Medicare Advantage

How Medicare Advantage choices break down in Bluffton

BLUFFTON, S.C. — If you're shopping for Medicare coverage in Bluffton this fall, you have a lot to sort through. For 2026, Beaufort County residents can choose from 50 Medicare Advantage plans offered by nine different carriers; the 2027 lineup is described in each plan's Annual Notice of Change and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. Knowing how the numbers break down is the first step to making a confident choice.

Here's a plain look at what's available in the area for 2026, what's changing for 2027, and where to get personal help.

How many Medicare options are on the table locally

Medicare plan availability is set at the county level, so what's offered in Bluffton is the same as what's offered across Beaufort County. For 2026, the county has:

• 50 Medicare Advantage plans (most include prescription drug coverage)
• 9 carriers offering Medicare Advantage with drug coverage (MA-PD)
• 11 stand-alone Part D prescription drug plans available to South Carolina residents for 2026, sold statewide

If that last number surprises you, keep reading. Stand-alone Part D plans are typically paired with Original Medicare. In markets where the MA-PD field is large, many residents get their drug coverage bundled into a Medicare Advantage plan instead. Still, stand-alone Part D plans are available nationwide, and you can confirm your options on medicare.gov's Plan Finder.

With more than 55,000 residents age 65 or older in Beaufort County, this is a busy Medicare market — which is part of why the plan count runs high.

What "50 plans" really means for you

A big number of choices doesn't mean you have to compare all 50. Most people can narrow the list quickly by focusing on:

• Whether their doctors and hospitals are in a plan's network
• Whether their prescriptions are on the plan's drug list
• Whether the plan is an HMO, PPO, or another type
• The total expected yearly cost, not just the monthly premium

The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov lets you enter your ZIP code, your medications, and your pharmacies to filter the list down to plans that actually fit your situation.

What's changing for Medicare in 2027

A few program-wide changes are worth knowing about as you compare options for next year:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: In 2026, what you pay out of pocket for covered prescriptions is capped at $2,100. Once you hit that amount, you pay $0 for the rest of the year for covered drugs.
• Part D deductible: The maximum allowed deductible for a Part D plan is $615 in 2026. Plans may set theirs lower.
• No more "donut hole": As of 2025, the old coverage gap phase is gone. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: This optional program lets you spread your drug costs into monthly payments throughout the year instead of paying large amounts at the pharmacy counter. It doesn't lower your total cost — it just smooths it out.
• IRMAA: Higher-income beneficiaries pay an extra amount for Parts B and D. For a single filer in 2026, the surcharge begins above $109,000 in income (based on your tax return from two years earlier).

About star ratings

You'll see Medicare plans rated on a 1-to-5 star scale. Stars reflect things like customer service, member complaints, and how well plans manage chronic conditions. Under CMS's 2026 Star Ratings, 12 of the contracts offering plans in Beaufort County are rated 4 stars or higher, but ratings can shift year to year and don't tell the whole story of whether a plan fits your needs. Use star ratings as one input, not the deciding factor.

Key dates to circle

• Annual Enrollment Period (AEP): October 15 – December 7, 2026. This is when most people can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for 2027.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance during this window to switch to a different MA plan or return to Original Medicare.

If you miss AEP, you may have to wait a full year unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.