Medicare Advantage

Medicare in Bismarck, N.D. — 2027 Plan Year

BISMARCK, N.D. — Medicare's 2027 plan year is coming into view for people in the Bismarck area, and the good news is that the program's cost pieces are more predictable than they used to be. Bismarck is in Burleigh County, where CMS listed 20 Medicare Advantage plans for 2026; the 2027 lineup is spelled out in each plan's Annual Notice of Change and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. Whatever the count, the number of plans matters less than understanding how the program's own cost structure works before you pick one.

How many Medicare options Bismarck actually has

Plan availability is set at the county level, not the city level. For 2026, CMS listed 20 Medicare Advantage plans in Burleigh County, offered by 5 different carriers, and 0 stand-alone Part D drug plans in the county's Landscape file — unusual, since most counties have a dozen or more — so if you want drug coverage, the practical path in this area is usually a Medicare Advantage plan that includes Part D (an MA-PD). The 2027 lineup is in each plan's ANOC and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder.

On Star Ratings: no contract serving the area was rated 4 stars or higher for 2026. Star Ratings measure a contract's quality and member experience; they're a tool, not a verdict, and CMS updates them each fall.

The 2027 cost structure, in plain English

Whether you stay with Original Medicare or pick a Medicare Advantage plan, the program itself has a few cost pieces that are set by law and don't change from carrier to carrier. Understanding these first makes every plan comparison easier.

Part A (hospital) is premium-free for most people who paid Medicare taxes long enough while working. It still has its own deductible when you're admitted.

Part B (doctor visits and outpatient care) has a standard monthly premium set by CMS each year, plus a yearly deductible and then generally 20% coinsurance on approved services. Higher-income enrollees pay an IRMAA surcharge on top of the standard premium; those surcharges start above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Part D (prescription drugs) is where the biggest year-over-year change lives. See the next section.

Medicare Advantage (Part C) bundles A, B, and usually D into one plan run by a private insurer. Those plans set their own premiums, deductibles, and copays — which is exactly why we don't quote specific plan numbers here. But every Advantage plan must include an annual out-of-pocket maximum for Part A and B services, a ceiling Original Medicare by itself does not have.

What's changing for Part D drug costs in 2027

This is the piece most Bismarck readers ask about, because it changes real-world budgeting.

• Out-of-pocket cap. The Part D cap on covered drugs is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your spending on covered drugs reaches that year's cap, you pay nothing more for covered prescriptions the rest of the calendar year. The cap applies whether your Part D coverage comes through a stand-alone drug plan or through a Medicare Advantage plan that includes drugs.
• Maximum deductible. A Part D plan's deductible cannot be higher than $615 in 2026 or $700 in 2027. Many plans set it lower.
• No more coverage gap. As of 2025, the "donut hole" is gone. Part D now has three phases: deductible, initial coverage, and catastrophic (where the cap ($2,100 in 2026, $2,400 in 2027) kicks in).
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. This is an optional program that lets you spread your out-of-pocket drug costs across the calendar year in monthly bills, instead of paying a large amount at the pharmacy counter in a single month. It doesn't lower what you owe — it smooths it.

How to think about the pieces together

A useful way to size up any option in Burleigh County is to add up the fixed pieces you'd pay in a year, then look at the ceilings that protect you from a bad year.

Fixed pieces include the Part B premium (everyone in Medicare pays this), any Medicare Advantage or Part D plan premium, and any deductibles. Ceilings include the Part D $2,100 in 2026 ($2,400 in 2027) drug cap and, if you're in a Medicare Advantage plan, its annual out-of-pocket maximum for medical services.

Because personal prescriptions, doctors, and income all shape the math, a plan that fits your neighbor may not fit you. That's not a sales problem — it's a math problem, and it's what the tools below are built to solve.

Key dates to circle

• Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026: Annual Enrollment Period. You can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for 2027.
• Jan. 1 – March 31, 2027: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance to switch to another Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare (and add a Part D plan).
• Your Initial Enrollment Period: the seven-month window around your 65th birthday, if you're aging in.

Where Bismarck residents can get unbiased help

• Medicare.gov Plan Finder lets you enter your ZIP code and your prescriptions and see every plan available in Burleigh County side by side, with your estimated yearly costs.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is staffed 24/7.
• North Dakota SHIC (State Health Insurance Counseling), the local SHIP, offers free one-on-one Medicare counseling. They don't sell anything.