Medicare Advantage

Findlay-Area Medicare Plan Choices Grow for 2026

Medicare plan availability across the Findlay area for 2027 — what Hancock County shoppers should know.

FINDLAY, Ohio — Older adults across northwest Ohio are starting to look at their 2027 Medicare coverage, and the picture around Findlay shows a wide field of choices. Findlay sits in Hancock County, and county lines are what determine which Medicare Advantage and Part D plans a person can actually sign up for. That means folks in Findlay and in the smaller communities nearby — from Arlington to McComb to Van Buren — all shop from the same slate of plans, while neighbors just over the county border may see a different list.

How plan availability works around Findlay

Medicare Advantage and Part D plans are approved county by county. So while we talk about "Findlay plans," the official list is really the Hancock County list. If you live in Findlay, Fostoria (on the county line), or a village like Arcadia or Mount Blanchard, your ZIP code steers you to that county's menu on Medicare's Plan Finder.

Neighboring counties — Wood, Seneca, Wyandot, Hardin, Allen, Putnam — each have their own separate slate. A plan that a friend in Lima or Bowling Green raves about may not be sold in Hancock County, and vice versa. That is why comparisons are always local.

What the Hancock County numbers look like

According to CMS's Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape data, Hancock County has:

• 82 Medicare Advantage plans available for 2026.
• 11 carriers offering Medicare Advantage plans that include drug coverage (MA-PD).
• 0 stand-alone Part D plans listed in the county's specific landscape file at this snapshot — a reminder to double-check current Part D options directly on medicare.gov, since stand-alone drug plans are usually sold on a broader regional basis.

With roughly 13,960 residents age 65 and older in Hancock County, that is a lot of choice per person. More choice is good, but it can also be overwhelming — which is why comparing side-by-side on Plan Finder matters.

A note on Star Ratings

You may see "Star Ratings" next to plans on medicare.gov. Stars are CMS's way of measuring plan quality on things like member experience and customer service. In the Hancock County landscape data for 2026, no local contracts were showing at 4 stars or higher. Ratings can shift year to year, and they are only one piece of the puzzle — network, drug coverage, and total cost matter just as much for your situation.

What's changing program-wide in 2027

Some of the biggest updates for 2027 apply no matter which county you live in:

• $2,400 cap in 2027 on what you pay out of pocket for covered Part D drugs (up from $2,100 in 2026).
• $700 is the maximum allowed Part D deductible in 2027 (it is $615 for 2026).
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone as of 2025; Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your yearly drug costs into monthly payments if that helps your budget. It is optional and free to opt into.
• IRMAA — the income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D — starts above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Dates to circle

• Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026: Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. This is when most people compare, join, switch, or drop Medicare Advantage and Part D plans for 2027.
• Jan. 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment. If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance during this window to switch to another MA plan or return to Original Medicare.

Where to get unbiased help in the Findlay area

• medicare.gov — the official Plan Finder lets you enter your ZIP code and your medications to see every plan offered in Hancock County.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — available 24/7.
• Ohio SHIP (OSHIIP) — Ohio's State Health Insurance Assistance Program offers free, one-on-one counseling from trained volunteers. Reach them at 1-800-686-1578.