Medicare Advantage

New Medicare Advantage plans in New York City for 2027: the 6 new choices, carrier by carrier

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 — Fall 2026. When the 2027 Medicare Advantage lineup opens for enrollment on October 15, New York City shoppers will see six plans they could not have picked a year ago. Four carriers — Aetna (CVS Health), Centene (WellCare), Humana and UnitedHealthcare — are adding plans in New York County, the county New York City is in, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source File for plan year 2027.

Most of the new plans are Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs), built for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. One is a Chronic Condition Special Needs Plan (C-SNP), and one is a general PPO. All six include prescription drug coverage.

Here is what to know about the new plans, how a brand-new plan is different from one that is simply renewing, and how to check any of them against your own doctors and medicines before the December 7 deadline.

The six new plans for 2027

Across New York County, 61 Medicare Advantage plans are offered for 2027, and 6 of them are new. The table on this page lists every plan; the new ones, in alphabetical order by carrier, are:

• Aetna Medicare Chronic Care Total (HMO C-SNP) — Aetna (CVS Health); HMO C-SNP; with drug coverage
• Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO) — Aetna (CVS Health); PPO; with drug coverage
• Wellcare Fidelis Dual Access (HMO D-SNP) — Centene (WellCare); HMO D-SNP; with drug coverage
• Wellcare Fidelis Dual Liberty Sync (HMO D-SNP) — Centene (WellCare); HMO D-SNP; with drug coverage
• Humana Gold Plus SNP-DE H3533-036 (HMO D-SNP) — Humana; HMO D-SNP; with drug coverage
• UHC Dual Complete NY-S002 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — UnitedHealthcare; HMO-POS D-SNP; with drug coverage

Five of these are Special Needs Plans. A C-SNP is built for people with a specific chronic condition the plan names. A D-SNP is for people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. If you don't fit the eligibility rules, you can't enroll — the "SNP" label is a gate, not a feature.

What "new plan" actually means

A new plan is one the carrier is offering for the first time in this county. That matters in two practical ways.

First, there is no Star Rating yet. CMS builds Star Ratings from past performance — claims, member surveys, drug safety measures and more — and a plan in its first year doesn't have that history. New plans typically show as "not yet rated" on the Medicare Plan Finder. That isn't a knock on the plan; it's just a reminder that one of the usual comparison tools is missing.

Second, the networks, drug lists (formularies) and benefits are brand new too. A renewing plan comes with a track record you can research, including word-of-mouth from neighbors. A new plan is a fresh contract — so the only reliable way to know whether your doctor is in-network or your medication is covered is to check the plan's own documents.

How a new plan is different from one that is renewing

If you already have a Medicare Advantage plan and it is coming back for 2027, your carrier sends an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) by late September. The ANOC spells out what is different next year: premium, deductible, copays, covered drugs, in-network providers and extras. Across New York County, 20 plans are not returning for 2027, 2 are being renamed, and the rest renew with the changes their ANOCs describe.

A new plan has no ANOC because there is no prior year to compare to. Instead, you'll want to look up:

• The Summary of Benefits for 2027.
• The Evidence of Coverage for 2027.
• The plan's provider directory and drug formulary for 2027.

All of these should be available on the carrier's website or by calling the plan directly.

Checking a plan against your doctors and prescriptions

Before December 7, 2026, three steps will tell you most of what you need to know:

1. Make a list. Write down every doctor and specialist you want to keep, and every prescription you take (name, dose, how often). If you use a specific pharmacy, note that too. 2. Use the Medicare Plan Finder. At medicare.gov, you can enter your ZIP code and your drug list. The tool will show every Medicare Advantage plan available in New York County for 2027, including the new ones, and estimate your yearly drug costs under each. 3. Verify with the plan. Network and formulary files on medicare.gov are a starting point. Call the plan — or your doctor's billing office — to confirm the provider will be in-network for 2027 under that specific plan name. Plan names that look similar are not interchangeable.

If you'd rather talk to a person, 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048) is open 24/7.

A few 2027 numbers worth knowing

For Part D drug coverage — which every new Medicare Advantage plan in New York County includes — CMS has confirmed a couple of figures for 2027:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (it is $2,100 in 2026).
• The Part D maximum deductible is $700 in 2027 (it is $615 in 2026).

The 2027 Part B standard premium, Part B deductible and IRMAA income brackets have not been announced yet; CMS typically publishes them later in the fall. If you're trying to budget, check medicare.gov for those figures once they're released.