Medicare Advantage

Plano's 2027 Medicare Advantage debut: 21 brand-new plans and how to test-drive one

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.

PLANO, Texas — When the Annual Enrollment Period opens for 2027 coverage, Collin County shoppers will see 21 Medicare Advantage plans that did not exist here last year. They sit next to the plans people already know, and because they are brand new, none of them come with a track record a shopper can look up. That is the single biggest thing to understand before signing up for one between October 15 and December 7, 2026.

Plano is in Collin County, where Medicare plan availability is set. According to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source File for 2027, seven carriers are introducing new plans in the county: Aetna (CVS Health), Centene (WellCare), Elevance Health (Anthem), HealthSpring, Humana, Texas Independence Health Plan, and UnitedHealthcare.

What Medicare Advantage plans are new in Plano for 2027?

For 2027, Collin County has 21 brand-new Medicare Advantage plans, out of 81 total offered in the county. The table below lists every new plan with its carrier, type and drug-coverage status. In short, the new entries come from seven carriers:

• Aetna (CVS Health): 3 new plans — Aetna Medicare Enhanced Extra (PPO), Aetna Medicare QMB Only Care (HMO D-SNP), and Aetna Medicare Signature (HMO).
• Centene (WellCare): 1 new plan — Wellcare Superior HealthPlan Dual Reserve Value (HMO D-SNP).
• Elevance Health (Anthem): 3 new plans — Wellpoint Dual Advantage (HMO D-SNP), Wellpoint Dual Advantage Plus (HMO D-SNP), and Wellpoint Full Dual Advantage (HMO D-SNP).
• HealthSpring: 1 new plan — HealthSpring TotalCare Plus (HMO D-SNP).
• Humana: 7 new plans — Humana DaVita Kidney Care (PPO C-SNP) listed twice, Humana Essentials Plus Giveback (PPO), Humana Together in Health (PPO I-SNP), Humana Value Choice (PPO), HumanaChoice Giveback H5216-358 (PPO), and HumanaChoice H5216-352 (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: 4 new plans — UHC Dual Advantage TX-V11 (HMO-POS D-SNP), UHC Dual Complete TX-Q6 (HMO-POS D-SNP), UHC Dual Complete TX-S6 (HMO-POS D-SNP), and UHC Dual Complete TX-YL2 (HMO-POS D-SNP).

Which new Collin County plans are Special Needs Plans, and what does that mean?

Most of the new 2027 plans in Collin County are Special Needs Plans — a type of Medicare Advantage plan limited to people with a specific situation. Of the 21 new plans:

• Dual Eligible SNPs (D-SNPs) serve people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. The new D-SNPs include Aetna Medicare QMB Only Care, Wellcare Superior HealthPlan Dual Reserve Value, all three Wellpoint D-SNPs, HealthSpring TotalCare Plus, and all four UnitedHealthcare Dual Complete / Dual Advantage plans.
• Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) serve people with qualifying conditions such as kidney disease. The two Humana DaVita Kidney Care plans are C-SNPs.
• Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs) serve people who live in a nursing facility or need that level of care. Humana Together in Health and both Texas Independence Health Plan plans are I-SNPs.

If you do not meet a plan's eligibility rule, you cannot enroll in it, no matter how good it looks on paper.

Do the new Plano plans include drug coverage?

Yes. Every one of the 21 new Medicare Advantage plans offered in Collin County for 2027 includes Part D prescription drug coverage, according to the CMS Landscape data. That matters because if you join a Medicare Advantage plan that already has drug coverage, you generally cannot also enroll in a stand-alone Part D plan.

For 2027, CMS has confirmed the Part D out-of-pocket cap will be $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026) and the Part D maximum deductible will be $700 (up from $615 in 2026). Individual plans set their own deductibles and copays within those limits.

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

A new Medicare Advantage plan is one the carrier is offering for the first time in Collin County. A renewing plan is one that was already sold here in 2026 and will continue in 2027, usually with updates described in its Annual Notice of Change (ANOC).

The practical differences for a shopper:

• Star Ratings. CMS rates existing plans each fall using claims, member surveys and quality measures from past years. A plan with no prior year in this county has no Star Rating of its own to review. That is simply how the rating system works — it is not a signal about quality one way or the other.
• Member experience data. There are no complaint patterns or disenrollment numbers to look up yet.
• The paperwork. Instead of comparing an ANOC with last year's benefits, you are reading the Summary of Benefits and the Evidence of Coverage fresh.

The checklist you use to vet a new plan, though, is the same one you would use for any plan.

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

The fastest way is the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov. Enter your ZIP code, your prescription drugs with doses, and your preferred pharmacies. The tool will show estimated yearly costs for each plan and flag plans where your drugs are not on the formulary.

A short checklist to run before December 7, 2026:

1. Pull the plan's provider directory on the carrier's website. Search by each of your doctors' names and confirm they are in-network for the specific plan name — carriers often sell several plans with overlapping but not identical networks. 2. Call your doctor's office. Ask whether they will accept the plan for 2027. Directories can lag reality. 3. Check hospitals and specialists you expect to use, including any out-of-town facilities. 4. Enter every prescription you take into Plan Finder. Note the tier, any prior authorization or step therapy, and the preferred pharmacy price. 5. If you have Medicaid or qualify for Extra Help, confirm the plan accepts your category — this matters especially for D-SNPs. 6. Read the Summary of Benefits for routine services you actually use.

If something is unclear, call the plan directly or 1-800-MEDICARE, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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

If you take no action, your current Medicare Advantage or Part D plan simply renews for 2027 — as long as the carrier is still offering it in Collin County. The changes for next year are in the ANOC your plan mailed in late September. If your plan is one of the 37 not returning to the county for 2027, your carrier is required to notify you, and you will have a special window to choose a new plan.

Separately, the 2027 Part B standard premium, Part B deductible, and IRMAA income brackets are usually published by CMS in the fall, often in November. We will not estimate those figures here.