Medicare Advantage

Before You Renew Your Rochester Medicare Advantage Plan

People in Rochester can choose from 30 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 43 this year. 16 of this year's plans are gone, 6 are new to Monroe County, and 11 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 3 of them under a new name.

Medicare AdvantageRochester, NY

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Medicare's fall enrollment window is open, and for people on a Medicare Advantage plan in and around Rochester, this year's mail from insurers deserves a careful read. In Monroe County, 16 Medicare Advantage plans are set to leave after 2026, six new plans are coming for 2027, and three are being renamed — and two carriers that sell here today, Humana and iCircle Services of the Finger Lakes, will not offer Medicare Advantage plans in the county next year.

If you're in one of the plans that isn't returning, you don't have to scramble, but you do need to act. Here's a plain-English guide to what's changing, what stays the same, and the deadlines that matter.

What's actually changing in Monroe County

Rochester is in Monroe County, where Medicare Advantage availability is set. Comparing the 2026 and 2027 CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape files for the county shows:

• 16 plans leaving after 2026
• 6 plans new for 2027
• 3 plans renamed (same plan, different name on your card and paperwork)
• 11 continuing plans changing on premium, deductible, plan type or name
• 24 plans continuing with no such change flagged in the CMS file

The full plan-by-plan breakdown is in the table below. A few things stand out.

Two carriers are exiting the county

Two insurers that sell Medicare Advantage in Monroe County today will not sell here in 2027:

• Humana — every Humana plan available in the county is on the leaving list, including Humana Gold Plus SNP-DE H3533-002 (HMO D-SNP), Humana USAA Honor Giveback (PPO), HumanaChoice Giveback H5970-030 (PPO), HumanaChoice H5970-029 (PPO), and HumanaChoice SNP-DE H5970-020 (PPO D-SNP).
• iCircle Services of the Finger Lakes — its one plan, iCircle Dual Advantage (HMO D-SNP), is leaving.

If you're currently enrolled with either carrier, expect a non-renewal letter. You will not be dropped from Medicare — but you will need to choose a new Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare (with or without a stand-alone Part D drug plan).

The other plans leaving after 2026

Beyond Humana and iCircle, additional plans are ending in the county:

• Aetna (CVS Health): Aetna Medicare Enhanced (PPO); Aetna Medicare Full Dual (HMO D-SNP)
• Centene (WellCare): Wellcare Advantage Enhanced (PFFS); Wellcare Advantage Simple (PFFS); Wellcare Dual Access (HMO D-SNP); Wellcare Fidelis Dual Liberty Sync (HMO D-SNP); Wellcare Patriot Simple (HMO-POS); Wellcare Simple (HMO-POS)
• MVP Health Care: MVP Medicare WellSelect with Part D (PPO)
• UnitedHealthcare: UHC Dual Complete NY-S002 (HMO-POS D-SNP)

One note on that last name: UnitedHealthcare is also introducing a plan for 2027 called UHC Dual Complete NY-S002 (HMO-POS D-SNP). CMS lists it as new, so treat it as a new plan and read the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) or Evidence of Coverage before assuming anything carries over.

What's new for 2027

CMS lists six plans as new to Monroe County next year:

• Wellcare Fidelis Assist (HMO-POS)
• Wellcare Fidelis Dual Access (HMO D-SNP)
• Wellcare Fidelis Dual Liberty Sync (HMO D-SNP)
• Wellcare Fidelis Simple (HMO-POS)
• MVP Medicare WellValue with Part D (HMO-POS)
• UHC Dual Complete NY-S002 (HMO-POS D-SNP)

Being "new" doesn't tell you anything about cost or benefits — that's what the plan's ANOC and Summary of Benefits are for.

Three plans are being renamed

Same plan, new name:

• Wellcare Fidelis Dual Align Unity (HMO D-SNP) — was Wellcare Fidelis Dual Align (HMO D-SNP)
• Medicare Blue Choice Prime (HMO-POS) — was Medicare Blue Choice Prime (HMO)
• UHC Dual Complete NY-YL (HMO-POS D-SNP) — was UHC Dual Complete NY-Y001 (HMO-POS D-SNP)

If you see a slightly different plan name on next year's card, that's likely why. Still read the ANOC — a rename can accompany other changes.

If your plan is leaving: what to do, and by when

If your current Medicare Advantage plan is not being renewed for 2027, you have two windows to act:

1. Annual Enrollment Period — Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. This is the standard window for anyone with Medicare to change Advantage or Part D plans for the coming year. 2. Special Enrollment Period for non-renewal — through the end of February. When your plan leaves the market, CMS gives you extra time to choose a new Medicare Advantage plan or go back to Original Medicare and pick up a stand-alone Part D plan.

There's also the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, Jan. 1 through March 31, which lets people already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan on Jan. 1 make one change.

A practical checklist:

• Open your ANOC and non-renewal letter as soon as they arrive.
• List your doctors, hospitals and pharmacies, and confirm each is in-network for any plan you're considering.
• List every prescription with dose and quantity, then check each plan's formulary.
• If you take insulin or high-cost drugs, know that Part D has a $2,100 out-of-pocket cap in 2026 and a maximum deductible of $615. The old coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone as of 2025 — Part D has three phases now. The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs over the year in level monthly amounts if that helps your budget.
• Higher-income enrollees: IRMAA surcharges start above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

If your plan is continuing — still open the ANOC

Eleven continuing plans in the county are flagged in CMS's file as changing on premium, deductible, plan type or name for 2027. CMS doesn't publish the size or direction of those changes at this stage, and we won't guess. Your ANOC, which insurers mail by late September, spells out exactly what's different — page by page — for your plan.

Where to get unbiased help

• medicare.gov/plan-compare — enter your ZIP code and drug list to compare every plan available in Monroe County side by side.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24/7.
• New York's SHIP, called HIICAP (Health Insurance Information, Counseling and Assistance Program), offers free one-on-one counseling. In Monroe County, the local office is run through the Monroe County Office for the Aging.

The table below lists every 2026 Medicare Advantage plan offered in Monroe County by carrier, along with plan type and drug-coverage status.