Medicare Advantage

Before AEP ends Dec. 7: Garland's 2027 MA plans

Dallas County has 84 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 29 plans are not coming back, 20 are new, and 31 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 Garland, not which plan to pick.

Medicare AdvantageGarland, TX

Medicare's fall shopping season is here, and if you live in Garland, you have a long list of Medicare Advantage plans to look through for 2027. The table below lists every plan, grouped by the company that sells it, with the plan type (HMO, PPO, and so on) and a note that each one includes drug coverage.

Because Medicare Advantage availability is set by county, Garland residents shop from the same lineup as the rest of Dallas County. Twelve carriers are offering Medicare Advantage plans there for 2027, from national names like Aetna, Humana and UnitedHealthcare to Texas-focused plans like Baylor Scott & White Health Plan and Verda Health Plan of Texas.

How the Dallas County lineup breaks down

Of the 75 Medicare Advantage plans available in Dallas County for 2027, 20 are new to the county, 29 from 2026 are not returning, and 9 continuing plans are being offered under a new name. Twenty-two continuing plans are changing something in their terms for 2027; those changes are spelled out in each plan's Annual Notice of Change.

Every plan in the county lineup for 2027 comes with prescription drug coverage built in. There are no stand-alone Part D plans listed here, so if you want drug coverage through a Medicare Advantage plan, it is already bundled.

The carriers offering plans in Garland

Here is how many plans each carrier is offering in Dallas County for 2027, listed alphabetically as they appear in the CMS file:

• Aetna (CVS Health): 8 plans (HMO, PPO; 4 Special Needs)
• American Health Advantage of Texas: 1 plan (HMO; 1 Special Needs)
• Baylor Scott & White Health Plan: 4 plans (HMO-POS, PPO)
• Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC): 17 plans (HMO, PPO; 2 Special Needs)
• Centene (WellCare): 6 plans (HMO; 3 Special Needs)
• Elevance Health (Anthem): 6 plans (HMO, HMO-POS; 5 Special Needs)
• Humana: 26 plans (HMO, PFFS, PPO; 6 Special Needs)
• Molina Healthcare of Texas, Inc.: 1 plan (HMO; 1 Special Needs)
• ProCare Advantage: 3 plans (HMO-POS; 3 Special Needs)
• Provider Partners Health Plans: 1 plan (HMO; 1 Special Needs)
• UnitedHealthcare: 18 plans (HMO-POS, PPO; 8 Special Needs)
• Verda Health Plan of Texas: 2 plans (HMO; 1 Special Needs)

The individual plan names — such as Aetna Medicare Prime Care (HMO), Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Classic (PPO), Humana Gold Plus H0028-043 (HMO), Wellcare Giveback (HMO) and AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC TX-0005 (PPO) — appear in the full table below.

What the plan types mean

Plan type matters as much as the carrier name, because it shapes how you use doctors and hospitals.

• HMO: You generally pick a primary care doctor and stay inside the plan's network, except for emergencies.
• HMO-POS: An HMO with a "point of service" option that lets you go out of network for certain services, usually at a higher cost.
• PPO: You can see in- and out-of-network providers, though in-network care usually costs less.
• PFFS: The plan sets the payment terms, and any provider who agrees to those terms and accepts Medicare can treat you.
• SNP (Special Needs Plan): Limited to people who meet specific eligibility rules — dual-eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid (D-SNP), certain chronic conditions (C-SNP), or nursing-home-level care (I-SNP).

About Part D coverage in these plans

All 75 Dallas County Medicare Advantage plans include Part D drug coverage. As you compare plans, a few program-wide numbers are worth keeping in mind:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your covered drug spending hits that amount, you pay nothing for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The maximum Part D deductible is $615 in 2026 ($700 in 2027).
• The old coverage gap, or "donut hole," was eliminated in 2025. Part D now has three phases: deductible, initial coverage, and catastrophic.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan is optional and lets you spread your drug costs across the calendar year in monthly amounts instead of paying at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA (income-related surcharges) for Part B and Part D begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

The dollar amount you'll actually pay for a specific drug depends on the plan's formulary and tier structure, which you can look up on Medicare's Plan Finder.

Dates to circle

• Annual Enrollment Period: Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2026. This is when most people compare Medicare Advantage and Part D plans for 2027 and make changes.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period: Jan. 1 through March 31. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance during this window to switch to another Medicare Advantage plan or drop back to Original Medicare (and add a Part D plan).

How to compare the plans in the table

The table below lists every Medicare Advantage plan available in Dallas County for 2027, by carrier, with plan type and drug coverage. To choose among them, most people find it helpful to:

1. Check that your doctors, hospitals and preferred pharmacies are in the plan's network. 2. Look up each of your prescriptions on the plan's formulary to see the tier and cost. 3. Compare premiums, deductibles, copays and the out-of-pocket maximum on Medicare's Plan Finder. 4. Read the plan's Summary of Benefits for extras like dental, vision, hearing or transportation.

Star Ratings from CMS can also help you compare quality and member experience. They are a general measure, not a personal recommendation — a plan that scores well overall may still be a poor fit if your doctor isn't in its network.