Medicare Advantage

Providence Medicare Advantage in 2027: the four carriers and 18 plans on offer

For 2027, Providence is looking at 18 Medicare Advantage plans: 0 new, 1 gone since 2026, and 8 continuing plans that changed something in their terms, 4 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Providence County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

Providence, R.I. — If you live in Providence and you're shopping a Medicare Advantage plan for 2027, your choices come from four insurers offering 18 plans in total. That's the full slate for Providence County next year, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source File for plan year 2027. The table below lists every plan by carrier, its plan type, and whether it includes drug coverage.

This guide walks through who those carriers are, what the plan types mean, and how to narrow the list to something that fits your care and your budget — without steering you toward any one plan.

The full 2027 lineup for Providence County

Providence is in Providence County, and Medicare Advantage availability is set at the county level. For 2027, the CMS landscape file lists 18 Medicare Advantage plans in the county from these four carriers (in alphabetical order):

• Aetna (CVS Health) — 4 plans (HMO-POS, PPO)
• Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island — 6 plans (HMO, HMO-POS; 1 Special Needs Plan)
• Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island — 2 plans (HMO; both Special Needs Plans)
• UnitedHealthcare — 11 plans (HMO-POS, PPO; 6 Special Needs Plans)

Every one of the 18 plans includes Part D prescription drug coverage. Providence County has no stand-alone Part D plans on the 2027 landscape list, which makes sense: if you go with a Medicare Advantage plan here, drug coverage is already built in.

The full table on this page shows every plan by name — from Aetna Medicare Eagle Giveback and the BlueCHiP for Medicare series to the Neighborhood Dual CONNECT plans and the AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC lineup. Costs, benefits, provider networks and star ratings are not shown here; you'll find those on the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov and in each plan's official documents.

What the plan types mean

You'll see three main plan types on the Providence roster, plus SNPs. Here's the plain-English version:

• HMO (Health Maintenance Organization): You pick a primary care doctor and generally stay in-network. Referrals may be required.
• HMO-POS (Point of Service): An HMO with a limited option to see some out-of-network providers, usually at a higher cost.
• PPO (Preferred Provider Organization): More flexibility to see out-of-network doctors, typically at a higher cost-share.
• SNP (Special Needs Plan): Built for a specific group — for example, D-SNPs for people with both Medicare and Medicaid, C-SNPs for certain chronic conditions, and I-SNPs for people living in nursing homes.

In Providence County for 2027, the CMS landscape file shows the plans split across HMO, HMO-POS and PPO types, and some are SNPs, meaning they're only for people who meet the eligibility rules.

How to narrow the list

With 23 plans, it helps to filter before you compare:

1. Check your doctors and hospitals. Call your providers or use each plan's online directory to see if they're in-network. 2. List your prescriptions. Every plan has its own formulary. Run your drugs through the Plan Finder to see which plans cover them and at what tier. 3. Think about how you like to get care. If you travel or want to see specialists without a referral, a PPO may fit better than an HMO. If you prefer a coordinated primary care team, an HMO or HMO-POS may feel simpler. 4. See if a SNP applies to you. If you have both Medicare and Medicaid (in Rhode Island, that's Medicaid through the state), a D-SNP could be worth a look. C-SNPs and I-SNPs have their own eligibility rules. 5. Compare total yearly cost, not just the premium. Deductibles, copays, and drug costs all add up differently depending on how much care you use.

The Part D rules to know for 2027

Even though every Providence-area Medicare Advantage plan includes drug coverage, the Part D program-wide rules still apply:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 for 2026. Once you hit it, you pay $0 for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The maximum Part D deductible a plan can charge is $615 in 2026.
• The coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone as of 2025 — Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your yearly drug costs across monthly payments if you opt in. It doesn't change what you owe overall, just when you pay.
• IRMAA (the income-related surcharge) starts above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Dates to circle

• Oct. 15 – Dec. 7: Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. You can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. Changes take effect Jan. 1.
• Jan. 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can switch to another MA plan or go back to Original Medicare (and add a stand-alone Part D plan if one becomes available).
• Special Enrollment Periods may apply if you move, lose other coverage, or qualify for Extra Help or Medicaid.

A note on star ratings

Medicare rates plans on a 1-to-5 scale each year. In this area, no contracts are rated 4 stars or higher on the current landscape data. Star Ratings are one input among many — they measure things like customer service and preventive care — but they don't tell you whether your doctor is in-network or whether your drugs are on the formulary. Use them as context, not as a scoreboard.