Medicare Advantage

Medicare in Eugene: 44 Plan Choices and a New $2,100 Cap

People in Eugene can choose from 36 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 44 this year. 15 of this year’s plans are gone, 7 are new to Lane County, and 21 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 5 of them under a new name.

EUGENE, Ore. — If you're turning 65 in Eugene, or just rethinking your Medicare coverage for 2027, the menu is still substantial. Lane County has 31 Medicare Advantage plans available for the coming year, offered by 8 carriers. That's a lot of paperwork to sort through — and the smartest way to sort it is to start with the cost pieces, not the brand names.

This guide walks through how Medicare's costs are put together for 2027, so you can look at that stack of 31 options and know what you're actually comparing.

Start with the cost pieces, not the plan names

Medicare's price tag isn't one number. It's a stack of smaller ones — a Part B premium, possibly a Part D premium, deductibles, coinsurance, and an out-of-pocket ceiling. Once you understand each layer, the 44 Advantage options in Lane County stop looking like a wall and start looking like a spreadsheet you can actually read.

Here's the framework worth memorizing before you shop.

Part A and Part B: the base layer

Original Medicare has two parts. Part A covers hospital stays and is premium-free for most people who paid Medicare taxes long enough. Part B covers doctor visits and outpatient care, and it comes with a monthly premium that most people pay directly out of their Social Security check.

Part B also has an annual deductible and then generally pays 80% of approved costs, leaving you responsible for the other 20% — with no cap. That last detail is the reason most people add something on top, whether that's a Medigap policy, a stand-alone drug plan, or a Medicare Advantage plan that bundles everything together.

Part D in 2027: the numbers that actually changed

Prescription drug coverage is where the biggest cost updates land for the coming year.

• Maximum deductible: $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027. A plan can charge less, but not more.
• Out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your covered drug spending hits that ceiling, you pay nothing for covered drugs the rest of the year. This is a hard cap set by law.
• No more donut hole. Since 2025, Part D has three phases — deductible, initial coverage, and catastrophic — instead of the old four. It's a cleaner structure.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. This is an optional feature that lets you spread your drug costs across the calendar year in monthly installments instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter. It doesn't lower your total cost; it smooths the timing.

One point worth noting: stand-alone Part D plans are sold by region, not county by county, and Oregon has 10 stand-alone Part D plans for 2026, sold statewide. If you want drug coverage and you don't qualify for another source, you can either join one of those stand-alone Part D plans alongside Original Medicare or get it through a Medicare Advantage plan that includes drug coverage (an MA-PD). Call 1-800-MEDICARE or check medicare.gov to confirm what's available on your enrollment date.

IRMAA: the surcharge higher earners should watch

If your income is above certain thresholds, Medicare adds a surcharge to your Part B and Part D premiums called IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount). For 2026, it kicks in above $109,000 in income for a single filer, with higher tiers as income climbs. It's based on your tax return from two years earlier, so a 2026 surcharge reflects 2024 income.

If you've had a major life change — retirement, loss of a spouse, divorce — you can ask Social Security to reconsider using more recent income.

How the 31 Lane County plans fit into this cost stack

With 8 carriers offering MA-PD plans across the county for 2027, most Eugene shoppers will see a range of premium and cost-sharing setups. Some plans lean toward a lower monthly premium with higher costs when you use care; others do the opposite. Neither is automatically better — it depends on how often you see doctors, what medications you take, and whether your preferred providers are in the plan's network. Note that Providence Medicare Advantage Plans is not offering plans in the county for 2027; 15 plans are not returning, 7 are new, and 5 have been renamed. Among the 24 continuing plans, 16 are changing something in their terms — check your ANOC for the details.

The 31 number also matters because Medicare Advantage plans replace how Original Medicare pays out. When you enroll in one, that plan sets your deductibles, copays, and out-of-pocket max for medical care, on top of the Part D structure for drugs.

A few questions to bring to a licensed agent or your local SHIP counselor:

• What's the plan's medical out-of-pocket maximum, and how does that combine with the Part D cap ($2,100 in 2026, $2,400 in 2027)?
• Is my regular doctor in-network? My preferred pharmacy?
• Are my prescriptions on the plan's formulary, and in what tier?
• Do I need a referral to see a specialist?

Dates to circle

• October 15 – December 7: Annual Enrollment Period. Anyone with Medicare can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.
• January 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment. If you're already in an Advantage plan, you get one chance to switch to a different Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare.
• Your Initial Enrollment Period: The seven-month window around your 65th birthday.

Where to get unbiased help in Eugene

You don't have to figure this out alone, and you shouldn't pay anyone to do the basics.

• Medicare.gov — the official Plan Finder shows every plan available in Lane County and lets you enter your drugs to compare drug costs.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — 24/7, free.
• Oregon SHIBA — the Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance program is Oregon's SHIP. Trained counselors give free, unbiased Medicare help. Call 800-722-4134.