Medicare Advantage

Before December 7: What Cuyahoga Shoppers Should Check

People in Cleveland can choose from 99 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 112 this year. 31 of this year’s plans are gone, 18 are new to Cuyahoga County, and 37 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 6 of them under a new name.

CLEVELAND — Fall 2026 is when Cleveland shoppers get their clearest look at next year's Medicare Advantage menu, and Cuyahoga County's 2027 lineup is a notable reshuffle: 18 plans are new, 31 are not returning, and 16 carriers are still competing for the market.

The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and any choice you make during that window takes effect January 1, 2027. If you do nothing, your current plan renews — as long as it is still offered next year. That "as long as" is the part worth checking this fall.

How many Medicare Advantage plans are offered in Cleveland for 2027?

Cleveland sits in Cuyahoga County, where 16 carriers are offering Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Based on CMS's 2026 landscape, the county has had 112 plans across HMO, HMO-POS and PPO designs, including 39 Special Needs Plans, and every plan on the market includes drug coverage. The full plan-by-plan roster is in the table below; this piece focuses on what's changing between 2026 and 2027.

The carriers serving the county are Aetna (CVS Health), Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC), CareSource MyCare Ohio, Centene (WellCare), Communicare Advantage, Devoted Health, Elevance Health (Anthem), Humana, Medical Mutual of Ohio, Molina Healthcare of Ohio, Perennial Advantage, SummaCare Medicare Advantage Plans, The Health Plan, UnitedHealthcare, Valor Health Plan and Zing Health.

Which Medicare Advantage plans are new in Cleveland for 2027?

Eighteen plans are new to Cuyahoga County for 2027, spread across seven carriers. Centene (WellCare) is launching Wellcare Buckeye Health Dual Access (HMO D-SNP), Wellcare Buckeye Health Dual Reserve (HMO D-SNP) and Wellcare Buckeye MyCare Ohio Dual Align (HMO D-SNP). Communicare Advantage is adding CommuniCare Advantage CSNP (HMO C-SNP). Devoted Health is introducing DEVOTED C-SNP GIVEBACK EXTRAS 024 OH (HMO C-SNP) and DEVOTED GIVEBACK EXTRAS 026 OH (HMO).

Elevance Health (Anthem) is adding Anthem Dual Advantage Plus (HMO D-SNP) and Anthem I MyCare Ohio Full Dual Advantage (HMO D-SNP). Humana is new to the county with 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) and HumanaChoice Giveback H5216-481 (PPO). Molina Healthcare of Ohio is adding Molina Complete Care Connect for MyCare Ohio (HMO D-SNP). SummaCare is launching SummaCare Medicare Amber (HMO). UnitedHealthcare is adding AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx OH-MA2 (HMO-POS) and UHC Complete Care Support OH-1A (HMO-POS C-SNP). Zing Health is adding Zing Elite Essentials Diabetes & Heart OH (HMO C-SNP).

A heavy share of the new 2027 entries are Dual Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) and Chronic Condition SNPs — plans built for people with both Medicare and Medicaid, or with qualifying chronic conditions.

Which Cleveland Medicare Advantage plans are not returning in 2027?

Thirty-one plans are leaving Cuyahoga County after 2026. From Aetna (CVS Health): Aetna Medicare Dual Care (HMO D-SNP), Aetna Medicare Partial Dual (HMO D-SNP) and Aetna Medicare Signature (HMO-POS). From Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC): HealthSpring TotalCare (HMO D-SNP) and HealthSpring TotalCare Plus (HMO D-SNP). From Centene (WellCare): Wellcare Assist (HMO-POS), Wellcare Dual Access (HMO-POS D-SNP), Wellcare Dual Reserve (HMO-POS D-SNP) and Wellcare Simple (HMO-POS). From Communicare Advantage: CommuniCare Advantage CSNP (HMO C-SNP).

From Devoted Health: DEVOTED DUAL 011 OH (HMO D-SNP) and DEVOTED DUAL PLUS 010 OH (HMO D-SNP). From Humana: 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), two Humana USAA Honor Giveback with Rx (PPO) contract numbers, Humana Value Plus H5525-041 (PPO), HumanaChoice Giveback H5216-309 (PPO) and HumanaChoice Giveback H7617-003 (PPO). From Medical Mutual of Ohio: MedMutual Advantage Access (PPO) and MedMutual Advantage Signature (HMO-POS). From SummaCare: SummaCare Medicare Amber (HMO) and SummaCare Medicare Garnet (HMO). From The Health Plan: The Health Plan SecureCare SNP (HMO D-SNP) and The Health Plan SecureChoice - Option II (PPO). From UnitedHealthcare: 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).

If you see your plan on this list, your carrier will send you a non-renewal notice. Many of these are D-SNPs, so some members will be moved to another plan from the same company; you still have the right to shop.

What happens if my Medicare Advantage plan is leaving Cleveland?

If your plan is not offered in Cuyahoga County for 2027, Medicare gives you a Special Enrollment Period that runs from December 8, 2026 through the end of February 2027 to pick another Medicare Advantage plan or move back to Original Medicare and add a stand-alone Part D plan. You are not stuck with the December 7 deadline, and you will not go without coverage so long as you choose something before the SEP closes.

If you also want to buy a Medigap policy after returning to Original Medicare, be aware that guaranteed-issue rights are specific; check with your plan or 1-800-MEDICARE about which rights apply when a plan is terminated.

Which Cleveland Medicare Advantage plans are being renamed for 2027?

Six plans in Cuyahoga County are keeping their doors open but changing names, which can confuse members reading their Annual Notice of Change. The renames: Aetna Medicare Advantra Signature Classic (PPO), formerly Aetna Medicare Advantra (PPO); Wellcare Buckeye MyCare Ohio Dual Align Unity (HMO D-SNP), formerly Wellcare Buckeye MyCare Ohio Dual Align (HMO D-SNP); DEVOTED C-SNP ENHANCED 017 OH (HMO C-SNP), formerly DEVOTED C-SNP PREMIUM 017 OH; Anthem I MyCare Ohio Full Dual Support (HMO D-SNP), formerly Anthem I MyCare Ohio Full Dual Advantage; Humana Full Access (PPO), formerly Humana Full Access H5525-042 (PPO); and MedMutual Advantage Classic (HMO-POS), formerly MedMutual Advantage Classic (HMO).

Beyond the renames, CMS data show 31 continuing plans in the county are changing on at least one of premium, deductible, type or name for 2027. Your ANOC spells out the specific changes for your plan — read it.

How should Cleveland shoppers compare 2027 plans?

Start with what you use: your doctors, hospitals, prescriptions and the Cleveland-area health systems you want in-network. Then compare three or four plans side by side on medicare.gov's Plan Finder, which pulls each plan's 2027 premium, deductible, drug list and star rating directly from CMS.

A few program numbers to anchor the comparison. For 2027, CMS has confirmed the Part D out-of-pocket cap will be $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026) and the maximum Part D deductible will be $700 (up from $615 in 2026). The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, are usually published by CMS in November and are not yet set. The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan — which lets you spread drug costs over the year in monthly bills — is available again in 2027 if you'd like to use it.