Medicare Advantage

Aetna's 2027 Medicare Advantage plans in Buffalo: three new, one gone, one renamed

Buffalo, N.Y. — Aetna is bringing nine Medicare Advantage plans to Erie County for 2027, including three new plans, one that is not returning, and one that is being renamed. The full lineup takes effect January 1, 2027, and the window to pick or switch runs October 15 through December 7, 2026.

MyMedicarePlans.org is an independent consumer site, not Aetna and not Medicare. We publish Aetna's county-level lineup here because the carrier is making real changes for the coming plan year, and the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) your plan mailed in late September is where the dollars-and-cents detail lives.

What Medicare Advantage plans is Aetna offering in Buffalo for 2027?

In Erie County, which includes Buffalo, Aetna (CVS Health) is offering 9 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. By type, that breaks down to 3 HMOs, 1 HMO-POS, and 5 PPOs. Eight of the nine plans include Part D prescription drug coverage; one PPO is offered without drug coverage.

Four of the nine are Special Needs Plans (SNPs), which are built for people in specific situations: 1 Dual Eligible SNP (D-SNP) for people with both Medicare and Medicaid, 2 Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) for people with qualifying chronic conditions, and 1 Institutional SNP (I-SNP). Each SNP has its own eligibility rules, so a plan being listed does not mean every reader can enroll.

The table below lists every Aetna plan in the county by name and type.

What is new or not returning from Aetna in Erie County for 2027?

Three Aetna plans are new in Erie County for 2027: Aetna Medicare Chronic Care (HMO C-SNP), Aetna Medicare Chronic Care Total (HMO C-SNP), and Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO). The two Chronic Care plans are C-SNPs, so enrollment depends on having a qualifying chronic condition.

One Aetna plan is not returning for 2027. If you are enrolled in a plan that is ending, Aetna is required to send a non-renewal notice, and you have a Special Enrollment Period to pick a new plan.

One plan is being renamed: Aetna Medicare Enhanced (PPO) was previously called Aetna Medicare Premier (PPO). A rename is not automatically a change in coverage, but the ANOC is where you confirm what, if anything, is different for 2027.

How do I check an Aetna plan against my doctors and prescriptions before December 7?

The most reliable way to check any Medicare Advantage plan against your own doctors and medications is the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov. You can enter your ZIP code, add your prescriptions and preferred pharmacy, and see each plan's drug list and estimated yearly costs for your situation. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For in-network providers, the plan's own online directory is the current source — networks can change during the year, so a doctor who was in-network in 2026 is not guaranteed to be in-network in 2027. If a specific doctor, hospital, or drug is essential to you, confirm it in writing before you enroll. The plan's Evidence of Coverage document is the definitive description of benefits and rules.

Three dates to keep in mind as fall 2026 moves on:

• October 15 – December 7, 2026: Annual Enrollment for 2027 coverage.
• January 1, 2027: New coverage starts.
• January 1 – March 31, 2027: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment, when you can switch Advantage plans or return to Original Medicare once.

If you do nothing, your current plan renews for 2027 as long as it is still being offered, with the changes described in your ANOC.

What else should Buffalo readers know about 2027 Medicare costs?

A few program-level 2027 figures are already confirmed by CMS and apply no matter which plan you pick:

• 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, 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 September 2026. CMS typically publishes those figures later in the fall. The coverage gap (the old "donut hole") was eliminated in 2025, so Part D now has three phases.

Aetna is one of 11 carriers offering Medicare Advantage plans in Erie County for 2027, with 60 plans in the county all together. Looking at a single carrier's lineup is useful, but it is not the whole menu — the Plan Finder shows every plan available at your address.