Medicare Advantage

5 New Medicare Advantage Plans in North Dakota for 2027: The List

BISMARCK — Shoppers on Medicare in North Dakota will see five brand-new Medicare Advantage plans on the shelf for 2027, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Landscape Source Files that compare the current plan year with the coming one. The five are part of a statewide total of 23 Medicare Advantage plans offered for 2027, and they come from three carriers: Aetna (CVS Health), Align powered by Sanford Health Plan, and Great Plains Medicare Advantage.

Because Medicare Advantage is sold county by county, a plan listed as "new statewide" is not automatically available where you live. The lists on this page show how far each new plan reaches across the state; your own county of residence decides what you can actually enroll in.

How many Medicare Advantage plans are new in North Dakota for 2027, and who offers them?

Five of the 23 Medicare Advantage plans offered in North Dakota for 2027 are new, meaning they were not on the 2026 Landscape. Three carriers account for all five: Aetna (CVS Health) brings 1 new plan, Align powered by Sanford Health Plan brings 2, and Great Plains Medicare Advantage brings 2.

"New" here is a year-over-year comparison straight from the CMS Landscape Source Files for 2026 and 2027. It does not say anything about size, price, benefits or quality — only that the plan is appearing in the state for the first time for 2027. The rest of the 23 plans on the 2027 Landscape are returning plans that were also offered in 2026.

Which new 2027 Medicare Advantage plans in North Dakota reach the most counties?

Among the five new plans in North Dakota for 2027, Aetna Medicare Signature Extra (PPO) from Aetna (CVS Health) has the widest footprint, listed in 29 counties. Two new HMO I-SNP plans from Great Plains Medicare Advantage — Great Plain Medicare Advantage Gold (HMO I-SNP) and Great Plains Medicare Advantage (HMO I-SNP) — are each offered in 19 counties. The two new Align powered by Sanford Health Plan options, Align SecureChoice (PPO) and Align SecureChoice Gold (PPO), are each offered in 17 counties. All five include drug coverage.

The full table on this page shows each new plan with its plan type and county reach so you can see at a glance which ones even touch your part of the state. A county count is a reach figure, not a recommendation; a plan offered in many counties is not automatically a better fit than one offered in fewer.

Note that the two Great Plains Medicare Advantage plans are HMO I-SNPs. An Institutional Special Needs Plan has its own eligibility rules set by CMS, so being in a county where it is offered is not the same as qualifying for it.

What does it mean that a Medicare Advantage plan is 'new' for 2027 in North Dakota?

A plan listed as new for 2027 in North Dakota has no CMS Star Rating yet and no multi-year track record under that contract and plan number. CMS Star Ratings are built from several years of data on member experience, clinical measures and complaints, and a plan in its first year has not generated that history.

This is stated as a fact, not a criticism. New plans are reviewed and approved by CMS the same way returning plans are. It simply means that if you usually use Star Ratings or long-standing reputation as part of your decision, you will have less of that information for the five new 2027 plans than for a plan that has been on the market for years.

How do I check whether a new 2027 plan is offered in my North Dakota county and covers my doctors and drugs?

The authoritative check for a North Dakota resident is the Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov, where you enter your ZIP code and your prescription drugs. The Plan Finder will show only the Medicare Advantage plans available in your county for 2027, including any of the five new ones that reach you, and it will flag whether each of your drugs is on the plan's formulary.

For doctors, clinics and hospitals, use the plan's own online provider directory, or call the plan and ask whether a specific provider is in network for the plan and contract year you are considering. For an authoritative description of what a plan covers and what it costs, ask the plan for its Evidence of Coverage (EOC) for 2027. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

What should North Dakotans do before December 7, 2026?

Before December 7, 2026, North Dakotans on Medicare should read the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) their current plan mailed in September, then compare it on Medicare.gov against other 2027 options available in their county — including any of the five new plans that are offered there. The Annual Enrollment Period for 2027 coverage runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and whatever you choose during that window takes effect January 1, 2027.

A practical order of operations: (1) list your prescriptions and your regular doctors and facilities; (2) run the Plan Finder for your ZIP code; (3) check each short-list plan's formulary and provider directory; (4) enroll by December 7, 2026, if you decide to switch. If you take no action, you generally stay in your current plan under its 2027 terms, if that plan is still offered in your county.

Where can North Dakotans get free help understanding their 2027 Medicare Advantage choices?

North Dakotans can get free, non-sales help directly from Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and from the official Plan Finder and plan details at Medicare.gov. Both are run by the federal Medicare program and do not sell insurance.

When you call a plan or a licensed agent, remember that they can discuss the plans they offer; Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE can discuss everything available in your county side by side.