Medicare Advantage

How Knoxville-Area Counties Stack Up for 2027 Medicare

Knox County has 64 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 14 plans are not coming back, 19 are new, and 15 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 4 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Knoxville, not which plan to pick.

Around Knoxville, Medicare shoppers often ask a simple question during fall enrollment: does where I live inside the metro change how many plan options I see? For 2027, the answer is yes — plan availability is set county by county, not city by city, so a move across a county line can shift the menu of choices.

Knoxville sits in Knox County, but the greater metro spreads into surrounding counties like Blount, Anderson, Loudon, Sevier, and Union. Each of those counties has its own count of Medicare Advantage and Part D offerings filed with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This snapshot explains how to read those area-level numbers as you get ready for the Annual Enrollment Period, which runs October 15 through December 7.

Why county lines matter in a metro like Knoxville

Medicare Advantage and Part D plans are approved to serve specific counties. That means two people who both say "I live near Knoxville" could actually be shopping from different plan lists if one lives in Knox County and the other lives in Blount or Anderson County.

When you use the Plan Finder at medicare.gov, the very first thing it asks for is your ZIP code — and behind the scenes, it uses that to figure out your county. That county determines what shows up on your screen.

What the numbers look like in Knox County

For 2027, Knox County residents have 60 Medicare Advantage plans available, offered by 11 different carriers. Compared with 2026, 41 plans continue, 19 are new, 14 are not returning, and 4 are renamed; 11 continuing plans change something in their terms, and the details are in each plan's Annual Notice of Change. Stand-alone Part D drug plans are counted separately by CMS at the regional level, and are not reflected in the county MA figure above.

These are simply counts of what has been filed and approved — not a ranking, and not a recommendation. The right number of plans for you is one: the one that fits your doctors, your medications, and your budget.

How nearby counties can differ

Neighboring counties in the Knoxville metro each have their own approved plan lists. A carrier may serve Knox County but not a rural neighbor, or vice versa. Provider networks can also change at the county line, which matters if your preferred hospital system or specialist is on the other side of it.

If you're helping a parent who lives in a different metro county, don't assume the plan that works for you in Knoxville will be offered — or work the same way — where they live. Run their ZIP code separately.

Star Ratings, briefly

CMS publishes Star Ratings each year to measure plan quality on things like customer service and care coordination. In the Knoxville area, the count of contracts rated 4 stars or higher reflects that year's ratings cycle. Ratings can be a useful data point, but they are not the whole picture — your own doctors, drugs, and travel patterns matter more than a headline number.

2027 program facts worth knowing

A few Medicare rules apply no matter which Tennessee county you live in:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,400 for 2027.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $700 for 2027.
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") was eliminated in 2025; Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly amounts, at no extra charge.
• IRMAA surcharges on Part B and Part D begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Where to get personal help

For a personalized look at your options, the best starting points are free and unbiased:

• medicare.gov — the official Plan Finder, sorted by your ZIP code.
• 1-800-MEDICARE — 24/7 phone help.
• Tennessee SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) — free one-on-one counseling from trained local volunteers.