Medicare Advantage

Before you pick a brand-new Medicare Advantage plan in Newark for 2027, run these checks

Essex 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 Newark, not which plan to pick.

NEWARK, N.J. — Fall 2026. Ten Medicare Advantage plans on the 2027 lineup in Essex County are brand new — meaning they were not sold here for 2026. For Newark residents weighing one of them during the Annual Enrollment Period that runs Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2026, the big difference between a new plan and a renewing one is simple: a new plan has no local track record yet. Here is what that means, and how to check any plan against your own doctors and prescriptions before the deadline.

Which Medicare Advantage plans are new in Newark for 2027?

Newark is in Essex County, where CMS lists 10 Medicare Advantage plans as new for 2027 — meaning they were not offered in the county for 2026. They come from five carriers, and the full roster below lists every 2027 plan in the county; the 10 new ones, in alphabetical order by carrier, are:

• Devoted Health — DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE ENHANCED 004 NJ (PPO C-SNP), with drug coverage
• Devoted Health — DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE GIVEBACK EXTRAS 005 NJ (PPO C-SNP), with drug coverage
• Devoted Health — DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE PLUS 003 NJ (PPO C-SNP), with drug coverage
• Devoted Health — DEVOTED CHOICE 001 NJ (PPO), with drug coverage
• Devoted Health — DEVOTED CHOICE GIVEBACK 002 NJ (PPO), with drug coverage
• Devoted Health — DEVOTED CHOICE GIVEBACK EXTRAS 006 NJ (PPO), with drug coverage
• Elevance Health (Anthem) — Wellpoint Extra Help (HMO), with drug coverage
• Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey — Horizon Specialty Care (HMO C-SNP), with drug coverage
• Humana — HumanaChoice Giveback H7617-127 (PPO), with drug coverage
• UnitedHealthcare — UHC Complete Care NJ-8 (HMO-POS C-SNP), with drug coverage

All 10 include Part D drug coverage. By plan type, six are PPOs, one is an HMO, and three are Special Needs Plans built around a chronic condition (C-SNPs — one in HMO form, one HMO-POS, and the three Devoted C-SNPs in PPO form).

What is a Special Needs Plan, and which of the new Newark plans are SNPs?

A Special Needs Plan (SNP) is a Medicare Advantage plan limited to people who meet certain criteria. The most common types are D-SNPs (for people with both Medicare and Medicaid), C-SNPs (for people with specific chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart disease), and I-SNPs (for people in nursing homes or needing a similar level of care).

Among the 10 new plans in Essex County for 2027, five are C-SNPs: three from Devoted Health, plus Horizon Specialty Care and UHC Complete Care NJ-8. You can enroll in a C-SNP only if you qualify under its condition rules, so the first step is finding out whether a given SNP's eligibility fits your situation. The plan itself, medicare.gov, or 1-800-MEDICARE can confirm this.

How is a new Medicare Advantage plan different from a renewing one?

A renewing plan has a history. It has a Star Rating from CMS based on prior-year performance, an existing Evidence of Coverage you may have used, and an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) that spells out what is different for 2027 compared with 2026.

A brand-new plan has none of that in this county yet. Specifically:

• No local Star Rating yet. CMS Star Ratings are based on prior-year data, so a plan in its first year typically shows no rating. That is a factual gap, not a verdict on the plan.
• No ANOC to compare. With a renewing plan, you can read what changed from last year. With a new plan, the Evidence of Coverage and Summary of Benefits are the first version.
• No word-of-mouth yet from neighbors or your doctor's billing office about how claims or referrals go.

That does not make a new plan a bad choice or a good one. It means your homework has to come from the plan documents and the Plan Finder, not from last year's experience.

How do I check a new plan against my doctors and prescriptions before Dec. 7?

Use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov. It is the single best tool for matching a specific plan to your own situation, and it works the same way for a new plan as for a renewing one. Walk through these steps:

1. Sign in (or create a free account). Signing in lets Plan Finder save your drug list and pharmacies. 2. Enter your ZIP code so you see Essex County plans. 3. Add every prescription you take, with the exact dose and how often. Even one missing drug can throw off your out-of-pocket estimate. 4. Pick your preferred pharmacies. The same drug can cost different amounts at different pharmacies within the same plan. 5. Open each plan you are considering and look at the formulary (drug list), the pharmacy network, and the provider network. For doctors and hospitals, confirm directly with the office that they will accept the specific plan in 2027 — networks can shift between contract years. 6. Check the plan type. HMO and HMO-POS plans generally use a defined network and often require a primary care doctor and referrals. PPO plans typically let you go out of network at a higher cost. SNPs have eligibility rules on top of all that. 7. For SNPs, confirm you qualify before relying on the plan's details.

If you prefer the phone, 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048) is open 24/7 and can walk through plans with you.

What happens if I do nothing by Dec. 7, 2026?

Nothing happens automatically that forces you off your plan. If your current Medicare Advantage plan is offered again in Essex County for 2027, it renews on Jan. 1, 2027, with the changes listed in its Annual Notice of Change. CMS data shows the Essex County lineup for 2027 includes 10 plans not returning from 2026, 10 new plans, and two plans that have been renamed. If your plan is in the "not returning" group, you'll receive a non-renewal notice and will need to pick a new plan or return to Original Medicare.

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from Jan. 1 through March 31, 2027 gives Medicare Advantage members a second window to switch plans or go back to Original Medicare once, if the January coverage doesn't fit.

What 2027 figures are already set, and what is still coming?

A few 2027 numbers CMS has already published are worth knowing when you compare drug coverage:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026).
• Part D maximum deductible: $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026).
• Part D national base beneficiary premium: $41.33 for 2027. This is a formula input CMS uses, not what any particular plan charges.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, had not been announced as of early fall 2026. CMS typically releases these in the fall, usually in November. Watch medicare.gov for the official numbers rather than relying on projections.