Medicare Advantage

Dallas gets 20 new Medicare Advantage plans for 2027: here is how to check one against your doctors

People in Dallas can choose from 84 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 93 this year. 29 of this year’s plans are gone, 20 are new to Dallas County, and 31 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 9 of them under a new name.

DALLAS — Shoppers in Dallas County will see 20 Medicare Advantage plans on the 2027 lineup that were not sold here in 2026, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files for the current and coming plan years. Six carriers are adding them, and every one of the new plans includes drug coverage. The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and any change you make takes effect January 1, 2027.

What "new for 2027" actually means in Dallas County

A plan is counted as new when its carrier files it with CMS for 2027 but did not offer it in Dallas County for 2026. That is different from a plan that is simply renaming — nine plans are being renamed for 2027, and 29 are not returning. New plans are also different from the 2026 plans that are renewing: a renewing plan has a cost history, a provider network you may already use, and a Star Rating. A new plan does not. CMS only assigns Star Ratings after a plan has operated and been measured, so a first-year plan will show without one. That is a program fact, not a knock on the plan.

The 20 new plans, carrier by carrier

The full table below lists every 2027 Medicare Advantage plan offered in Dallas County. The six carriers introducing something new here are:

• Aetna (CVS Health) — 3 new plans: Aetna Medicare Enhanced Extra (PPO), Aetna Medicare QMB Only Care (HMO D-SNP), and Aetna Medicare Signature (HMO).
• Elevance Health (Anthem) — 6 new plans under the Wellpoint name: Wellpoint Chronic Care Advantage Select (HMO C-SNP), Wellpoint Chronic Care Select (HMO-POS C-SNP), Wellpoint Dual Advantage Plus Select (HMO D-SNP), Wellpoint Dual Advantage Select (HMO D-SNP), Wellpoint Full Dual Advantage Select (HMO D-SNP), and Wellpoint Medicare Advantage Select (HMO-POS).
• HealthSpring — 1 new plan: HealthSpring TotalCare Plus (HMO D-SNP).
• Humana — 5 new plans: Humana DaVita Kidney Care (PPO C-SNP), a second Humana DaVita Kidney Care (PPO C-SNP), Humana Gold Plus - Diabetes and Heart (HMO C-SNP), Humana Together in Health (PPO I-SNP), and Humana Value Choice (PPO).
• Texas Independence Health Plan — 2 new plans, both institutional SNPs: Texas Independence Community Plan (HMO I-SNP) and Texas Independence Health Plan, Inc. (HMO I-SNP). This carrier is new to the Dallas County landscape.
• UnitedHealthcare — 3 new plans: UHC Dual Advantage TX-V11 (HMO-POS D-SNP), UHC Dual Complete TX-Q6 (HMO-POS D-SNP), and UHC Dual Complete TX-Y1 (HMO-POS D-SNP).

Plan types and Special Needs Plans among the new ones

Most of the 20 new plans are Special Needs Plans. There are three main kinds, and the labels in the list above tell you which:

• D-SNP (Dual Eligible) — for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid.
• C-SNP (Chronic Condition) — limited to people with a qualifying condition such as diabetes, chronic heart failure or end-stage renal disease.
• I-SNP (Institutional) — for people who live in a nursing home or need a nursing-home level of care.

If you do not qualify for an SNP, you are not eligible to enroll in one, even if you see it listed. Among the new 2027 plans, the general-enrollment options include Aetna Medicare Enhanced Extra (PPO), Aetna Medicare Signature (HMO), Wellpoint Medicare Advantage Select (HMO-POS), and Humana Value Choice (PPO). Every one of the 20 new plans includes Part D prescription drug coverage.

How to vet a brand-new plan before December 7

Because a new plan has no Dallas track record, the only reliable way to judge it is to check it against your own care. Here is a straightforward way to do that:

1. Pull your prescription list. Include the exact drug name, dose and how often you take it. The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov lets you enter each one and see whether the 2027 plan covers it, what tier it is on, and which pharmacies the plan prefers. 2. List your doctors and the hospital you use. For an HMO or HMO-POS plan, the primary care doctor and specialists you want generally need to be in network. For a PPO, out-of-network care is usually allowed but at a higher share of cost. Call the plan directly to confirm each doctor is contracted for 2027 — directories change at the plan-year flip. 3. Request the 2027 Summary of Benefits. Every plan has one, and it spells out premiums, deductibles, copays, and extras in a standard format you can compare. 4. If you already have a plan, read its Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). Carriers mailed these in September. The ANOC shows what is changing for 2027, so you can decide whether staying put still fits.

The 2027 Part D figures CMS has already announced can help you compare drug coverage across plans: the Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,400 for 2027 (up from $2,100 for 2026), and the maximum Part D deductible is $700 for 2027 (up from $615 for 2026). The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible have not been announced yet; CMS typically publishes those in the fall.

What happens if you do nothing

Nothing dramatic. If your current plan is being offered again for 2027, it renews automatically on January 1 with the changes listed in its ANOC. If your plan is one of the 29 not returning in Dallas County, your carrier is required to send a non-renewal notice, and you have a Special Enrollment Period to pick a replacement. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 through March 31, 2027 also gives Advantage members one chance to switch to another Advantage plan or back to Original Medicare.