Medicare Advantage

UnitedHealthcare's 2027 Medicare Advantage plans in Houston: what changed, what to check

HOUSTON — As the Annual Enrollment Period runs through December 7, 2026, Houston-area residents reviewing their 2027 Medicare Advantage options will see a reshaped lineup from UnitedHealthcare. In Harris County, where Houston sits, the carrier is offering 15 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027 — down from 26 the year before — with 1 new plan, 1 renamed plan, and 12 plans not returning, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files.

MyMedicarePlans.org is an independent consumer news site and is not affiliated with UnitedHealthcare or Medicare. The full plan-by-plan table appears below this article; the sections here explain what the lineup looks like and how to check any plan against your own doctors and prescriptions before the deadline.

What UnitedHealthcare is offering in Houston for 2027

In Harris County, UnitedHealthcare has 15 Medicare Advantage plans listed for 2027. By plan type, that breaks down as:

• 2 HMO plans
• 9 HMO-POS plans
• 4 PPO plans (including Regional PPOs)

All 15 plans include prescription drug coverage (what people often call MA-PD).

UnitedHealthcare is one of 15 carriers offering Medicare Advantage plans in the county next year; together, those carriers have 99 plans in the Harris County market. The table at the bottom of this page lists every UnitedHealthcare plan by name and type.

Special Needs Plans in the lineup

Six of UnitedHealthcare's 2027 Houston-area plans are Special Needs Plans (SNPs), which are built for people who meet specific eligibility rules:

• 3 Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) — for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid: UHC Dual Complete TX-Q6 (HMO-POS D-SNP), UHC Dual Complete TX-S001 (Regional PPO D-SNP) and UHC Dual Complete TX-Y1 (HMO-POS D-SNP).
• 2 Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans (C-SNPs) — for people with certain qualifying chronic conditions: UHC Complete Care TX-29 (Regional PPO C-SNP) and UHC Complete Care TX-2P (HMO-POS C-SNP).
• 1 Institutional Special Needs Plan (I-SNP) — for people who live in or need the level of care provided in a nursing facility: UHC Nursing Home Plan TX-F001 (PPO I-SNP).

You generally must meet the eligibility rules to enroll in a SNP. Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE can confirm whether you qualify.

What's new, what's renamed, and what's not returning

Among UnitedHealthcare's 2027 Houston-area plans:

• New for 2027: UHC Dual Complete TX-Q6 (HMO-POS D-SNP).
• Renamed: AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC TX-61 (Regional PPO) — this was UHC Medicare Advantage TX-0030 (Regional PPO) in 2026. The plan has a new name, but you should still read the ANOC closely because other details can change too.
• Not returning: 12 of the plans UnitedHealthcare offered in Harris County for 2026 are not on the 2027 list.

If one of your current plans is in that "not returning" group, UnitedHealthcare was required to send you a non-renewal notice. You have a Special Enrollment Period to pick another Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, or to return to Original Medicare, through the end of February 2027 — but acting during AEP (by December 7, 2026) keeps your January 1 coverage seamless.

How to check a plan against your doctors and prescriptions

Plan names and types only tell you so much. Before you choose, the two checks that matter most are whether your doctors are in the network and whether your prescriptions are on the formulary at a price that works for you.

Here is a simple way to do both before December 7:

1. Go to medicare.gov/plan-compare, enter your ZIP code, and add every medication you take (with dose and how often). 2. Add the doctors, specialists and hospitals you want to keep. 3. Filter to the plans you are considering. The Plan Finder shows the plan's drug costs for your specific list and flags network status for your providers. 4. For anything the website can't answer, call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), open 24/7, or call the plan directly using the number on its Summary of Benefits. 5. Read the plan's Evidence of Coverage and provider/pharmacy directory for the final word — those are the governing documents.

Key 2027 program figures to keep in mind

Some Part D numbers are already set for 2027 and apply across all Medicare drug plans:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026).
• Part D maximum deductible: $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026).
• Part D national base beneficiary premium for 2027: $41.33 (this is a formula input used by CMS, not what any individual plan charges).

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, had not been announced as of September 2026. CMS typically publishes those figures later in the fall.