Medicare Advantage

Is Your Cincinnati Medicare Advantage Plan Ending in 2027?

For 2027, Cincinnati is looking at 77 Medicare Advantage plans: 16 new, 30 gone since 2026, and 21 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 5 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Hamilton County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

Medicare AdvantageCincinnati, OH

CINCINNATI — If you have a Medicare Advantage plan in the Cincinnati area, this fall's mail is worth opening carefully. In Hamilton County, 30 Medicare Advantage plans are leaving after 2026, 16 new plans are joining the lineup for 2027, and 5 plans are being renamed. Another 21 plans are changing in some way — on premium, deductible, plan type or name — while 61 are continuing.

That means a lot of members will see something different on their card, in their benefits book, or in the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) that arrives before the fall Annual Enrollment Period, which runs October 15 through December 7.

What "leaving," "new" and "renamed" actually mean

Every year, insurers file their plans with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Some plans are discontinued, some are added, and some keep the same contract but get a new name. In Cincinnati (which sits in Hamilton County, where Medicare plan availability is set), the 2027 file shows movement in all three buckets.

A "leaving" plan will not be offered in 2027. If you are enrolled in one, your coverage under that plan ends December 31, 2026, and you must either pick a new Medicare Advantage plan, join a stand-alone Part D drug plan with Original Medicare, or go without Advantage coverage.

A "new" plan is one the carrier did not offer in Hamilton County in 2026. A "renamed" plan is the same underlying plan under a new label — your coverage continues, but the name on your card and paperwork changes.

Plans leaving Hamilton County after 2026

Thirty plans across several carriers are ending in the county. The full roster is in the table below, but the changes touch a wide range of insurers, including:

• Aetna (CVS Health) — Aetna Medicare Dual Care (HMO D-SNP), Aetna Medicare Enhanced (HMO-POS), Aetna Medicare Partial Dual (HMO D-SNP), Aetna Medicare Signature (HMO-POS)
• Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC) — HealthSpring TotalCare (HMO D-SNP), HealthSpring TotalCare Plus (HMO D-SNP)
• Centene (WellCare) — Wellcare Assist (HMO-POS), Wellcare Dual Access (HMO-POS D-SNP), Wellcare Dual Reserve (HMO-POS D-SNP), Wellcare Simple (HMO-POS)
• Communicare Advantage — CommuniCare Advantage CSNP (HMO C-SNP)
• Devoted Health — DEVOTED DUAL 011 OH (HMO D-SNP), DEVOTED DUAL PLUS 010 OH (HMO D-SNP)
• Humana — several plans including Humana Dual Select H5525-046 (PPO D-SNP), Humana Gold Choice H8145-032 (PFFS), the Humana Gold Plus SNP-DE plans, Humana Value Plus H5525-041 (PPO), and HumanaChoice Giveback plans
• MediGold — Mount Carmel MediGold Plus (HMO), Mount Carmel MediGold Premium Choice (PPO)
• UnitedHealthcare — AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC OH-0003 (HMO-POS), OH-0015 (PPO), and the UHC Dual Complete OH-D001, OH-D1, OH-S2 and OH-V001 plans

Many of the exits are Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. If you are in one of those, look for a non-renewal letter — you have protected time to move.

Plans new for 2027

Sixteen plans are joining the Hamilton County lineup, again across multiple carriers, including new D-SNP options from Centene (Wellcare Buckeye Health Dual Access, Wellcare Buckeye Health Dual Reserve, Wellcare Buckeye MyCare Ohio Dual Align) and from Elevance Health (Anthem Dual Advantage Plus, Anthem I MyCare Ohio Full Dual Advantage), plus new offerings from Devoted Health, Humana, MediGold, Molina Healthcare of Ohio and UnitedHealthcare.

Being "new" simply means the plan is available for the first time next year. It does not mean it will be a better or worse fit than what you have — that depends on your doctors, medications and budget.

Renamed plans — same plan, new label

Five plans are keeping their contract but getting a new name 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 018 OH (HMO C-SNP) — was DEVOTED C-SNP PREMIUM 018 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)

If your plan is on this list, you don't need to enroll again — but you should still read the ANOC to see what else may have changed.

Plans that are changing (but staying)

Another 21 plans in Hamilton County are continuing but differ from their 2026 version on premium, deductible, plan type or name. CMS's file flags that a change exists; the specifics live in your plan's ANOC, which insurers must send by the end of September. That is the document that tells you exactly what is different for 2027 — not a news article, not a call from a broker.

What a Cincinnati member should do

1. Watch the mail in September and early October. If your plan is being discontinued, you will receive a non-renewal letter. If it is continuing, you will get an ANOC. 2. Use the Annual Enrollment Period — Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. During this window, anyone with Medicare can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage plan. Changes take effect January 1. 3. If your plan is not being renewed, use your Special Enrollment Period. People whose plan leaves the market get an SEP that runs through the end of February to enroll in a new Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare with a Part D drug plan. 4. Remember the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. From January 1 through March 31, if you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can switch to another Advantage plan once, or go back to Original Medicare. 5. Check that your doctors, hospitals and drugs are covered. Networks and formularies change every year. Cincinnati's major health systems, your pharmacy and your specific medications should all be verified for 2027 before you enroll.

A few 2026 and 2027 numbers worth knowing

Some program-level facts don't depend on which plan you pick, but they shape the decision:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615.
• The coverage gap (the old "donut hole") has been eliminated since 2025; Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly payments if you choose.
• IRMAA (higher premiums for higher incomes) begins above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026.