Medicare Advantage

How Medicare plan counts vary around Grand Forks

Medicare plan availability across the Grand Forks area for 2027 — county-by-county view.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — If you live in or around Grand Forks, you may be wondering what your Medicare choices look like heading into 2027. The short answer: Grand Forks County had a solid range of Medicare Advantage options in 2026, and nearby counties across the metro have their own separate lineups. That's because Medicare plan availability is set county by county — not by city or metro.

Here's a plain-language look at what's on the map for the Grand Forks area, plus the program rules everyone on Medicare should know for 2027.

Why the "metro" picture isn't one single list

The Grand Forks metro straddles the Red River, which means it also touches Minnesota. But Medicare doesn't group plans by metro area. Every county has its own approved list of Medicare Advantage and Part D plans. So a neighbor a few miles away — in a different county — may see a completely different set of plans on Medicare.gov than you do.

When you compare options, always check by your ZIP code and county, not by city name alone.

What's available in Grand Forks County

Grand Forks is in Grand Forks County. For 2026, the landscape included:

• 19 Medicare Advantage plans available to residents.
• 5 carriers offering Medicare Advantage prescription drug (MA-PD) coverage in the county.
• 0 stand-alone Part D plans listed in the county's 2026 file. Most people who wanted drug coverage here got it bundled inside a Medicare Advantage plan. Check each plan's ANOC and Medicare.gov's Plan Finder for the 2027 lineup.
• 0 contracts in the area currently rated 4 stars or higher.

About 10,391 people age 65 and over live in Grand Forks County, according to Census population estimates, so this is a meaningful group of neighbors making the same decisions you are.

A quick note on Star Ratings: CMS scores Medicare contracts from 1 to 5 stars based on things like customer service, member complaints, and how well plans manage care. Stars are a tool for comparison — not a recommendation — and they can change year to year.

How availability can shift just across the line

If you have family or a second home in another North Dakota county, or across the river in Minnesota, don't assume their plans are your plans. Rural counties in North Dakota often have fewer Medicare Advantage choices than more populated ones, while Minnesota counties have their own set of contracts and cost-sharing structures.

The takeaway: when someone tells you about "a great plan they have," check whether it's even sold in Grand Forks County before you get your hopes up.

The 2027 rules that apply no matter which plan you pick

A few program-level facts matter for every Medicare beneficiary in the area:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,400 in 2027. Once your covered drug costs hit that amount, you pay $0 for covered prescriptions the rest of the year. (For 2026, the cap is $2,100.)
• Part D deductible: up to $700 in 2027. Plans can charge less, but not more. (The 2026 maximum is $615.)
• No more donut hole. As of 2025, Part D has three phases instead of four — deductible, initial coverage, and catastrophic.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. This optional program lets you spread your drug costs across the calendar year in monthly payments instead of paying at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA surcharges on Part B and Part D start above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Key dates to circle

• Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026: Annual Enrollment Period. Change your 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 MA plan or drop back to Original Medicare.