Medicare Advantage

If your Jersey City Medicare Advantage plan was dropped for 2027, here is your move

Hudson County has 48 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 10 plans are not coming back, 10 are new, and 12 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 2 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Jersey City, not which plan to pick.

JERSEY CITY — This fall, 10 Medicare Advantage plans sold in Hudson County will not be back for the 2027 plan year, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Landscape Source Files. If one of them is yours, the insurer is required to send a non-renewal letter, and you have more time than the regular deadline to pick what comes next.

Here is what Jersey City residents need to know, how to tell if your plan is on the list, and the choices in front of you.

Which Medicare Advantage plans are not returning in Jersey City for 2027?

Ten plans available in Hudson County — the county Jersey City sits in — are not in CMS's 2027 Landscape file. Plan availability is set at the county level, so this list applies to every Hudson County ZIP code, not just Jersey City.

In alphabetical order by carrier, the plans ending after December 31, 2026 are:

• Aetna Medicare Enhanced Extra (PPO) — Aetna (CVS Health)
• Braven Medicare Choice (PPO) — Braven Health
• Braven Medicare Choice Plus (PPO) — Braven Health
• Braven Medicare Freedom (PPO) — Braven Health
• Braven Medicare Salute - No Rx (PPO) — Braven Health
• Wellcare Giveback (HMO-POS) — Centene (WellCare)
• Wellcare Patriot Simple (HMO-POS) — Centene (WellCare)
• Wellcare Simple (HMO-POS) — Centene (WellCare)
• Wellpoint Full Dual Advantage Secure (HMO-POS D-SNP) — Elevance Health (Anthem)
• HealthSpring True Choice (PPO) — HealthSpring

For 2027, Hudson County will have 48 Medicare Advantage plans from 9 carriers, including 10 new plans and 2 renamed ones. The table below lists the full 2027 lineup.

How can I tell if my Jersey City Medicare Advantage plan is ending in 2027?

Watch your mail in late September and early October 2026 for a non-renewal letter from your insurer. CMS requires plans that are leaving an area to send this notice to current members, and it will say the plan "will not be offered" or "is being non-renewed" for the 2027 plan year.

The letter is different from the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), which goes to members whose plans ARE coming back and lists what is changing (premium, drug list, copays, network). If you got an ANOC, your plan is renewing. If you got a non-renewal notice, your plan is ending.

If you are not sure which you received, call the number on the back of your member ID card, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

What happens on January 1, 2027 if I do nothing?

If your Medicare Advantage plan is on the list above and you take no action, you will be enrolled in Original Medicare — Part A (hospital) and Part B (medical) — automatically on January 1, 2027. You will not lose Medicare.

But two things are worth knowing:

• Original Medicare does not include prescription drug coverage. If your ending plan included Part D drugs (most on the list do), you will have no drug coverage on January 1 unless you join a stand-alone Part D plan.
• Original Medicare has no out-of-pocket maximum. Many people pair it with a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy to help with the 20% coinsurance Part B leaves behind.

What are my choices and when is the Special Enrollment Period?

You have three main paths, and more time than most people to decide.

1. Pick a new Medicare Advantage plan for 2027 (with or without drug coverage). 2. Keep Original Medicare and add a stand-alone Part D drug plan. 3. Keep Original Medicare, add a Part D plan, and apply for a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy.

Because your plan is being non-renewed, Medicare gives you a Special Enrollment Period that runs from December 8, 2026 through February 28, 2027 to enroll in another Medicare Advantage plan or a stand-alone Part D plan. You can also still use the regular Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7, 2026) for a January 1 start date.

A non-renewal also triggers a federal Medigap guaranteed-issue right, meaning you can buy certain Medigap policies without medical underwriting for a limited window. New Jersey has its own Medigap rules on top of the federal ones; for state-specific details, contact the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance.

What is new for Medicare in 2027 that I should factor in?

A few program-level numbers are already set for 2027 and will apply no matter which path you choose:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026).
• The Part D maximum deductible rises to $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026).
• The Part D national base beneficiary premium is $41.33 for 2027 — this is a formula input CMS uses, not the premium any specific plan charges.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, have not been announced yet. CMS typically publishes them in November. The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which lets you spread drug costs over the calendar year in monthly installments, continues for 2027.

How do I compare plans without getting overwhelmed?

Use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov. It lets you enter your ZIP code, your prescriptions and your preferred pharmacy, and it shows every plan available in Hudson County with the real cost to you — not a sales pitch.

Three practical tips:

• Have your drug list and dosages ready before you start.
• Check that your doctors and preferred hospital are in a plan's network before enrolling.
• Read the plan's Summary of Benefits for the specifics; the ANOC and Evidence of Coverage have the full detail.

If you prefer to talk to someone, call 1-800-MEDICARE.