Medicare Advantage

Anthem Medicare Advantage in New Jersey for 2027: 3 Plans, County by County

TRENTON, N.J. — For the 2027 plan year, Anthem — which CMS groups under Elevance Health (Anthem) — will offer three Medicare Advantage plans to New Jersey residents, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files. The three plans are spread across different plan types and reach different sets of counties, so what shows up on paper statewide is not necessarily what shows up on your doorstep in your ZIP code.

This explainer is published by an independent Medicare education site. We are privately owned, not part of the federal government, and not affiliated with Anthem or any other insurance carrier. Our aim here is to describe what Anthem is listing with CMS for New Jersey in 2027 — nothing more, nothing less.

What Anthem is offering statewide for 2027

Across New Jersey, Anthem's 2027 lineup includes 3 Medicare Advantage plans: 2 HMOs and 1 HMO-POS. All 3 include prescription drug coverage.

Two of the three are Special Needs Plans: 1 Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP), for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid, and 1 Chronic Condition Special Needs Plan (C-SNP). Anthem has no Institutional SNP (I-SNP) in New Jersey for 2027.

For context on the broader market, CMS lists 11 other carriers offering Medicare Advantage plans in New Jersey for 2027, and 71 Medicare Advantage plans statewide from all carriers combined. The full, plan-by-plan tables are rendered elsewhere on this page from the CMS data.

Anthem's plans with the widest county reach

Here is how Anthem's three New Jersey plans line up for 2027 by county footprint, widest reach first:

• Wellpoint Full Dual Advantage (HMO D-SNP) — offered in 21 counties, with drug coverage.
• Wellpoint Kidney Care (HMO-POS C-SNP) — offered in 15 counties, with drug coverage.
• Wellpoint Extra Help (HMO) — offered in 8 counties, with drug coverage; new for 2027.

A wider county footprint simply means the plan is listed in more New Jersey counties — it is not a quality judgment, and it tells you nothing about what any plan costs or covers. Those details are plan-specific and county-specific, and they live in each plan's Evidence of Coverage and in the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov.

What is new, and what is not returning

For 2027, Anthem is adding 1 new plan in New Jersey: Wellpoint Extra Help (HMO), listed in 8 counties. One Anthem plan that was offered in 2026 is not returning for 2027.

If you are currently enrolled in an Anthem plan, the carrier is required to send you an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) before the Annual Enrollment Period. That notice will tell you whether your specific plan is continuing, changing, or ending for 2027. If your plan is being discontinued, CMS rules give you a Special Enrollment Period to choose another plan — but the simplest path for most people is to compare options during the Annual Enrollment Period that runs October 15 through December 7, 2026.

Checking whether a plan is offered in your county — and covers your doctors and prescriptions

This is the step that matters most, and it cannot be done from a statewide list.

Medicare Advantage plans are sold county by county. A plan named here may be available in Essex County but not in Sussex County, or in Camden County but not Cape May. Even a plan listed in 21 of New Jersey's 21 counties is not necessarily the right fit for your household — the question is always whether the plan works where you live, with the doctors and hospitals you use, and for the medications you take.

To check:

1. Go to the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov and enter your ZIP code. The tool will show the plans actually available in your county for 2027. 2. Enter your prescriptions exactly as prescribed, including dose and quantity, so the formulary comparison is accurate. 3. Check each plan's provider directory for your primary care doctor, specialists, and preferred hospital. HMO and HMO-POS plans have network rules, and those rules differ by plan. 4. Read the plan's Evidence of Coverage for the specific rules on referrals, prior authorization, and out-of-network care. 5. If you qualify for a Special Needs Plan — for example, if you have both Medicare and Medicaid, or a qualifying chronic condition — ask whether an SNP fits your situation. Eligibility rules are set by CMS and the plan.

If anything on the website is unclear, you can call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

What to do before December 7

The Annual Enrollment Period for 2027 coverage runs October 15 through December 7, 2026. A plan chosen during that window takes effect January 1, 2027.

A simple checklist:

• Read your current plan's Annual Notice of Change for 2027.
• Make a list of your doctors, hospitals, and prescriptions.
• Use the Plan Finder at medicare.gov to compare plans available in your county.
• Confirm anything important — a specific drug, a specific specialist — directly with the plan before you enroll.
• Make your decision by December 7, 2026.

There is no benefit to rushing. The deadline is a date, not a countdown.

Where to get free help

Two no-cost resources are available to every person with Medicare in New Jersey:

• medicare.gov — the official federal site, home of the Plan Finder, plan documents, and enrollment tools.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY 1-877-486-2048 — available 24/7 to answer questions and help with enrollment.