Medicare Advantage

Compare 28 South Dakota Medicare Advantage Plans for 2027 From 5 Carriers

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — South Dakotans on Medicare have a defined window to look at their 2027 coverage: Annual Enrollment 2027 runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and any choice made in that window takes effect January 1, 2027. The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has published the 2027 Medicare Advantage Landscape for the state, and it gives shoppers a clear statewide picture before they drill into what is actually offered in their own county.

This explainer walks through the statewide numbers, the carriers, and a plain-English way to compare plans using the Medicare Plan Finder before the December 7, 2026 deadline.

How many Medicare Advantage plans are offered in South Dakota for 2027?

South Dakota has 28 Medicare Advantage plans listed in the 2027 CMS Landscape, offered by 5 carriers statewide. Of those 28, 21 include prescription drug coverage, 11 are new for 2027, and 10 plans available in 2026 are not returning for 2027.

The statewide count is a ceiling, not a menu. Medicare Advantage plans are approved county by county, so a plan listed in the state file may not be sold where you live. The number you actually get to choose from in Minnehaha, Pennington, Brown, Lincoln or Codington County will be smaller, and the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov is where you confirm what is available at your ZIP code.

What types of Medicare Advantage plans are available in South Dakota for 2027, including SNPs?

Across South Dakota's 28 plans for 2027, the Landscape lists 2 HMOs, 20 PPOs, and 6 Cost plans. Special Needs Plans (SNPs) account for 5 Dual-Eligible SNPs (D-SNPs) and 2 Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs); there are no Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) listed statewide for 2027.

The plan type matters because it drives how you use the plan. HMOs typically ask you to stay in-network; PPOs allow out-of-network care at a different cost share; Cost plans — still a meaningful share of the South Dakota market — have their own rules about using Original Medicare outside the network. D-SNPs are built for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid, and I-SNPs are for people who live in or require the level of care provided in an institutional setting.

Which carriers offer Medicare Advantage plans in South Dakota for 2027?

Five carriers are listed in the 2027 South Dakota Landscape. In alphabetical order they are Aetna (CVS Health) with 8 PPO plans including 3 D-SNPs; Align powered by Sanford Health Plan with 2 PPO plans; Great Plains Medicare Advantage with 2 HMO plans; Medica with 13 plans across Cost and PPO; and UnitedHealthcare with 3 PPO plans including 2 D-SNPs.

The full plan-by-plan tables are published on this page. Use the carrier name as a starting point, then verify in the Plan Finder whether a specific plan is sold in your county and whether your doctors, hospitals and medications are covered.

How do I compare Medicare Advantage plans in my own South Dakota county for 2027?

To compare the 2027 plans actually offered in your county, open the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov and enter your ZIP code; the tool will show only the plans you are eligible to join. Work through these steps in order:

1. Doctors and clinics. Check each plan's provider directory to confirm your primary care provider and any specialists are in-network for 2027. 2. Hospitals. Confirm your preferred hospital system — for many South Dakotans that is Sanford, Avera, Monument Health or a regional critical access hospital — is contracted with the plan. 3. Prescriptions. Enter every medication, exact dose and quantity into the Plan Finder. The same drug can sit on different tiers in different plans. 4. Pharmacies. Mark your usual pharmacy as "preferred" in the Plan Finder; cost sharing often differs between preferred, standard and mail-order pharmacies. 5. Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). If you are already in a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, the ANOC your carrier mailed in September spells out what changes on January 1, 2027. 6. Non-renewals. Because 10 South Dakota plans are not returning for 2027, some members will have received a separate non-renewal letter and will need to pick a new plan or return to Original Medicare.

What should South Dakota Medicare shoppers do before December 7, 2026?

Before December 7, 2026, confirm that the plan you intend to be on January 1, 2027 still fits your doctors, your medications and your budget. If it does, you do not have to do anything; most Medicare Advantage and Part D plans renew automatically.

If anything has changed — your health, your prescriptions, your providers, or the plan itself through the ANOC — compare on medicare.gov while the window is open. If your plan is one of the 10 not returning for 2027, choosing a replacement before December 7, 2026 keeps your coverage continuous on January 1.

Where can South Dakotans get free help comparing 2027 Medicare Advantage plans?

Free, unbiased help is available directly from Medicare. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including TTY service at 1-877-486-2048, or use the Plan Finder and chat tools at medicare.gov.

Those federal resources can answer eligibility questions, confirm which plans are offered in your South Dakota county, and walk through a side-by-side comparison without steering you toward any carrier.