Medicare Advantage

Wilkes-Barre Medicare 2026: 77 Plan Choices in Luzerne County

Medicare in Wilkes-Barre: how to sort through Luzerne County plan options for 2027 during the fall enrollment window.

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — If you're shopping for Medicare coverage this fall for 2027, the big story locally is choice. Wilkes-Barre is in Luzerne County, where 77 Medicare Advantage plans were available to residents for 2026, according to the CMS Medicare Plan Finder and the annual MA/Part D Landscape files. The 2027 lineup is detailed in each plan's ANOC and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. Either way, that's a lot of options to compare before the Annual Enrollment Period closes on December 7.

More choice is a good thing, but it can feel overwhelming. Here's a plain-English look at what those numbers mean and how to work through them.

What "77 plans" really means for Wilkes-Barre

Medicare Advantage availability is set at the county level, not the city level. So while we talk about Wilkes-Barre, the plan count applies to everyone with a Luzerne County ZIP code — from Hazleton to Pittston to Kingston.

Seventy-seven plans is a large menu, but you won't be eligible for every plan on paper. Each plan has its own provider network, service area details, and drug formulary. That's why two neighbors on the same block can have very different "best fit" plans.

Who's offering coverage locally

Nine carriers offered Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans (MA-PDs) in the Luzerne County area for 2026. Having multiple carriers competing usually means more variety in networks and extra benefits — but again, we're only talking counts here, not recommendations. For the 2027 carrier lineup, check each plan's ANOC and Medicare.gov's Plan Finder.

With roughly 65,922 residents age 65 and older in Luzerne County, the local Medicare market is a meaningful one, and carriers pay attention.

What about stand-alone drug plans?

This is worth flagging: the 2026 landscape data showed 0 stand-alone Part D prescription drug plans listed for the county. In practice, that means most people who wanted drug coverage got it built into a Medicare Advantage plan (an MA-PD), rather than paired with Original Medicare. The 2027 lineup is on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder.

If you're on Original Medicare and need drug coverage, call 1-800-MEDICARE or check medicare.gov directly — availability can shift, and your situation may allow options that aren't obvious from the county summary.

Star Ratings, briefly

You may see "Star Ratings" on Plan Finder. CMS rates Medicare Advantage and Part D contracts from 1 to 5 stars based on quality and member experience. In the Luzerne County area for 2026, no contracts were rated 4 stars or higher based on that year's data. Ratings are one input among many — they're not a substitute for checking whether your doctors, hospitals, and prescriptions are covered.

Program-level numbers to know for 2027

These apply nationally, no matter which plan you pick:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027.
• Part D maximum deductible: $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027.
• Coverage gap ("donut hole"): eliminated as of 2025. Part D now has three phases.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: an optional program that lets you spread your drug costs across monthly payments instead of paying all at once at the pharmacy.
• IRMAA: higher-income surcharges on Part B and Part D begin above $109,000 for single filers in 2026.

Key dates

• October 15 – December 7: Annual Enrollment Period. You can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.
• January 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can make one change.

How to narrow 77 down to one

A few practical steps that work no matter where you live:

1. List your doctors and hospitals. Coverage means little if your care team isn't in-network. 2. List your prescriptions, with dosages. Every plan has its own formulary. 3. Use the official Plan Finder at medicare.gov. It compares plans side by side based on your drugs and pharmacies. 4. Talk to your local SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program). In Pennsylvania, that's APPRISE — free, one-on-one counseling with no sales pressure.