Medicare Advantage

Irving's 20 new Medicare Advantage plans for 2027: how to vet one against your doctors and drugs

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 Irving, not which plan to pick.

IRVING, Texas — For Annual Enrollment 2027, Dallas County residents will see 20 Medicare Advantage plans that were not sold here a year ago. The sign-up window runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and anything you pick now takes effect January 1, 2027.

New plans are a different animal from renewing ones. They have no claims history in the county, no Star Rating yet, and no neighbor down the street who has used one for a year. That doesn't make them worse — it just means the usual word-of-mouth checks don't apply, and the homework shifts to you.

Which carriers are adding new Medicare Advantage plans in Irving for 2027?

Six carriers are introducing new Medicare Advantage plans in Dallas County for 2027: Aetna (CVS Health), Elevance Health (Anthem), HealthSpring, Humana, Texas Independence Health Plan and UnitedHealthcare. Together they account for the 20 new plans in the county.

Irving is in Dallas County, and Medicare plan availability is set at the county level, so the lineup you see is the Dallas County lineup. The table below lists every new plan by carrier, with its plan type and whether it includes drug coverage. Here is the breakdown by carrier:

• Aetna (CVS Health): 3 new plans — Aetna Medicare Enhanced Extra (PPO), Aetna Medicare QMB Only Care (HMO D-SNP), and Aetna Medicare Signature (HMO).
• Elevance Health (Anthem): 6 new plans under the Wellpoint brand — Wellpoint Chronic Care Advantage Select (HMO C-SNP), Wellpoint Chronic Care Select (HMO-POS C-SNP), Wellpoint Dual Advantage Plus Select (HMO D-SNP), Wellpoint Dual Advantage Select (HMO D-SNP), Wellpoint Full Dual Advantage Select (HMO D-SNP), and Wellpoint Medicare Advantage Select (HMO-POS).
• HealthSpring: 1 new plan — HealthSpring TotalCare Plus (HMO D-SNP).
• Humana: 5 new plans — Humana DaVita Kidney Care (PPO C-SNP), a second Humana DaVita Kidney Care (PPO C-SNP), Humana Gold Plus - Diabetes and Heart (HMO C-SNP), Humana Together in Health (PPO I-SNP), and Humana Value Choice (PPO).
• Texas Independence Health Plan: 2 new plans — Texas Independence Community Plan (HMO I-SNP) and Texas Independence Health Plan, Inc. (HMO I-SNP).
• UnitedHealthcare: 3 new plans — UHC Dual Advantage TX-V11 (HMO-POS D-SNP), UHC Dual Complete TX-Q6 (HMO-POS D-SNP), and UHC Dual Complete TX-Y1 (HMO-POS D-SNP).

Which new plans in Dallas County are Special Needs Plans?

Most of the new Medicare Advantage plans in Dallas County for 2027 are Special Needs Plans (SNPs), which are limited to people who meet specific criteria.

There are three types in the new-plan list:

• D-SNP (Dual Eligible): for people with both Medicare and Medicaid. Examples among the new plans include Aetna Medicare QMB Only Care, several Wellpoint Dual Advantage Select plans, HealthSpring TotalCare Plus and the UHC Dual Complete plans.
• C-SNP (Chronic Condition): for people with a qualifying condition such as diabetes, heart disease or end-stage renal disease. Examples include Wellpoint Chronic Care Select, Humana DaVita Kidney Care and Humana Gold Plus - Diabetes and Heart.
• I-SNP (Institutional): for people who live in a long-term care setting or need that level of care at home. Examples include Humana Together in Health and the two Texas Independence Health Plan entries.

If a plan name ends in D-SNP, C-SNP or I-SNP, you must meet the eligibility rule to enroll. The non-SNP new plans — such as Aetna Medicare Enhanced Extra (PPO), Aetna Medicare Signature (HMO), Wellpoint Medicare Advantage Select (HMO-POS) and Humana Value Choice (PPO) — are open to anyone with Medicare in the service area.

Do the new Medicare Advantage plans in Irving include Part D drug coverage?

Yes. Every one of the 20 new Medicare Advantage plans in Dallas County for 2027 includes prescription drug coverage, according to the CMS Landscape Source File.

That matters because if you enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan that includes drug coverage (an MAPD), you generally cannot also keep a stand-alone Part D plan. In 2027, Part D has an out-of-pocket cap of $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026) and a maximum deductible of $700 (up from $615 in 2026). Those are the ceilings set by CMS; each plan's own deductible and formulary may differ.

How is a new plan different from one that is renewing?

A new plan has no track record in this county yet. That is the main difference.

Renewing plans come with an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) that tells current members exactly what is shifting for next year — premium, copays, drug list, network. A brand-new plan has no ANOC because there is no prior year to compare it to. It also has no CMS Star Rating yet; the agency needs claims and member-experience data to score a plan, and that takes time. The absence of a rating is not a quality judgment — it is just how the program works.

Practically, this means two things for Irving residents:

• You cannot ask a neighbor how last year went with a brand-new plan.
• You have to go straight to the plan documents — the Summary of Benefits, the provider directory and the drug formulary — rather than lean on reputation.

How do I check a new plan against my doctors and prescriptions before December 7?

The fastest way is the Plan Finder at medicare.gov. Enter your ZIP code, your prescriptions and your preferred pharmacies, and the tool will show which 2027 plans cover your drugs and at what tier.

A short checklist for any new plan in the Irving area:

1. Doctors and hospitals. Call each provider's office and ask whether they are contracted with the specific 2027 plan — not just the carrier. A carrier can have several networks. 2. Prescriptions. Pull up the plan's 2027 formulary and check each drug by name and dose. Note the tier and any prior authorization or step therapy. 3. Pharmacy. Confirm your pharmacy is "preferred" or at least "in-network" for that plan. 4. Plan type. HMO and HMO-POS plans usually require in-network care and a primary care doctor; PPO plans allow out-of-network care at higher cost; PFFS plans work differently again. 5. SNP eligibility. If the plan name includes D-SNP, C-SNP or I-SNP, confirm you qualify. 6. The ANOC on your current plan. If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, read the ANOC before shopping — your renewing plan may already fit for 2027.

If you prefer to talk to a person, 1-800-MEDICARE is open 24/7, and medicare.gov has a secure chat option.

What happens if I do nothing by December 7, 2026?

Nothing dramatic. If your current Medicare Advantage plan is being offered again for 2027, you will roll into its 2027 version automatically on January 1, with the changes described in your ANOC. If your plan is one of the ones not returning in Dallas County, you will get a non-renewal letter from the carrier and a Special Enrollment Period to choose something else.

You also have the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 through March 31, 2027, which lets you switch Medicare Advantage plans once or go back to Original Medicare. It is a backstop, not a replacement for the fall window.