Medicare Advantage

Medicare in Elizabeth, NJ: 2027 Plan Options

Medicare in Elizabeth: how many Advantage and Part D options are on offer in Union County for the 2027 plan year.

ELIZABETH, N.J. — If you're turning 65 in Elizabeth, or you're already on Medicare and thinking about a change, you have a lot to sort through this fall. Elizabeth is in Union County, where 57 Medicare Advantage plans were available for 2026, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plan landscape files. The 2027 lineup is detailed in each plan's Annual Notice of Change and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder.

That's the number of options a local shopper can choose from — not a ranking, not a recommendation, just the count. Here's what that looks like on the ground, and how to make sense of it before the Dec. 7 enrollment deadline.

What the numbers say about your choices

For 2026, Union County residents — including the roughly 87,000 people age 65 and older living in and around Elizabeth — could choose from 57 Medicare Advantage plans offered by 9 carriers. The 2027 count is available on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder and in each plan's ANOC.

That is a wide field. It also means comparison shopping matters. Two plans from the same insurance company can have very different drug lists, provider networks, and extra benefits. The count itself doesn't tell you which plan fits your doctors or your prescriptions — only a side-by-side comparison on Medicare's own tool can do that.

Advantage plans, drug plans, and how they fit together

Medicare has a few moving parts:

• Original Medicare (Part A hospital + Part B medical), run by the federal government.
• Medicare Advantage (Part C), private plans that bundle Parts A and B and usually include drug coverage (called MA-PD).
• Part D, prescription drug coverage, either built into an Advantage plan or bought as a stand-alone policy alongside Original Medicare.
• Medigap, supplemental policies that help pay Original Medicare's out-of-pocket costs.

In Union County for 2026, all 9 participating carriers offered MA-PD plans — meaning drug coverage is folded into the Advantage plan. Stand-alone Part D options have been more limited locally, so people who want to stay with Original Medicare should look carefully at what drug coverage is available to pair with it for 2027. The current lineup is on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder.

Big 2027 changes every enrollee should know

A few program-wide updates apply no matter which plan you pick:

• $2,400 Part D cap. Once your out-of-pocket spending on covered prescriptions hits $2,400 in 2027, you pay nothing for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• $700 maximum Part D deductible in 2027. Plans can charge less, but not more.
• The "donut hole" is gone. Since 2025, Part D has three phases instead of four.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. You can ask to spread your drug costs across monthly payments instead of paying all at once at the pharmacy.
• IRMAA. Higher-income beneficiaries pay a surcharge on Part B and Part D. For 2026, the surcharge starts above $109,000 in income for a single filer.

Star Ratings in Union County

CMS gives each Medicare Advantage and Part D contract a Star Rating from 1 to 5 based on member experience, customer service, and quality measures. Ratings shift each year, and stars alone shouldn't drive your decision. Look at whether your doctors are in-network and whether your prescriptions are on the drug list. Current ratings for plans serving Union County are on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder.

Key dates to circle

• Oct. 15 – Dec. 7: Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. Join, switch, or drop an Advantage or Part D plan.
• Jan. 1, 2027: New coverage begins.
• Jan. 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment. If you're already in an Advantage plan, you get one chance to switch to a different Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare.

Missing these windows usually means waiting a full year, unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (for example, after a move or losing other coverage).

Where to get unbiased help in Elizabeth

You don't have to figure this out alone, and you don't have to rely on a TV commercial.

• Medicare.gov Plan Finder lets you enter your ZIP code and your prescriptions to see which plans cover them.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is staffed 24/7.
• New Jersey SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) offers free, one-on-one counseling from trained volunteers who don't sell insurance. Call 1-800-792-8820.