Medicare Advantage

Medicare in Memphis: 67 Plans in Shelby County 2027

For 2027, Memphis is looking at 74 Medicare Advantage plans: 12 new, 11 gone since 2026, and 30 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 7 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Shelby County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — If you're turning 65 soon, helping a parent sort through mail, or just tired of the commercials that start every fall, here's a plain-spoken look at how many Medicare choices are actually on the table in Memphis for 2027 — and where those numbers come from.

The short version: there are a lot of options, and that's both good news and the reason picking one can feel overwhelming.

How many Medicare Advantage plans are available in Memphis for 2027?

Memphis sits in Shelby County, where 67 Medicare Advantage plans are available for 2027, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Landscape files. Those plans come from 11 different carriers offering Medicare Advantage with prescription drug coverage (MA-PD) in the county.

A quick note on geography: Medicare plan availability is set at the county level, not the city level. So whether you live in Midtown, Whitehaven, Cordova, or Frayser, the same county-wide menu applies to you.

For context, there are about 136,050 people age 65 or older living in Shelby County, so the plan menu is serving a sizable community.

What about stand-alone Part D drug plans?

This is where Memphis-area shoppers need to pay attention. In the Shelby County landscape file, the count of stand-alone Part D prescription drug plans is listed at 0 for this pull.

That does not mean you can't get drug coverage. It means, in this dataset, drug coverage in the area is being delivered primarily through MA-PD plans (Medicare Advantage with drug coverage built in). If you have Original Medicare and want a separate Part D drug plan, the official plan finder at Medicare.gov is the right place to confirm what's currently offered by ZIP code before you enroll.

What the "star ratings" number means here

You may have heard about Medicare's Star Ratings, which score plans on things like customer service, member complaints, and care quality. In the current Shelby County data, no contracts serving the area carry a 4-star or higher rating for 2027.

That's a factual snapshot, not a verdict on any single plan. Ratings shift every year, and a contract can serve many counties. We mention it only so you know the metric exists — it's one of several things you can look up on Medicare.gov when comparing options.

The 2027 rules everyone on Medicare should know

Whether you stick with Original Medicare, pick a Medicare Advantage plan, or add a drug plan, a few program-level facts apply nationwide in 2027:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026 ($2,400 in 2027). Once your out-of-pocket spending on covered drugs hits that amount, you pay $0 for covered prescriptions the rest of the year.
• Part D deductible: up to $615 in 2026 ($700 in 2027). Plans can charge less, but not more.
• The "donut hole" is gone. As of 2025, Part D moved to three phases (deductible, initial coverage, catastrophic). That structure continues in 2027.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. This is an optional program that lets you spread your drug costs across monthly payments instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA. Higher-income beneficiaries pay an extra amount for Part B and Part D. For 2026, IRMAA surcharges begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer.

Key dates to circle

• Annual Enrollment Period (AEP): October 15 – December 7. This is when most people can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.
• 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.

Missing these windows can lock you into a plan for the year, so mark your calendar.

How to work through 73 plans without losing your mind

A menu of 73 Medicare Advantage plans in one county sounds intimidating, but you don't have to read all 73 side-by-side. A few tips:

1. Start with your doctors and hospitals. Make sure the ones you use are in-network. 2. Bring your drug list. Enter every prescription — name, dose, and how often you take it — into the Medicare.gov plan finder. 3. Think about how you like to get care. Do you travel a lot? Do you prefer a plan that doesn't require referrals? Different plans handle these differently. 4. Ask for help. In Tennessee, the free SHIP counseling program (called TN SHIP) can walk you through your options one-on-one, and they don't sell anything.