Medicare Advantage

How to compare Medicare Advantage plans in Houston for 2027 before Dec. 7

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 — The window to pick a 2027 Medicare Advantage plan opened Oct. 15, 2026 and closes Dec. 7, 2026. If you live in or near Houston, the lineup for next year looks a little different from this year, and the clearest way to handle that is to walk through a short, repeatable comparison before the deadline.

Houston is in Harris County, where plan availability is set. For 2027, Harris County has 99 Medicare Advantage plans from 15 carriers, down from 114 plans this year, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source File. Twenty-two plans are new for 2027 and 37 are not returning. If your current plan is one of the ones leaving, your carrier will tell you in the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) that arrives by late September.

What's in Harris County for 2027

The 99 plans for 2027 break down by type as 59 HMO, 18 HMO-POS, 21 PPO and 1 PFFS. All 99 include drug coverage. Special Needs Plans (SNPs) — plans built for people with specific situations — account for a large share: 23 Dual Eligible SNPs (for people with both Medicare and Medicaid), 20 Chronic Condition SNPs (for conditions like diabetes, heart disease, or kidney disease) and 7 Institutional SNPs (for people living in a nursing home or similar setting).

The 15 carriers offering plans in Harris County for 2027 are Aetna (CVS Health), Centene (WellCare), Community Health Choice, Devoted Health, Elevance Health (Anthem), HealthSpring, Humana, MedCare Partners Health Plan of Texas, 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.

What's new, what's leaving

Three things to know about the 2027 shift in Harris County:

• 22 plans are new. These may be from carriers already in the market or an expansion of an existing line. New plans will not appear on your current ANOC — you'll see them in the Medicare Plan Finder.
• 37 plans are not returning for 2027. If you are in one of those, you will get a non-renewal letter. You then have a Special Enrollment Period, in addition to the regular window, to pick a new plan.
• 17 plans were renamed. The plan may be essentially the same, but the ANOC will spell out any changes to the network, drug list or cost sharing.

A six-step way to compare

Comparing plans is less about finding "the best" one and more about matching a plan to the care you actually use. Here is a sequence that works for most Houston households.

1. Read the Annual Notice of Change for your current plan. It arrives by late September and shows, side by side, what is changing for 2027 — premium, deductible, copays, drug tiers, extra benefits and the provider and pharmacy networks. If nothing important changes and you are happy, you do not have to do anything; the plan renews on Jan. 1, 2027.

2. List your doctors and hospitals. Write down your primary care doctor, any specialists you see, and the hospital system you prefer — for many Houston residents that includes Memorial Hermann, Houston Methodist, HCA Houston Healthcare, Harris Health, MD Anderson or a Kelsey-Seybold clinic. For each plan you are considering, confirm those providers are in-network by checking the plan's own online directory or calling the plan directly. Networks change year to year, so last year's "yes" is not this year's.

3. List your prescriptions, with exact doses. Then run them through the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov. The tool will show, for each plan, whether your drugs are covered, what tier they land on, whether there are quantity limits or prior authorization, and your estimated yearly drug cost.

4. Check your pharmacy. Plans have preferred pharmacies where cost sharing is often lower. If you fill at a specific CVS, Walgreens, H-E-B, Kroger, Costco or an independent on your corner, make sure it is on the plan's preferred list — or be ready to switch pharmacies.

5. Match the plan type to how you want to get care. HMOs usually require you to stay in-network and get referrals. HMO-POS plans add some out-of-network flexibility. PPOs let you go out-of-network at a higher cost. PFFS plans work differently and are rarer. If you qualify for a Special Needs Plan — because you have Medicaid, a qualifying chronic condition or live in an institutional setting — those plans are built around that situation.

6. Factor in the 2027 Part D changes. For 2027, the Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026) and the Part D maximum deductible is $700 (up from $615 in 2026). The $2,400 cap means that once your out-of-pocket spending on covered drugs hits that number in 2027, you pay $0 for covered drugs the rest of the year. If your drug costs are high, that cap matters more than small differences in copays.

About Special Needs Plans in Harris County

Of the 99 plans for 2027, 50 are Special Needs Plans — 23 D-SNPs, 20 C-SNPs and 7 I-SNPs. You qualify based on your situation, not by signing up like a regular plan. If you have both Medicare and Medicaid, ask specifically about D-SNPs; the plan coordinates both programs. If you live with diabetes, chronic heart failure or chronic lung disease, a C-SNP may tailor benefits to that condition. Confirm eligibility with the plan or 1-800-MEDICARE before you enroll.

What CMS has not yet announced

A few 2027 numbers are not out yet. CMS typically publishes the standard Part B premium and deductible for 2027 in the fall, usually November, along with the IRMAA income brackets that decide whether higher earners pay a surcharge. Watch medicare.gov for those. Do not rely on projections.