Medicare Advantage

December 7 Deadline: 83 Arlington Plans, 12 Carriers

People in Arlington can choose from 83 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 89 this year. 28 of this year’s plans are gone, 22 are new to Tarrant County, and 32 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 10 of them under a new name.

ARLINGTON, Texas — Fall 2026. If you have Medicare in Arlington, your mailbox is probably filling up with plan brochures right now. That is because the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period is open from October 15 through December 7, 2026, and any choice you make during this window takes effect January 1, 2027.

Arlington is in Tarrant County, where CMS data show 83 Medicare Advantage plans from 12 carriers will be offered in 2027. That is a lot to sort through. The good news: you do not need to read every brochure. You need a short checklist and the right tools. Here is how to compare 2027 plans in a way that fits your doctors, your medicines, and your pharmacy.

What is on offer in Tarrant County for 2027

For plan year 2027, Tarrant County residents will see 83 Medicare Advantage plans from 12 carriers, and all 83 include prescription drug coverage. By plan type, the county has 37 HMO plans, 22 HMO-POS plans, 23 PPO plans, and 1 PFFS plan.

Special Needs Plans (SNPs) are built for people with specific situations:

• 22 D-SNPs for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid
• 14 C-SNPs for people with certain chronic conditions, such as diabetes or chronic heart failure
• 7 I-SNPs for people who live in a nursing home or need that level of care

The 12 carriers offering plans in Tarrant County for 2027 are, in alphabetical order: Aetna (CVS Health), Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Centene (WellCare), Elevance Health (Anthem), HealthSpring, Humana, Molina Healthcare of Texas, Inc., ProCare Advantage, Provider Partners Health Plans, Texas Independence Health Plan, UnitedHealthcare, and Verda Health Plan of Texas. The table below lists every plan by carrier.

What is new for 2027

Two things to know:

1. 22 new plans are being offered in Tarrant County for 2027. 2. 28 plans that were available in 2026 are not returning in 2027.

If your current plan is one of those not returning, your carrier will send a non-renewal letter. You then have a Special Enrollment Period to pick a new plan — but it is far easier to make a choice during Annual Enrollment than to scramble in January.

Verda Health Plan of Texas appears in the 2027 Tarrant County lineup as a carrier, offering 2 HMO plans.

A step-by-step way to compare plans

Here is a repeatable method. Work through it in order.

1. Read your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). Every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan mails this document each September. It compares your 2026 plan to the 2027 version — premium, deductible, drug tier changes, copays, provider network updates. If a cost you rely on is going up, that is your signal to shop.

2. Make a short list of what matters to you. On one page, write down:

• Your doctors and the hospital you want to use
• Every prescription you take, with the dose
• Your preferred pharmacy (and whether mail order matters)
• Any extra benefits you actually use (dental, vision, hearing, transportation, OTC)

3. Open the Medicare Plan Finder. Go to medicare.gov/plan-compare, enter your Arlington ZIP code, and sign in (or continue as a guest). Add your drugs and pharmacy. The tool will show every 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D plan in your area, with your estimated yearly drug costs based on what you entered.

4. Check doctors and hospitals. The Plan Finder links to each plan's provider directory, but the most reliable step is to call your doctor's office and ask directly: "Will you be in network with [plan name] for 2027?" Networks can change on January 1.

5. Check your pharmacy's status. A "preferred" pharmacy inside a plan's network usually means lower cost-sharing than a "standard" pharmacy. If you fill prescriptions at a specific Arlington store, confirm it is in the plan's preferred tier for 2027.

6. If you qualify, look at SNPs. If you have Medicaid, a chronic condition, or live in a nursing home, a Special Needs Plan may fit your situation better than a general Medicare Advantage plan. Tarrant County has 43 SNPs in 2027 across the three types.

7. Narrow to two or three plans, then call. Dial 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24/7, or call each plan directly. Ask any question the Plan Finder did not answer.

The 2027 numbers you can count on

A few program-level 2027 figures have been confirmed by CMS:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,400 (it was $2,100 in 2026). Once your out-of-pocket spending on covered drugs hits this cap, you pay $0 for covered drugs for the rest of the year.
• Part D maximum deductible: $700 (it was $615 in 2026). Plans can charge less.
• Part D national base beneficiary premium: $41.33. This is a formula input Medicare uses — not what any specific plan charges you.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets have not been announced yet. CMS typically publishes those in the fall, usually in November.

The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan also continues in 2027. It lets you spread your out-of-pocket drug costs across the year in monthly payments instead of paying a large bill at the pharmacy counter. Any Part D plan can enroll you if you ask.

What happens if you do nothing

Nothing dramatic. If your current plan is being offered again in 2027, you stay in it automatically, with the changes described in your ANOC. If your plan is not returning, your carrier will tell you and you will get a Special Enrollment Period to choose a replacement. Either way, you can also change plans between January 1 and March 31, 2027, using the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period — though your choices then are more limited than during Annual Enrollment.