Medicare Advantage

Before You Toss That Medicare Envelope in McKinney

For 2027, McKinney is looking at 72 Medicare Advantage plans from 12 carriers: 21 new, 37 gone since 2026, and 21 continuing plans with changes to their terms, 9 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Collin County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

Medicare AdvantageMcKinney, TX

MCKINNEY, Texas — If you have a Medicare Advantage plan in McKinney, this fall's mail is worth opening carefully. According to CMS's 2027 Medicare Advantage Landscape file, 37 plans offered in Collin County this year will not return in 2027, 21 new plans are coming in, and 9 more are keeping the same basic plan but changing names. A total of 51 plans are continuing, and one new carrier — Texas Independence Health Plan — is entering the county. One carrier, American Health Advantage of Texas, will not offer plans here next year.

That matters right now because the Annual Enrollment Period runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, and choices made during that window take effect Jan. 1, 2027.

What's actually changing in Collin County

McKinney is in Collin County, where Medicare Advantage availability is set. The 2027 landscape here looks meaningfully different from 2026:

• 37 plans leaving after 2026, including several Blue Cross Medicare Advantage PPO and HMO options, a group of Erickson Advantage plans offered through UnitedHealthcare, and a handful of Aetna, Humana, Wellcare and Wellpoint plans. The table below lists every plan by carrier.
• 21 new plans for 2027, spread across Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC), Centene (WellCare), Elevance Health (Anthem), Humana, UnitedHealthcare, and newcomer Texas Independence Health Plan.
• 9 renamed plans, mostly on the Aetna and Wellcare Superior HealthPlan D-SNP lines, plus a UnitedHealthcare regional PPO and a Humana HMO. The plan itself continues; only the name has shifted.
• 21 continuing plans with a change to premium, deductible, plan type or name in the CMS file. The Annual Notice of Change your carrier mails you will spell out the specifics.
• 51 plans continuing with no landscape-file change.

If your plan is being discontinued

If your current Medicare Advantage plan is on the "leaving" list, your carrier is required to send you a non-renewal notice. You have options:

1. Pick a different Medicare Advantage plan during the Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7) for a Jan. 1 start. 2. Use the Special Enrollment Period for plan non-renewal, which runs through the end of February 2027. It lets you join another Medicare Advantage plan or go back to Original Medicare and add a stand-alone Part D drug plan. 3. If you return to Original Medicare, look into whether you can also buy a Medigap policy — rules on that vary in Texas outside your initial Medigap open enrollment.

Do not assume you will be auto-moved to a similar plan. Some carriers cross-walk members to another plan, but the network, drug list and cost sharing can be different from what you had.

If your plan is renamed or "changing"

A rename by itself doesn't change the plan. But CMS also flags 21 plans in Collin County as "changing" — meaning something on premium, deductible, plan type or name differs from 2026. The ANOC that arrives in September lists the specifics for your plan. Read it side by side with your current Evidence of Coverage before you decide to stay put.

New plans and a new carrier

Texas Independence Health Plan is new to Collin County for 2027, entering with two HMO Institutional Special Needs Plans. Existing carriers are also adding options — for example, new D-SNPs from Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC), Centene, Elevance Health and UnitedHealthcare, plus new Humana PPO plans including a chronic-condition kidney care option. If you have Medicare and Medicaid, or a qualifying chronic condition, the SNP landscape is where most of the movement is.

The Part D rules to keep in mind for 2027

Whatever you choose, drug coverage rules are the same across every Medicare Advantage plan with Part D and every stand-alone Part D plan:

• $2,100 out-of-pocket cap on covered Part D drugs in 2026.
• $615 maximum Part D deductible (plans can charge less).
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone as of 2025 — Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs over the year in monthly payments, at no added charge.
• IRMAA surcharges on Part B and Part D begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

How to decide, step by step

1. Open your ANOC and non-renewal notice. These are the two documents that tell you what your plan is doing. 2. List your doctors, hospitals and prescriptions. Any plan you consider needs to cover them. 3. Compare on medicare.gov. The Plan Finder shows every plan available in your ZIP code, side by side, with your drugs entered. 4. Call a neutral helper. Texas SHIP counselors (through the Texas Health Information, Counseling and Advocacy Program) give free, unbiased help. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE, 24 hours a day. 5. Act by Dec. 7 if you can; use the Feb. 28, 2027 SEP only if your plan is not renewing.