Medicare Advantage

Newark's Medicare Advantage lineup for 2027: new carrier in, Braven out

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. — The Medicare Advantage lineup Newark residents will choose from this fall looks different from the one they saw a year ago. Essex County, which includes Newark, is losing two carriers for 2027, gaining one, and seeing a mix of new, renamed and departing plans before the Annual Enrollment Period ends on December 7, 2026.

Here is what the 2027 picture looks like for people on Medicare in and around Newark, based on CMS Landscape Source Files for 2026 and 2027.

What is changing in Newark's Medicare Advantage lineup for 2027?

Newark sits in Essex County, where Medicare Advantage plan availability is set. For 2026, the county has 48 Medicare Advantage plans from 10 carriers. Going into 2027, 10 of those plans are leaving, 10 new plans are joining, 36 are continuing, and 2 are being renamed. Another 10 continuing plans have at least one change to premium, deductible, type or name — your plan's Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) spells out what is different.

Two carriers — Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC) and Braven Health — will not offer Medicare Advantage plans in Essex County next year. One carrier, Devoted Health, is new to the county for 2027.

Which carriers offer Medicare Advantage in Essex County in 2026?

The 2026 lineup in Essex County includes 10 carriers, listed alphabetically: Aetna (CVS Health), Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC), Braven Health, Centene (WellCare), Clover Health, Elevance Health (Anthem), Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Humana, Longevity Health Plan, and UnitedHealthcare. By plan type, the county has 12 HMO plans, 12 HMO-POS plans and 24 PPO plans; 11 are Special Needs Plans (SNPs), and 40 include drug coverage.

The table on this page lists every plan by carrier and type. Because the full roster is in the table, we are naming only the carriers and plans most relevant to a specific change below.

Which Medicare Advantage plans are new in Newark for 2027?

Ten plans are new to Essex County for 2027. Six come from Devoted Health, the carrier new to the county: DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE ENHANCED 004 NJ (PPO C-SNP), DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE GIVEBACK EXTRAS 005 NJ (PPO C-SNP), DEVOTED C-SNP CHOICE PLUS 003 NJ (PPO C-SNP), DEVOTED CHOICE 001 NJ (PPO), DEVOTED CHOICE GIVEBACK 002 NJ (PPO), and DEVOTED CHOICE GIVEBACK EXTRAS 006 NJ (PPO).

The other four new plans come from carriers already in the county: Wellpoint Extra Help (HMO) from Elevance Health (Anthem); Horizon Specialty Care (HMO C-SNP) from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey; HumanaChoice Giveback H7617-127 (PPO) from Humana; and UHC Complete Care NJ-8 (HMO-POS C-SNP) from UnitedHealthcare.

Several of these are Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans (C-SNPs), which are built for people with specific long-term health conditions. You can see which conditions each one covers in the plan's own documents or on Medicare's Plan Finder.

Which Medicare Advantage plans are not returning to Newark for 2027?

Ten plans in Essex County are leaving after 2026. All four Braven Health plans — Braven Medicare Choice (PPO), Braven Medicare Choice Plus (PPO), Braven Medicare Freedom (PPO) and Braven Medicare Salute - No Rx (PPO) — are not being offered in 2027, because Braven Health is exiting the county.

The county's lone Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC) plan, HealthSpring True Choice (PPO), is also leaving as that carrier exits. In addition, Aetna (CVS Health) is retiring Aetna Medicare Enhanced Extra (PPO); Centene (WellCare) is retiring Wellcare Giveback (HMO-POS), Wellcare Patriot Simple (HMO-POS) and Wellcare Simple (HMO-POS); and Elevance Health (Anthem) is retiring Wellpoint Full Dual Advantage Secure (HMO-POS D-SNP).

Two Aetna plans are being renamed, not withdrawn: Aetna Medicare Enhanced (Regional PPO) was Aetna Medicare Signature (Regional PPO), and Aetna Medicare Enhanced Extra (PPO) was Aetna Medicare Signature (PPO). If you are in one of these, your coverage continues under the new name — read the ANOC for the specifics.

What happens if my Medicare Advantage plan is leaving Newark?

If your plan is not returning for 2027, Medicare gives you a Special Enrollment Period to pick another Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare and add a stand-alone Part D drug plan. Your current carrier is required to mail you a non-renewal notice; keep that letter, because it is your proof of eligibility for the Special Enrollment Period.

You do not have to wait for the special window. During the Annual Enrollment Period, October 15 – December 7, 2026, you can simply choose a new plan the normal way, and it starts January 1, 2027. If you do nothing and your plan is leaving, you will be left without Medicare Advantage coverage on January 1 — so this is one case where "do nothing" is not a safe default.

What else is changing in Medicare for 2027?

A few program-wide numbers are set for 2027. The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026). The Part D maximum deductible is $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026). The Part D national base beneficiary premium for 2027 is $41.33 — that is a formula input CMS uses, not what any specific 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 publishes them in November. The coverage gap, or "donut hole," remains gone — Part D has three phases now — and the optional Medicare Prescription Payment Plan still lets you spread drug costs across the year in level monthly payments.