Medicare Advantage

Thinking about a brand-new Medicare Advantage plan in Buffalo? How to vet one before Dec. 7

Erie County has 60 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 21 plans are not coming back, 11 are new, and 18 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 3 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Buffalo, not which plan to pick.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Shoppers in Erie County will see 11 Medicare Advantage plans on the 2027 lineup that were not sold here for 2026, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files. Seven carriers are bringing something new, and because these plans have no local track record yet, they take a little more homework than a plan that is simply renewing. The Annual Enrollment Period runs Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2026, and any change you make takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.

What Medicare Advantage plans are new in Buffalo for 2027?

In Erie County, 11 Medicare Advantage plans are new for 2027, meaning they were not offered to Buffalo-area residents for 2026. They come from seven carriers: Aetna (CVS Health), Centene (WellCare), Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield or Highmark Blue Shield, Humana, Independent Health, MVP HEALTH CARE, and UnitedHealthcare.

Listed alphabetically by carrier, the new plans are:

• Aetna Medicare Chronic Care (HMO C-SNP) — Aetna (CVS Health)
• Aetna Medicare Chronic Care Total (HMO C-SNP) — Aetna (CVS Health)
• Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO) — Aetna (CVS Health)
• Wellcare Fidelis Dual Access (HMO D-SNP) — Centene (WellCare)
• Wellcare Fidelis Dual Liberty Sync (HMO D-SNP) — Centene (WellCare)
• Community Blue Medicare HMO 651 (HMO) — Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield or Highmark Blue Shield
• Community Blue Medicare HMO Standard (HMO) — Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield or Highmark Blue Shield
• Humana Gold Plus SNP-DE H3533-036 (HMO D-SNP) — Humana
• Independent Health's Encompass 65 RED 045 (HMO) — Independent Health
• MVP Medicare WellValue with Part D (HMO-POS) — MVP HEALTH CARE
• UHC Dual Complete NY-S002 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — UnitedHealthcare

All 11 include Part D prescription drug coverage. The table below lists every plan, with its type and whether it carries drug coverage.

Which of Buffalo's new 2027 plans are Special Needs Plans?

Of the 11 new plans in Erie County for 2027, seven are Special Needs Plans — plans built for people who meet specific eligibility rules. Two are Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs): Aetna Medicare Chronic Care and Aetna Medicare Chronic Care Total. Five are Dual Eligible SNPs (D-SNPs) for people enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid: Wellcare Fidelis Dual Access, Wellcare Fidelis Dual Liberty Sync, Humana Gold Plus SNP-DE H3533-036, and UHC Dual Complete NY-S002, along with an HMO D-SNP format.

If you do not qualify for the SNP's category, you cannot enroll in it. For the four non-SNP new plans — Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO), Community Blue Medicare HMO 651 (HMO), Community Blue Medicare HMO Standard (HMO), Independent Health's Encompass 65 RED 045 (HMO), and MVP Medicare WellValue with Part D (HMO-POS) — any Buffalo resident with Medicare Parts A and B who lives in the service area can apply during the Annual Enrollment Period.

How does a brand-new Medicare Advantage plan differ from one that is renewing?

A new plan is one CMS has approved for 2027 that was not sold in Erie County for 2026, so it has no local history. A renewing plan is already in the market, and its changes for next year are spelled out in the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) you should have received by late September.

The practical differences are three:

• No Star Rating yet. CMS publishes Star Ratings based on past performance. A brand-new contract or plan does not have enough history, so it will not have its own quality score the first year. That is a program fact, not a warning sign — it just means you cannot lean on the rating as a shortcut.
• No ANOC comparing it to last year. A new plan has nothing to compare itself to, so you have to read its 2027 Summary of Benefits and Evidence of Coverage from scratch.
• No local word-of-mouth. Neighbors who have been on the plan for years simply do not exist yet. That makes direct checks on doctors and drugs more important.

How do I check a new plan against my doctors and prescriptions before Dec. 7, 2026?

The fastest way is the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov. Create or sign in to your account, enter your Buffalo ZIP code, and add your prescriptions (including dosage and quantity) and your pharmacy. Plan Finder will show you the 2027 plans available in Erie County and flag which of your drugs are on each plan's formulary.

For doctors, do not stop at Plan Finder. Open the plan's own 2027 provider directory on the carrier's website — or call the carrier — and search for each physician, specialist and hospital by name. Networks can differ even between two plans from the same carrier, and a doctor who is in-network in 2026 is not automatically in-network in 2027. If you prefer to talk to a person, 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048) is open 24/7.

Three more things worth confirming on any new plan:

• Whether your preferred pharmacy is in the plan's preferred network.
• Whether your drugs have prior authorization, quantity limits or step therapy in 2027.
• Whether your plan type (HMO, HMO-POS, PPO, PFFS, HMO C-SNP, HMO D-SNP, HMO-POS D-SNP) fits how you like to get care.

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

CMS has published several 2027 figures that apply to every Part D plan nationwide. The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $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, not what any particular plan charges.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, have not been announced yet. CMS publishes them later in the fall, typically in November. Any figure you see quoted before then is an estimate, so wait for the official release before budgeting around it.

What happens in Buffalo if I do nothing by Dec. 7?

Nothing dramatic — but something still happens. If your current Medicare Advantage plan is offered again in Erie County for 2027, you stay in it automatically on Jan. 1, with the changes listed in your ANOC. If your plan is one of the 21 not returning for 2027 in Erie County, you will receive a non-renewal notice from the carrier and you have a Special Enrollment Period to pick a new plan.

If you want to switch — into one of the 11 new plans, into a different renewing plan, or back to Original Medicare with a stand-alone Part D plan — the window is Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2026. After that, Medicare Advantage members get one more chance to change plans or return to Original Medicare between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2027.