Medicare Advantage

Before Dec. 7: a Houston ANOC checklist for 2027 Medicare coverage

People in Houston can choose from 99 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 114 this year. 37 of this year’s plans are gone, 22 are new to Harris County, and 44 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 17 of them under a new name.

HOUSTON — October 2026. The letter is already in the mail, or will be soon. Every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan sends an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) each fall explaining what will be different on January 1, 2027. If you live in Houston and you want 2027 to start smoothly, the ANOC is where to begin — and the Annual Enrollment Period closes December 7, 2026.

Nothing happens if you do nothing: your current plan renews for 2027 if it is still offered, with the changes listed in that notice. That is exactly why the notice is worth reading.

Start with the ANOC

Your plan's Annual Notice of Change arrives in September or early October. It is a short document that compares this year's plan with next year's version of the same plan. Look specifically for:

• Changes to the monthly premium, the Part D deductible, and the maximum you could pay out of pocket in 2027.
• Changes to copays or coinsurance for primary care, specialists, hospital stays, and the services you actually use.
• Changes to the drug list (formulary) — tiers can move, and some drugs may be added or dropped.
• Changes to extra benefits like dental, vision, hearing, over-the-counter allowances or fitness.
• Any note that the plan is being discontinued or consolidated.

The ANOC is a summary. The full details live in the Evidence of Coverage, which the plan also publishes for 2027.

Check your doctors and hospitals

Houston has a wide range of health systems — Memorial Hermann, Houston Methodist, Harris Health, Kelsey-Seybold, MD Anderson, Baylor St. Luke's, HCA Houston and others — and not every plan contracts with every system. Before you lock in 2027 coverage:

• Call your primary care doctor's office and ask which 2027 Medicare Advantage plans they will be in-network for. Ask about the specific plan name, not just the carrier.
• Do the same for any specialist you see regularly and for the hospital you would want to use.
• If you have a PPO, confirm the out-of-network share you would pay. If you have an HMO or HMO-POS, confirm referral rules.

Networks are set by the plan and can change on January 1, so last year's answer is not necessarily this year's answer.

Run your prescriptions through the plan's drug list

Even if your plan name is unchanged, the 2027 formulary is a new document. For each medication you take:

• Confirm it is still covered.
• Check the tier — a move from a lower tier to a higher one changes your cost share.
• Note any new prior authorization, step therapy or quantity limit.
• Check that your pharmacy is still a preferred pharmacy for the plan.

The easiest way to compare across plans is the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov/plan-compare, where you can enter your drugs, dosages and pharmacy and see each plan's estimated yearly drug cost.

Two Part D numbers to keep in mind for 2027: the annual out-of-pocket cap is $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026) and the maximum deductible is $700 (up from $615). If paying drug costs in big lump sums is hard, ask the plan about the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which spreads your share across the calendar year.

Know what Harris County offers

Houston sits in Harris County, and Medicare Advantage availability is set at the county level. For plan year 2026 — the lineup you are shopping during this enrollment window for 2027 effective dates — CMS lists 114 Medicare Advantage plans from 15 carriers in Harris County. By plan type, that is 59 HMO, 24 HMO-POS, 29 PPO and 2 PFFS plans, and 45 are Special Needs Plans (SNPs) for people with specific conditions, dual Medicare-Medicaid eligibility, or who live in an institution.

The 15 carriers, in alphabetical order, are: Aetna (CVS Health), Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC), Centene (WellCare), Community Health Choice, Devoted Health, Elevance Health (Anthem), Humana, Memorial Hermann Health Plan, Molina Healthcare of Texas, Inc., ProCare Advantage, Provider Partners Health Plans, SCAN Health Plan, Texas Independence Health Plan, UnitedHealthcare, and Verda Health Plan of Texas. The table below lists every plan by carrier.

That is a lot to sort through. The point is not to compare all 114 — it is to compare the handful that cover your doctors and your drugs.

A few things not to forget

• The deadline is December 7, 2026. Changes made in the window start January 1, 2027.
• If you take no action, your current plan renews with the changes in your ANOC. That is sometimes the right answer — just make sure it is a choice, not a default.
• The 2027 Part B premium and deductible have not been announced yet; CMS typically publishes them in the fall. The 2027 IRMAA income brackets are published at the same time. Do not rely on projections.
• The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31, 2027) gives you one more chance to switch Medicare Advantage plans or return to Original Medicare if your January pick is not working.
• Watch for sales calls, texts and door-knockers claiming "new 2027 benefits" or demanding your Medicare number. Medicare does not cold-call. If something feels off, hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE.