Medicare Advantage

Aetna's 2027 Medicare Advantage plans in Columbus: one new, four not returning

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Fall 2026. If you have an Aetna Medicare Advantage plan in Columbus, your 2027 lineup looks a little different. Aetna will offer eight Medicare Advantage plans in Franklin County next year, with one plan new to the market and four plans from this year not coming back, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape files. The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and any change you make takes effect January 1, 2027.

This article walks through Aetna's full Franklin County roster for 2027 — plan by plan, by type, and by whether it includes drug coverage — so you can see what is on the table before the deadline. MyMedicarePlans.org is an independent news and education site; we are not Aetna, and 11 other carriers also offer Medicare Advantage plans in Franklin County next year.

What Aetna is offering in Franklin County for 2027

Columbus sits in Franklin County, where Medicare Advantage plan availability is set. For 2027, Aetna (which CMS lists as Aetna (CVS Health)) has eight Medicare Advantage plans in the county. The mix breaks down as three HMO plans, two HMO-POS plans, and three PPO plans. All eight include Part D drug coverage.

Three of the eight are Special Needs Plans (SNPs), which are built for people who meet specific eligibility rules: two are Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) and one is an Institutional SNP (I-SNP). Aetna is not offering a Dual Eligible SNP (D-SNP) in Franklin County next year.

The table below lists every Aetna plan in the county for 2027. In alphabetical order, they are:

• Aetna Medicare Chronic Care (HMO C-SNP) — HMO C-SNP, with drug coverage
• Aetna Medicare Chronic Care Total (HMO C-SNP) — HMO C-SNP, with drug coverage
• Aetna Medicare Eagle Giveback (PPO) — PPO, with drug coverage
• Aetna Medicare Longevity (HMO I-SNP) — HMO I-SNP, with drug coverage
• Aetna Medicare Premier (PPO) — PPO, with drug coverage
• Aetna Medicare Prime Care (HMO-POS) — HMO-POS, with drug coverage, new for 2027
• Aetna Medicare Signature (PPO) — PPO, with drug coverage
• Aetna Medicare Signature Care (HMO-POS) — HMO-POS, with drug coverage

What's new and what's not returning

Compared with Aetna's 2026 lineup in Franklin County, one plan is new for next year: Aetna Medicare Prime Care (HMO-POS).

Four of Aetna's 2026 plans will not be offered in Franklin County in 2027. If you are enrolled in one of those plans, Aetna is required to send you an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) explaining what happens and your options. If a plan is discontinued, you will have a Special Enrollment Period to pick something else, but it is easier to make a choice now, during AEP, than to scramble later.

Readers in a continuing plan should still read the ANOC closely. Plans can change their networks, drug lists, cost-sharing, and extra benefits from year to year.

HMO, HMO-POS, PPO — and SNPs

Aetna's 2027 Franklin County plans cover three Medicare Advantage plan types:

• HMO plans generally require you to use in-network doctors and get referrals for specialists.
• HMO-POS plans are HMOs with a "point-of-service" option that lets you use some out-of-network care, typically at a higher cost.
• PPO plans let you see out-of-network providers, usually with higher cost-sharing.

Special Needs Plans are a separate category for people who qualify. A C-SNP serves people with certain chronic conditions; an I-SNP serves people who live in (or need the level of care provided in) a long-term care setting. You have to meet the eligibility rules to enroll, and you can confirm those on medicare.gov.

How to check a plan against your doctors and prescriptions

Before December 7, 2026, three steps can save you a lot of second-guessing in January:

1. Make a list. Write down your doctors (including specialists), the pharmacy you use, and every prescription you take with the exact dose. 2. Use the Medicare Plan Finder. At medicare.gov, enter your ZIP code and prescriptions. The tool shows each plan's drug list, estimated yearly drug costs, and network tools. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 3. Verify the network directly. Plan directories change during the year. Call the provider's office and ask whether they will be in-network for the specific plan in 2027 — not just "Aetna."

For drug coverage, remember two 2027 program-level numbers CMS has already confirmed: the Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026), and the maximum Part D deductible rises to $700 (up from $615 in 2026). CMS has not yet announced the 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible or the 2027 IRMAA income brackets; those are typically published later in the fall.

What happens if you do nothing

Nothing automatic goes wrong if you do not act. If your current plan is offered again in 2027, it will renew with the changes described in your ANOC. If your plan is one of the four Aetna plans not returning in Franklin County, Aetna will contact you with next steps and you will have a Special Enrollment Period to choose another plan.

You also have a second window after January: the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 – March 31, 2027, and allows one change if you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan.