Medicare Advantage

Dec. 7: The Date Every Dallas Medicare Member Should Know

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 — It is fall 2026, and the Annual Enrollment Period for 2027 Medicare coverage is open. From now through Dec. 7, 2026, people on Medicare can switch Medicare Advantage plans, change Part D drug plans, or move between Original Medicare and Advantage. Any choice you make takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. If you do nothing, your current plan rolls into next year with whatever changes it has already told you about.

That last part is where a short, careful review pays off. Plans change their drug lists, pharmacy networks, provider networks and cost-sharing every year, and the only way to know what yours is doing in 2027 is to read the paperwork they mailed you and compare it to the care you actually use.

Start with the ANOC your plan already mailed you

Every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan has to send an Annual Notice of Change by the end of September. It is usually a slim booklet or a PDF in your plan's member portal. Flip to the comparison pages and look for four things:

• Monthly premium and deductible for 2027
• Changes to copays or coinsurance for the services you use most (primary care, specialists, imaging, hospital stays)
• Drug tier changes, drugs added or dropped from the formulary, and any new prior-authorization rules
• Changes to extra benefits like dental, vision, hearing, over-the-counter cards or transportation

The ANOC's partner document is the Evidence of Coverage (EOC) — the long rulebook. You usually do not need to read it cover to cover, but it is the place to confirm anything the ANOC summary leaves unclear.

Check your doctors and hospitals against the 2027 network

Provider networks can change on Jan. 1. Before you decide to stay or switch, call each of your doctors' offices and ask, plainly: "Will you be in-network for my plan — by its exact name — in 2027?" Do the same for the hospital system you prefer. In the Dallas area that often means confirming with the big systems — Baylor Scott & White, Texas Health, UT Southwestern, Methodist, Parkland — because being in one system's building does not guarantee every doctor there is in your plan.

If you are considering a new plan, use the plan's online provider directory (dated for 2027) or call the plan directly. Directories can lag, so a phone call to the office is the safer confirmation.

Price your prescriptions on the 2027 formulary

Drug coverage is where surprises happen. For each medication you take, write down the name, dose and how often you fill it, then check it against the plan's 2027 formulary. Watch for:

• A drug moved to a higher tier
• A drug dropped entirely, or replaced with a preferred alternative
• New step therapy or prior authorization
• Pharmacy network changes — your current pharmacy may be "standard" instead of "preferred" next year, which can change what you pay

Two program-level numbers to keep in mind: the Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026), and the Part D maximum deductible is $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026). The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan is still available if you want to spread drug costs across the year in level monthly amounts.

CMS has not yet announced the 2027 standard Part B premium and deductible or the 2027 IRMAA income brackets. Those usually come out in November — check Medicare.gov rather than relying on estimates.

Know how many plans Dallas County has to choose among

Medicare Advantage availability is set at the county level. Dallas is in Dallas County, where 93 Medicare Advantage plans from 12 carriers are offered for 2026 — 36 HMO, 20 HMO-POS, 35 PPO, and 2 PFFS, with 35 Special Needs Plans for people with specific conditions or dual Medicare-Medicaid eligibility. Every plan available in the county includes drug coverage.

The carriers serving Dallas County are Aetna (CVS Health), American Health Advantage of Texas, Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC), Centene (WellCare), Elevance Health (Anthem), Humana, Molina Healthcare of Texas, ProCare Advantage, Provider Partners Health Plans, UnitedHealthcare, and Verda Health Plan of Texas. The table below lists every plan by carrier so you can scan the full set.

That is a lot to compare, which is why the Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov is the practical tool. Enter your ZIP code and your drug list, and it will show the 2027 plans sold in your county with their premiums, drug costs and star ratings side by side.

A simple before-Dec. 7 checklist

Use this in order:

1. Pull out your plan's ANOC and read the "what's changing" pages. 2. List your doctors, hospitals and all prescriptions. 3. On Medicare.gov, run Plan Finder with your drug list and ZIP code. 4. Confirm your providers in each plan you are serious about — by phone, with the 2027 plan name. 5. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, check whether its 2027 extra benefits actually match how you use care. 6. If you are satisfied, do nothing — your plan renews automatically. If you want a change, make it by Dec. 7, 2026.

Remember there is a second window if you end up in the wrong Advantage plan: the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, Jan. 1 – March 31, 2027, lets you switch Advantage plans once or return to Original Medicare.