 other carriers also offer Medicare Advantage in 2027, and the all-carrier total is 66 plans. The table on this page shows the full plan list; county-by-county availability is what determines whether any one of them is actually sold where you live.

Which Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota plans reach the most Minnesota counties in 2027?

The widest county reach among Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota's 2027 lineup belongs to Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Freedom Blue (PPO), offered in 35 counties and listed without drug coverage. After that, Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Essential (PPO) and Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Select (PPO) each appear in 24-county versions, both new for 2027 and both with drug coverage.

The Cost plans — Platinum Blue Choice Plan, Platinum Blue Choice Plan with Rx, Platinum Blue Complete Plan, Platinum Blue Complete Plan with Rx, Platinum Blue Core Plan, and Platinum Blue Core Plan with Rx — are each listed in 21 counties. Smaller-footprint entries include additional Essential (PPO), Select (PPO), and Premier (PPO) versions offered in 10 counties, and one Essential (PPO) version in a single county. The full table on this page shows every plan with its county count; a plan listed statewide may not be offered in your specific county.

What is new or not returning from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota for 2027 in Minnesota?

Six of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota's 2027 Minnesota plans are new for next year, and 11 of its 2026 plans are not returning. The new-for-2027 plans in the carrier's lineup are versions of Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Essential (PPO), Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Premier (PPO), and Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Select (PPO), each listed with drug coverage.

If you are currently enrolled in a 2026 plan from this carrier, watch for the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) that arrives in the fall of 2026. It will tell you whether your specific plan is continuing, changing, or ending for 2027. If your plan is ending, you have a window to pick a different plan for a January 1, 2027 effective date.

How do I check whether a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota plan is offered in my Minnesota county and covers my doctors and prescriptions?

To confirm a plan is actually sold in your Minnesota county for 2027, use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The statewide list on this page tells you what Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota has filed with CMS; the Plan Finder tells you what shows up at your ZIP code.

For doctor networks, hospital access, prescription drug coverage tiers, prior authorization rules, and any extra benefits, the official source is the plan's own Evidence of Coverage, Summary of Benefits, provider directory, and formulary. Bring a list of your current prescriptions (with doses) and your preferred doctors and pharmacies when you compare. This site does not quote premiums, copays, benefits, networks, drug lists, or star ratings for any plan.

What should Minnesotans do before December 7, 2026?

Before December 7, 2026, Minnesotans who want 2027 coverage from any Medicare Advantage or Cost plan should (1) read the Annual Notice of Change from their current plan, (2) list the doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, and prescriptions that matter to them, and (3) use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov to see which plans are offered in their county.

A decision made during the October 15 – December 7, 2026 Annual Enrollment Period takes effect January 1, 2027. If you do nothing and your current plan is returning, you generally stay in it; if your plan is one of the 11 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota plans not returning for 2027, you will need to review your options.

Where can Minnesotans get free help choosing a 2027 Medicare plan?

Minnesotans can get free, official help from Medicare itself. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov to compare every plan available in a specific ZIP code side by side.

Medicare.gov also lets you save a drug list and provider list to your account so comparisons stay consistent as you look at different plans. For questions about Social Security, Part A, or Part B enrollment, contact the Social Security Administration.