Medicare Advantage

Got a Medicare Advantage non-renewal letter in Akron?

People in Akron can choose from 95 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 113 this year. 30 of this year's plans are gone, 17 are new to Summit County, and 32 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 5 of them under a new name.

Medicare AdvantageAkron, OH

AKRON, Ohio — As Medicare's fall enrollment window opens, some Summit County residents are opening mailboxes to find a letter they were not expecting: a notice that their Medicare Advantage plan will not be offered again in 2027. According to the 2027 CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape file for Summit County, 30 plans are leaving after the 2026 plan year, 17 are new for 2027, and 5 are being renamed. Another 78 are continuing, though 32 of the continuing plans show a change in premium, deductible, plan type or name.

If you are one of the people getting a non-renewal letter, you have more time and more options than you might think — but you do need to act.

What is actually changing in Summit County

Akron sits in Summit County, and Medicare Advantage availability is set at the county level. For 2027, the CMS Landscape file shows the county will have plans from the same major carriers seen this year, including Aetna (CVS Health), Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC), Centene (WellCare), Devoted Health, Elevance Health (Anthem), Humana, Medical Mutual of Ohio, SummaCare, The Health Plan, UnitedHealthcare and others.

But underneath those carrier names, the plan lineup is shifting:

• 30 plans are leaving after Dec. 31, 2026.
• 17 plans are new for 2027.
• 5 plans are being renamed — same plan, new name on the mailer.
• 78 plans are continuing, and 32 of them have at least one change on premium, deductible, plan type or name.

The full plan-by-plan list is in the table below.

The plans that will not be back in 2027

If you are enrolled in any of these 30 plans, CMS records show they will not be offered in Summit County for the 2027 plan year:

Aetna Medicare Dual Care (HMO D-SNP); Aetna Medicare Partial Dual (HMO D-SNP); Aetna Medicare Signature (HMO-POS); HealthSpring TotalCare (HMO D-SNP); HealthSpring TotalCare Plus (HMO D-SNP); Wellcare Assist (HMO-POS); Wellcare Dual Access (HMO-POS D-SNP); Wellcare Dual Reserve (HMO-POS D-SNP); Wellcare Simple (HMO-POS); DEVOTED DUAL 011 OH (HMO D-SNP); DEVOTED DUAL PLUS 010 OH (HMO D-SNP); Humana Dual Select H5525-046 (PPO D-SNP); Humana Gold Plus SNP-DE H6622-015 (HMO D-SNP); Humana Gold Plus SNP-DE H6622-087 (HMO D-SNP); Humana Together in Health Select (PPO I-SNP); Humana USAA Honor Giveback with Rx (PPO); Humana Value Plus H5525-041 (PPO); HumanaChoice Giveback H5216-309 (PPO); HumanaChoice Giveback H7617-003 (PPO); MedMutual Advantage Access (PPO); MedMutual Advantage Signature (HMO-POS); SummaCare Medicare Amber (HMO); SummaCare Medicare Garnet (HMO); The Health Plan SecureCare SNP (HMO D-SNP); The Health Plan SecureChoice - Option II (PPO); UHC Dual Complete OH-D001 (HMO D-SNP); UHC Dual Complete OH-D1 (PPO D-SNP); UHC Dual Complete OH-S2 (HMO D-SNP); and UHC Dual Complete OH-V001 (HMO D-SNP).

A lot of these are Dual Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) — plans for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. If that is you, pay especially close attention to the mail you are getting; several carriers are reshuffling their D-SNP lineups this year.

The plans that are new for 2027

Seventeen plans are showing up in Summit County for the first time next year. New for 2027: Wellcare Buckeye Health Dual Access (HMO D-SNP); Wellcare Buckeye Health Dual Reserve (HMO D-SNP); Wellcare Buckeye MyCare Ohio Dual Align (HMO D-SNP); DEVOTED C-SNP GIVEBACK EXTRAS 024 OH (HMO C-SNP); DEVOTED GIVEBACK EXTRAS 026 OH (HMO); Anthem Dual Advantage Plus (HMO D-SNP); Anthem I MyCare Ohio Full Dual Advantage (HMO D-SNP); Humana Essentials Plus Giveback (PPO); Humana Gold Plus H0292-004 (HMO-POS); Humana Senior Living Plan (PPO I-SNP); Humana Together in Health (PPO I-SNP); HumanaChoice Giveback H5216-481 (PPO); Molina Complete Care Connect for MyCare Ohio (HMO D-SNP); SummaCare Medicare Amber (HMO); AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx OH-MA2 (HMO-POS); UHC Complete Care Support OH-1A (HMO-POS C-SNP); and Zing Elite Essentials Diabetes & Heart OH (HMO C-SNP).

Being "new" does not automatically mean better or worse — it just means it is a fresh contract in this county. Compare it the same way you would compare any plan: doctors, drugs, pharmacies, and total out-of-pocket costs.

Five plans have just been renamed

If your plan name looks a little different this year, you may not actually be losing coverage. Five Summit County plans are being renamed for 2027:

• Wellcare Buckeye MyCare Ohio Dual Align Unity (HMO D-SNP) — was Wellcare Buckeye MyCare Ohio Dual Align (HMO D-SNP)
• DEVOTED C-SNP ENHANCED 017 OH (HMO C-SNP) — was DEVOTED C-SNP PREMIUM 017 OH (HMO C-SNP)
• Anthem I MyCare Ohio Full Dual Support (HMO D-SNP) — was Anthem I MyCare Ohio Full Dual Advantage (HMO D-SNP)
• Humana Full Access (PPO) — was Humana Full Access H5525-042 (PPO)
• MedMutual Advantage Classic (HMO-POS) — was MedMutual Advantage Classic (HMO)

Read your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) either way. A renamed plan can still have adjustments to costs, network or drug list.

What to do if your plan is leaving

1. Do not panic, and do not ignore the letter. Non-renewal notices go out in the fall. You will not lose Medicare — only that specific plan is going away.

2. Use the right enrollment window. If your plan is not being renewed, Medicare gives you a Special Enrollment Period that runs through the end of February. During that window you can join a different Medicare Advantage plan, join a stand-alone Part D drug plan, or switch back to Original Medicare. You can also use the Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7) for coverage starting Jan. 1, or, if you are already in an MA plan on Jan. 1, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (Jan. 1 – March 31) to make one change.

3. Check three things before you enroll. Your doctors and hospitals, your prescriptions, and your preferred pharmacy. A plan that looks great on paper is only a good fit if your care fits inside it.

4. Know the 2026 program-level facts. The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 for 2026, the ma