Medicare Advantage

Before You Toss That Insurer Letter, Pittsburgh

People in Pittsburgh can choose from 84 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 96 in 2026. Nine of 2026's plans are gone, 8 are new to Allegheny County, and 35 that continue have changed something on file, 11 of them under a new name.

Medicare AdvantagePittsburgh, PA

PITTSBURGH — If you have a Medicare Advantage plan in the Pittsburgh area, this fall is the moment to open the mail from your insurer. The 2027 plan year brings a real shuffle in Allegheny County: nine Medicare Advantage plans will not be offered again next year, eight new plans are joining the market, and eleven others have been renamed. Dozens more show at least one change on file with Medicare. Here is what that means, and how to handle it before the deadlines close in.

What is changing in Allegheny County for 2027

Pittsburgh is in Allegheny County, where Medicare Advantage plan availability is set by the federal government. Comparing CMS's 2026 and 2027 landscape files for the county, the picture looks like this:

• 9 plans leaving after 2026
• 8 new plans for 2027
• 11 renamed plans (same plan, new name on the card and paperwork)
• 35 continuing plans with a change on file (premium, deductible, plan type, or name)
• 76 plans continuing overall

The full plan-by-plan table on this page lists every Medicare Advantage plan offered in the county. Below, we focus on what is moving.

The plans not returning in 2027

Nine Medicare Advantage plans available in Allegheny County in 2026 will not be offered in 2027. In alphabetical order by carrier, they are:

• Aetna Community HealthChoices (HMO D-SNP) — Aetna (CVS Health)
• Aetna Medicare Enhanced (PPO) — Aetna (CVS Health)
• Wellcare Assist (HMO-POS) — Centene (WellCare)
• Wellcare Patriot Giveback (HMO-POS) — Centene (WellCare)
• Humana Gold Choice H8145-163 (PFFS) — Humana
• Provider Partners Pennsylvania Community Plan (HMO I-SNP) — Provider Partners Health Plans
• Provider Partners Pennsylvania Essential Plan (HMO I-SNP) — Provider Partners Health Plans
• UPMC for Life PPO Rx Choice (PPO) — UPMC for Life
• UPMC for Life Complete Care (HMO D-SNP) — UPMC for Life Complete Care

If you are on one of these, your carrier is required to mail you a non-renewal notice. That letter opens a Special Enrollment Period that runs through the end of February, giving you time to choose a new Medicare Advantage plan, join a stand-alone Part D plan, or go back to Original Medicare (with or without a Medigap policy, subject to state rules).

Two names — Provider Partners Pennsylvania Community Plan and Provider Partners Pennsylvania Essential Plan, plus UPMC for Life PPO Rx Choice and UPMC for Life Complete Care — appear on both the "leaving" and "new" lists. That usually means the plan is being retired under its old contract number and reintroduced under a new one. Even so, treat the notice you receive as real: your ID card, network rules and coverage details could all be different.

The 8 new plans for 2027

Eight Medicare Advantage plans are new to Allegheny County for 2027:

• Aetna Medicare Full Dual Extra (HMO D-SNP) — Aetna (CVS Health)
• DEVOTED C-SNP GIVEBACK EXTRAS 031 PA (HMO C-SNP) — Devoted Health
• DEVOTED GIVEBACK EXTRAS 035 PA (HMO) — Devoted Health
• Provider Partners Pennsylvania Community Plan (HMO I-SNP) — Provider Partners Health Plans
• Provider Partners Pennsylvania Essential Plan (HMO I-SNP) — Provider Partners Health Plans
• UHC Complete Care Support PA-1A (HMO-POS C-SNP) — UnitedHealthcare
• UPMC for Life PPO Rx Choice (PPO) — UPMC for Life
• UPMC for Life Complete Care (HMO D-SNP) — UPMC for Life Complete Care

Several of these are Special Needs Plans (SNPs) built for people with certain chronic conditions, people who also have Medicaid (dual eligibles), or people who live in a nursing facility. If a SNP is new to the market, you generally have to meet its eligibility rules to enroll.

11 plans have a new name

Eleven plans in the county are renamed for 2027. The plan itself continues; the label on the mailer and the ID card changes. The renamed plans are:

• Aetna Medicare Advantra Signature Plus (HMO-POS) — was Aetna Medicare Advantra Signature (HMO-POS)
• Aetna Medicare Dual (HMO D-SNP) — was Aetna Medicare Advantra Dual (HMO D-SNP)
• Aetna Medicare Premier Plus (PPO) — was Aetna Medicare Value Plus (PPO)
• Wellcare PA Health & Wellness Dual Liberty Sync (HMO-POS D-SNP) — was Wellcare Dual Liberty Sync (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• Wellcare PA Health & Wellness Dual Select (HMO-POS D-SNP) — was Wellcare Dual Select (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• DEVOTED C-SNP ENHANCED 020 PA (HMO C-SNP) — was DEVOTED C-SNP PREMIUM 020 PA (HMO C-SNP)
• Together Blue Medicare HMO with AHN Signature (HMO) — was Together Blue Medicare HMO Signature (HMO)
• Humana Essentials Plus Giveback (PPO) — was HumanaChoice Giveback H5525-085 (PPO)
• Humana Value Choice (PPO) — was HumanaChoice H5525-051 (PPO)
• UHC Dual Advantage PA-V1 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — was UHC Dual Complete PA-V001 (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• UPMC for Life Essential Rx (PPO) — was UPMC for Life PPO Essential Care Rx (PPO)

A rename by itself does not change your coverage. But because 35 continuing plans in the county also show at least one change on file for 2027, the safest move is to compare your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) side-by-side with your current Evidence of Coverage. The ANOC spells out exactly what is different.

What to do, step by step

1. Watch the mail in late September through October. Your carrier must send an ANOC and, if your plan is ending, a non-renewal letter. 2. If you see a non-renewal letter, note the Special Enrollment Period on it. That SEP runs through the end of February, but you do not have to wait — you can also choose during the Annual Enrollment Period, October 15 – December 7. 3. Check whether your doctors, hospitals and prescriptions are covered by any plan you are considering. Networks and formularies can change even when the plan name does not. 4. If you would like a neutral second set of eyes, call Pennsylvania's SHIP program, called APPRISE, at 1-800-783-7067. Counseling is free and does not sell insurance. 5. Compare plans on medicare.gov's Plan Finder or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), open 24/7.

A few program facts worth knowing

These are the same everywhere in the country and can help you read your ANOC:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026.
• Part D maximum deductible: $615.
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone; Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the calendar year in monthly installments — an opt-in program.
• IRMAA surcharges begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026