Medicare Advantage

Does your 2027 plan still cover your Laredo doctors?

For 2027, Laredo is looking at 53 Medicare Advantage plans: 9 new, 20 gone since 2026, and 24 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 8 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Webb County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

LAREDO — It is fall 2026, and the Annual Enrollment Period for 2027 Medicare coverage is open through Dec. 7. If you have a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) arrived in September. Walking through it now — against the doctors you see, the hospitals you trust and the prescriptions you take — is the single most useful hour you can spend before the deadline.

What should Laredo residents check before the Dec. 7, 2026 deadline?

Before Dec. 7, 2026, every Laredo resident on Medicare Advantage or a stand-alone Part D plan should read their ANOC and confirm that next year's plan still covers their doctors, hospitals and medications. The ANOC is the booklet (or email) your plan sent in September that spells out what is changing on Jan. 1, 2027 — premium, deductible, copays, drug tier placement, network, extra benefits.

Set it next to your current Evidence of Coverage so you can see what moved. If your plan is being discontinued, the letter will say so plainly, and you have through Dec. 7 to pick a replacement for a Jan. 1 start.

How do I check my doctors, hospitals and drugs against my 2027 plan?

Use three tools: your plan's 2027 provider directory, its 2027 pharmacy and drug list (formulary), and the official Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov.

Start with your doctors. In Laredo that usually means confirming your primary care provider and any specialists at Laredo Medical Center or Doctors Hospital of Laredo are listed as in-network for 2027 under the exact plan name on your ANOC — not just the carrier. Network status can change year to year even when the insurer stays the same.

Then check your prescriptions. Log in to Plan Finder, enter your drugs and your preferred pharmacy, and look at how each one is covered in 2027 — tier, prior authorization, quantity limits. A quick call to 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), open 24/7, can walk you through the same comparison if you'd rather talk it through.

How many Medicare Advantage plans are offered in Webb County for 2027?

Laredo is in Webb County, where 8 carriers offer 64 Medicare Advantage plans for the 2026 plan year, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape file. Of those, 54 include Part D drug coverage and 23 are Special Needs Plans (for people with Medicaid, certain chronic conditions, or who live in an institution). By plan type, the county has 28 HMOs, 9 HMO-POS plans, 26 PPOs and 1 PFFS plan.

The carriers serving Webb County are Aetna (CVS Health), Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC), Centene (WellCare), Humana, Molina Healthcare of Texas, Prominence Health Plan, Texas Independence Health Plan and UnitedHealthcare. The table on this page lists every plan by carrier so you can match the exact name on your ANOC.

The 2027 county lineup becomes final when CMS publishes the new Landscape file in October — one more reason to run Plan Finder with your 2027 drug list once enrollment opens.

What is confirmed for 2027 — and what isn't yet?

CMS has confirmed three Part D numbers for 2027: the annual out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026), the maximum Part D deductible rises to $700 (up from $615 in 2026), and the national base beneficiary premium is $41.33 (a formula input, not what any specific plan will charge).

Not yet announced: the 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets. CMS typically publishes those in November. If a mailer quotes a 2027 Part B figure before CMS has posted it, treat it with caution.

Also worth knowing for 2027: the coverage gap ("donut hole") has been gone since 2025 — Part D now has three phases — and the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the calendar year in level monthly amounts if that helps your budget.

What happens if I do nothing by Dec. 7, 2026?

If you do nothing, your current Medicare Advantage or Part D plan automatically renews for 2027 with every change spelled out in the ANOC. That is a valid choice — but only if you've actually read the ANOC and the plan still fits.

If your plan is being discontinued for 2027, your letter will say so and you have through Dec. 7 to enroll in a new plan for a Jan. 1 start; otherwise you'd return to Original Medicare on Jan. 1 without drug coverage. One more window: Medicare Advantage members get a second chance from Jan. 1 – March 31, 2027, to switch to a different Advantage plan or move back to Original Medicare (with a stand-alone Part D plan).