Medicare Advantage

Does HealthSpring fit your Pittsburgh Medicare in 2027?

PITTSBURGH — As the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period opens for 2027 coverage, HealthSpring is offering four Medicare Advantage plans to people on Medicare in Allegheny County, the county Pittsburgh sits in. The lineup includes HMO and PPO options, and one is a Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. If you already have a HealthSpring plan, your Annual Notice of Change spells out what is different for next year — and you have until December 7, 2026 to make a switch that starts January 1, 2027.

MyMedicarePlans.org is an independent consumer site. We are not HealthSpring, and HealthSpring is one of 16 carriers offering Medicare Advantage in Allegheny County next year (95 plans in all). This article focuses on HealthSpring's lineup only.

How many HealthSpring Medicare Advantage plans are offered in Pittsburgh for 2027?

In Allegheny County, the county Pittsburgh is in, HealthSpring is offering 4 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. By type, that is 3 HMOs and 1 PPO. All four include Part D prescription drug coverage.

CMS lists these plans under HealthSpring's parent organization, Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), but they are marketed to you as HealthSpring plans. The table below lists every plan by name.

What plan types does HealthSpring sell in Allegheny County next year?

HealthSpring's 2027 lineup in Allegheny County includes three HMO plans and one PPO plan, and one of the HMOs is a Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan. In alphabetical order the four plans are:

• HealthSpring Preferred (HMO) — HMO, with drug coverage
• HealthSpring Preferred Plus (HMO) — HMO, with drug coverage
• HealthSpring TotalCare Plus (HMO D-SNP) — HMO D-SNP, with drug coverage
• HealthSpring True Choice (PPO) — PPO, with drug coverage

HMOs usually ask you to use a network of doctors and hospitals and often require a referral to see a specialist. PPOs give you some coverage out of network, usually at a higher cost. A D-SNP is a special plan built for people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. The HealthSpring TotalCare Plus (HMO D-SNP) is the one Special Needs Plan HealthSpring offers in the county for 2027; HealthSpring does not offer a C-SNP or I-SNP here.

Is HealthSpring adding or dropping any plans in Pittsburgh for 2027?

For 2027 in Allegheny County, HealthSpring is not adding any new plans and is not discontinuing any plans. Of its four plans, 0 are new, 0 are leaving, and 0 are renamed.

Even when the lineup is steady, the details inside a plan can still shift from year to year — things like the drug list, the pharmacy network, the provider directory, prior authorization rules, or extra benefits. The Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) your plan mailed in September is the document that lays out exactly what is different for 2027. If you cannot find yours, call the number on your member card or look it up on medicare.gov.

What is changing in Medicare itself for 2027?

Two Part D numbers are confirmed for 2027: the out-of-pocket cap on prescription drugs rises to $2,400 (it is $2,100 in 2026), and the maximum Part D deductible a plan can charge rises to $700 (it is $615 in 2026). CMS has also set the Part D national base beneficiary premium for 2027 at $41.33 — that is a formula input, not what any particular plan charges.

Other 2027 figures have not been announced yet. The standard Part B premium and deductible, and the IRMAA income brackets that add a surcharge for higher earners, are usually published by CMS in the fall (often in November). We will update when they are released. For reference, the IRMAA surcharges in 2026 begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer.

The coverage gap, or "donut hole," has been gone since 2025 — Part D now has three phases instead of four. If paying for drugs all at once is hard, the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread what you owe across the calendar year in monthly installments.

How do I check a HealthSpring plan against my doctors and prescriptions before December 7?

The most reliable way is the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov. There you can enter your ZIP code, your prescriptions, and your preferred pharmacies to see how each plan handles them. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A short checklist for Pittsburgh residents comparing HealthSpring plans for 2027:

1. Read the Annual Notice of Change your current plan sent you. 2. Make a list of every drug you take, with the dose and how often. 3. Make a list of the doctors, specialists and hospitals you want to keep. 4. On medicare.gov, run your prescriptions and ZIP code through each plan you are considering. 5. Call the plan directly or check its online directory to confirm your providers are in network for 2027 — directories can change on January 1. 6. If you qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid, ask about the D-SNP option.

Remember: if you do nothing, your current plan simply renews for 2027 if HealthSpring is still offering it, with the changes described in the ANOC. The Annual Enrollment Period ends December 7, 2026, and any change takes effect January 1, 2027. If you pick a Medicare Advantage plan and change your mind, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31, 2027) gives you one more chance to switch or return to Original Medicare.