Medicare Advantage

Plano Medicare checkup for 2027: how to read your ANOC before Dec. 7

For 2027, Plano is looking at 81 Medicare Advantage plans: 21 new, 37 gone since 2026, and 30 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 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.

Fall 2026 — If you have a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan in Plano, a short booklet from your insurer landed in your mailbox this fall. It is called the Annual Notice of Change, or ANOC, and it tells you what will be different about your plan in 2027. Reading it now is the single most useful thing you can do before the Annual Enrollment Period closes on December 7, 2026.

Plano sits in Collin County, where the 2026 CMS Landscape file lists 97 Medicare Advantage plans from 12 carriers, so there is plenty to compare if your current plan no longer fits.

What is the ANOC and why does it matter for 2027 coverage in Plano?

The Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) is the document your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan must send you each fall showing what will change on January 1, 2027. Insurers are required to deliver it by the end of September, so if you have not seen yours, call the member services number on your card.

Open it with a pen in hand. The ANOC compares next year's plan to this year's, line by line: premium, medical deductible, primary care and specialist copays, hospital cost-sharing, the drug deductible, the formulary tiers, and the pharmacy and provider networks. Small print changes can add up over a year.

What should Plano residents check in the ANOC before December 7?

Work through a short checklist, in this order:

1. Premium and deductibles. Note the 2027 monthly premium and any medical or drug deductible. Compare to what you pay now. 2. Your doctors. Open the plan's 2027 provider directory on the insurer's website (or call them) and search each doctor and specialist you see. In-network status can change year to year. 3. Your hospitals. Confirm the Plano-area hospitals you want to use — such as the Baylor Scott & White, Texas Health and Medical City systems — are listed in the 2027 network for your specific plan. 4. Your prescriptions. Pull up the 2027 formulary and search each drug by name and dose. Check the tier, any prior authorization, step therapy, and quantity limits. 5. Your pharmacy. Preferred pharmacies often pay less than standard ones. Make sure the pharmacy you use is still "preferred" in 2027. 6. Extra benefits. Dental, vision, hearing, OTC and transportation allowances change often. Read the actual dollar amounts and what they cover.

If anything you rely on is changing, the Annual Enrollment Period is when you can switch plans without needing a special reason.

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

For plan year 2026, the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape file shows 97 Medicare Advantage plans available in Collin County from 12 carriers. CMS will publish the finalized 2027 counts in the fall; the table below shows the current lineup Plano residents can use as a starting point.

By plan type, the current roster includes 37 HMOs, 26 HMO-POS plans, 32 PPOs and 2 PFFS plans; 84 include drug coverage and 38 are Special Needs Plans for people with specific conditions, dual Medicare-Medicaid eligibility, or institutional care needs.

The 12 carriers offering plans in Collin County are Aetna (CVS Health), American Health Advantage of Texas, Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC), Centene (WellCare), Elevance Health (Anthem), Humana, Molina Healthcare of Texas, Inc., ProCare Advantage, Provider Partners Health Plans, UnitedHealthcare, and Verda Health Plan of Texas. The full plan list is in the table below.

What are the Part D changes to watch for 2027?

Part D is the piece most likely to shift in your ANOC. Two confirmed 2027 figures from CMS:

• The Part D annual out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027, up from $2,100 in 2026. Once you hit it, your covered drugs cost you nothing for the rest of the calendar year.
• The Part D maximum deductible rises to $700 in 2027, up from $615 in 2026. Individual plans can set a lower deductible.

The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly installments instead of paying at the pharmacy counter, continues in 2027. You can opt in through your drug plan.

What is not yet announced: the 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets. CMS typically publishes those figures in November.

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

If you take no action by December 7, 2026, your current Medicare Advantage or Part D plan simply renews for 2027 with every change described in your ANOC. You keep coverage; you just keep coverage on the new terms.

There is one more window after that. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 through March 31, 2027, and lets people already in a Medicare Advantage plan switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare one time. It does not let you join a Medicare Advantage plan from Original Medicare, and standalone Part D changes are not allowed in that window.

Where should Plano residents go for personalized help?

Use the official sources — they are free and unbiased:

• Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov lets you enter your ZIP code and your drug list and compare every Collin County plan side by side for 2027.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is open 24/7 for questions about your coverage, enrollment, and the ANOC.
• Your current plan's member services line (printed on your ID card) can answer specific questions about your 2027 ANOC.