Medicare Advantage

A Look at Medicare Options Across the New York City Area

New York County has 61 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 20 plans are not coming back, 6 are new, and 13 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 New York City, not which plan to pick.

New York City retirees comparing Medicare coverage for 2027 have a wide field to sort through — and the choices can shift depending on which borough, and which county, you call home. Because Medicare Advantage and Part D plan availability is set county by county, two neighbors on opposite sides of a bridge may see different options on medicare.gov.

Here's a plain-language snapshot of what plan availability looks like in and around the five boroughs for 2027, plus the program rules everyone on Medicare should know.

Why the "New York City" number isn't one number

Medicare doesn't treat New York City as a single market. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) publishes plan availability by county, and the five boroughs are five different counties — New York (Manhattan), Kings (Brooklyn), Queens, Bronx, and Richmond (Staten Island). Nearby suburban counties like Nassau, Westchester, and Hudson (across the river in New Jersey) are their own markets too.

That means when a friend in Queens tells you what plans they're seeing, that list may not match what shows up for you in the Bronx or on Staten Island. It isn't an error — it's how the program is designed.

What availability looks like in Manhattan

New York City is anchored by New York County, where there are 59 Medicare Advantage plans available for 2027 and 15 carriers offering Medicare Advantage plans that include drug coverage (often called MA-PD). Those are area-level counts from the CMS Medicare Plan Finder — they describe how much is on the shelf, not what any single plan costs or covers. Compared with 2026, 20 plans are not returning, 6 are new, 2 have been renamed, and 11 continuing plans change something in their terms (the ANOC has the details). Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC) is not offering plans in the county next year.

A few things to note about the local picture:

• New York has 10 stand-alone Part D plans for 2026, sold statewide, so anyone in New York County with Original Medicare can join one of them. If you have Original Medicare and want drug coverage, use medicare.gov's Plan Finder to check current stand-alone Part D offerings by ZIP code.
• Roughly 295,693 people age 65 and older live in the county, which helps explain why so many carriers compete here.
• Star Ratings, which CMS uses to measure plan quality, are worth checking on medicare.gov before you enroll. They aren't a ranking of "best plan for you" — they're one input among several.

How to compare across boroughs and nearby counties

If you're helping a parent in Brooklyn, a sibling in the Bronx, and yourself in Manhattan, plan on three separate searches. On medicare.gov's Plan Finder, enter each person's ZIP code and their current prescriptions. The tool will pull the plans available in that specific county and estimate yearly drug costs based on the medications entered.

The same approach works if you're weighing a move to Long Island, Westchester, or across the Hudson — the county changes, and so does the menu.

Program rules that apply no matter where you live

Some things don't change from borough to borough because they're set at the federal level:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: Once your covered drug spending hits the annual cap — $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027 — you pay nothing more for the rest of the year on covered Part D drugs.
• Part D deductible: Plans can charge a deductible up to $615 in 2026 and up to $700 in 2027.
• No more "donut hole": As of 2025, Part D has three phases instead of four — the coverage gap is gone.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: This optional program lets you spread your drug costs across monthly payments instead of paying large amounts at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA: Higher-income beneficiaries pay income-related surcharges on Part B and Part D. For a single filer in 2026, IRMAA begins above $109,000 in income.
• Enrollment windows: The Annual Enrollment Period is October 15 through December 7. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 through March 31 and lets you make one change.

Where to get unbiased help

Before enrolling or switching, take advantage of free, neutral resources:

• medicare.gov — the official Plan Finder, by ZIP code.
• 1-800-MEDICARE — 24/7 help from Medicare directly.
• New York's SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program), known locally as HIICAP (Health Insurance Information, Counseling and Assistance Program) — free one-on-one counseling for New Yorkers.