Medicare Advantage

Medicare in Allen: 72 Plans in Collin County 2027

Collin County has 81 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 37 plans are not coming back, 21 are new, and 30 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 9 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Allen, not which plan to pick.

ALLEN, Texas — If you're turning 65 soon, already on Medicare, or helping a parent sort things out, the first question is usually the simplest: how many choices do I actually have? For 2027, people living in Allen have a lot of them.

Allen sits inside Collin County, and Medicare plan availability is set at the county level. That means the count you see here applies to every ZIP code in the county, from Allen to Plano to McKinney.

What the numbers look like in Collin County

Here is what the 2027 Medicare landscape looks like for Allen residents, based on CMS Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape data:

• 72 Medicare Advantage plans available in Collin County
• 12 carriers offering Medicare Advantage with drug coverage (MA-PD)
• 0 stand-alone Part D prescription drug plans listed at the county level
• 134,714 residents age 65 and older

Seventy-two is still a big number. It doesn't mean you personally qualify for every one — some plans are tied to specific conditions, employer groups, or Medicaid status — but it does mean the shelf is full.

Original Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage: the fork in the road

Before you compare plans, decide which lane you want to be in.

Original Medicare is the federal program: Part A (hospital) and Part B (doctor and outpatient). You can add a stand-alone Part D drug plan and, if you want, a Medigap policy to help with cost-sharing.

Medicare Advantage (Part C) is offered by private insurers approved by Medicare. These plans bundle Part A and Part B, and most include Part D drug coverage. They usually have networks and their own rules for referrals and prior authorization.

Because Collin County shows no stand-alone Part D plans in the 2027 data, most Allen residents who want drug coverage through a Medicare Advantage plan will be looking at MA-PDs. If you stay with Original Medicare and want drug coverage, you'll want to confirm your options directly on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder.

How to narrow 72 down to a short list

You don't have to read 72 brochures. Start with what matters to you:

1. Doctors and hospitals. Check whether the providers you already use are in each plan's network. 2. Prescriptions. Enter your exact drugs, doses, and pharmacy into Medicare's Plan Finder to see how each plan covers them. 3. How you like to get care. Do you want referrals and tight networks, or more flexibility to go anywhere that accepts Medicare? 4. Total yearly cost, not just premium. Add up the premium, expected copays, and the drug costs a plan is estimated to charge for your specific medications. 5. Star Ratings. CMS rates plans on a 1-to-5 scale for quality and member experience. Ratings are one data point — not a scoreboard — but they can help you compare.

2027 rules that apply no matter which plan you pick

A few program-level facts every Allen reader should know for 2027:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026). Once your drug spending hits that, you pay $0 for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• Part D maximum deductible: $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026).
• The coverage gap is gone. Since 2025, Part D has three phases — deductible, initial coverage, and catastrophic — with no "donut hole."
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. You can choose to spread your out-of-pocket drug costs across the calendar year in monthly bills instead of paying at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA. Higher-income enrollees pay extra for Part B and Part D. For 2026, the surcharge begins above $109,000 in income for a single filer.

Key dates for Allen residents

• October 15 – December 7: Annual Enrollment Period. You can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. Changes take effect January 1.
• January 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance to switch to another MA plan or return to Original Medicare (and add a Part D plan).
• Your Initial Enrollment Period: the 7-month window around your 65th birthday.

Where to get help you can trust

With this many choices, it's worth talking to a neutral source before you sign anything.

• Medicare.gov Plan Finder — the official tool to compare plans using your real drug list and pharmacy.
• 1-800-MEDICARE — available 24/7.
• Texas SHIP (the Health Information, Counseling and Advocacy Program) — free, unbiased counseling for Texans. You can reach it through the Texas Health and Human Services website or by calling 1-800-252-9240.