Medicare Advantage

Five Medicare Advantage plans debut in Portland for 2027: how to size up a brand-new plan

People in Portland can choose from 45 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 58 this year. 18 of this year’s plans are gone, 5 are new to Multnomah County, and 29 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 7 of them under a new name.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Shoppers in Multnomah County will see five Medicare Advantage plans on the shelf for 2027 that were not sold here this year, according to CMS's Medicare Advantage Landscape files for the current and coming plan year. Three carriers are behind the additions, and all five come with drug coverage built in. If you are weighing one of them during this fall's Annual Enrollment Period, which runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, the key is checking it against your own doctors and prescriptions before you switch.

What "new for 2027" means in Portland

Portland is in Multnomah County, where CMS sets Medicare Advantage availability. For 2027, five of the Medicare Advantage plans offered in the county are new — meaning the exact plan was not sold here in 2026. That is different from a renewing plan, which continues into 2027 with any adjustments spelled out in its Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), the letter current members get each fall.

A new plan is not a worse or better plan. It is simply one without a local track record yet, so there is less public history to look at. That makes doing your own homework — doctors, drugs, pharmacies — the most important step.

The five new plans, by carrier

Listed alphabetically by carrier, the new Medicare Advantage plans in Multnomah County for 2027 are:

• Aetna (CVS Health) — Aetna Medicare Eagle (HMO); HMO; with drug coverage
• Devoted Health — DEVOTED C-SNP GIVEBACK EXTRAS 019 OR (HMO C-SNP); HMO C-SNP; with drug coverage
• Devoted Health — DEVOTED GIVEBACK 028 OR (HMO); HMO; with drug coverage
• Devoted Health — DEVOTED GIVEBACK EXTRAS 025 OR (HMO); HMO; with drug coverage
• UnitedHealthcare — AARP Medicare Advantage Essentials from UHC OR-7 (HMO-POS); HMO-POS; with drug coverage

Four of the five are HMOs; one is an HMO-POS. All five include Part D prescription drug coverage. One — the Devoted C-SNP plan — is a Chronic Condition Special Needs Plan, designed for people with certain qualifying health conditions. The other new plans are general-market Medicare Advantage plans open to anyone eligible in the service area.

The table below lists every Medicare Advantage plan in the county for context.

How a new plan is different from a renewing one

The big practical difference comes down to information:

• Star Ratings. CMS Star Ratings measure past plan performance on things like member experience, customer service and preventive care. A plan that did not exist in your county last year does not have a local track record to score. CMS treats brand-new contracts differently in the ratings system, and that is a program fact — not a judgment about quality.
• Member reviews and word of mouth. Neighbors and friends are less likely to have experience with a plan that just launched.
• Everything else is on the same footing. New or renewing, a plan has to publish its premium, deductible, drug list (formulary), pharmacy network and provider directory. Those documents are what you actually compare.

If your current plan is renewing, read the Annual Notice of Change that arrived (or will arrive) in September. It tells you what is changing for 2027. If you are considering one of the new plans instead, you will be looking at a fresh Summary of Benefits and Evidence of Coverage.

How to check a plan against your doctors and prescriptions

You have until December 7, 2026 to make a change that will take effect January 1, 2027. Here is a straightforward way to vet a new plan — or any plan — before that date:

1. Make two lists. Write down every prescription you take (name, dose, how often) and every doctor, specialist, clinic and pharmacy you want to keep. 2. Use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov. You can enter your drugs and preferred pharmacy and see each plan's formulary, cost tiers and whether your pharmacy is in network. You can also search for a plan by name. 3. Check the provider directory on the plan's own website. Networks change year to year. Confirm each doctor and facility is listed for the 2027 plan year, not just this year. 4. Call to confirm. If you are not sure, call the plan directly, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), available 24/7. 5. Check SNP eligibility. Special Needs Plans — like the Devoted C-SNP in the new list — are only for people who meet specific requirements (a chronic condition, Medicaid status, or living in a qualifying institution). Confirm you qualify before you apply.

A few 2027 numbers worth knowing

Some program-wide figures for 2027 are already set by CMS:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (it is $2,100 in 2026).
• The Part D maximum deductible is $700 in 2027 (it is $615 in 2026).
• The Part D national base beneficiary premium is $41.33 for 2027 — a formula used in setting late-enrollment penalties and some surcharges, not what any one plan charges.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, had not been published as of early fall 2026. CMS typically announces those in the fall.

If you do nothing

If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan and it is being offered again in 2027, you do not have to do anything — your coverage renews with the changes listed in the ANOC. If your current plan is one of the ones not returning to Multnomah County for 2027, your plan will send you a non-renewal notice and you'll have a Special Enrollment Period to pick something new.