Medicare Advantage

How to sort through Kearns's 2027 Medicare choices without getting overwhelmed

People in Kearns can choose from 37 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 48 in 2026. Six of 2026's plans are gone, 4 are new to Salt Lake County, and 13 that continue have changed something in their terms, 9 of them under a new name.

Kearns retirees opening their 2027 Medicare mail may feel like they're drinking from a fire hose. Salt Lake County has 37 Medicare Advantage plans on the shelf for 2027, offered by 8 different carriers. That's a lot of paperwork on the kitchen table — and a lot of decisions.

The good news: you don't have to compare all of them. With a few filters and a clear sense of what matters to you, most people can shrink that list to a handful worth a closer look.

Why the number looks so big

Thirty-seven is the total count of Medicare Advantage plans available somewhere in Salt Lake County for 2027. Availability is set at the county level by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), so Kearns residents see the same lineup as neighbors in West Valley City, Sandy or Salt Lake City.

Nine carriers make up that lineup. That means each carrier, on average, offers several versions of a plan — often an HMO, a PPO and sometimes a special needs plan (SNP) for people with certain conditions or on both Medicare and Medicaid. Once you know which of those categories fits you, the list gets much shorter.

Start with the type of coverage you want

Before you compare individual plans, decide the bigger question: Original Medicare (Parts A and B), possibly paired with a Medigap policy and a stand-alone Part D drug plan — or a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C) that bundles everything together.

One wrinkle for 2027: CMS's landscape file lists no stand-alone Part D plans for Salt Lake County. Drug coverage for local residents generally comes through a Medicare Advantage plan that includes prescriptions (an MA-PD). If you're weighing Original Medicare instead, call 1-800-MEDICARE or check medicare.gov to confirm what Part D options apply to your ZIP code before making a final decision.

Use filters, not gut feelings

The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov is the tool CMS built for this. You can narrow 48 plans quickly by entering:

• Your ZIP code
• Your prescription drugs and doses
• Your preferred pharmacy
• Your doctors and hospitals (to check network status)

That alone usually cuts the list dramatically. From there, you can compare plans side by side on total estimated yearly cost, not just the monthly premium — which is where surprises tend to hide.

Know the dates that matter

Two windows drive most decisions:

• Annual Enrollment Period (AEP): Oct. 15 – Dec. 7. This is when anyone with Medicare can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for the coming year.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period: Jan. 1 – March 31. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan and it isn't the right fit, you get one chance to switch to another MA plan or return to Original Medicare.

If you miss AEP and aren't in a special situation (like moving or losing other coverage), you may be stuck with your current plan for the year.

A few 2027 program facts worth knowing

These aren't plan features — they're rules that apply across Medicare:

• Part D's out-of-pocket cap is $2,400 in 2027. Once you hit it, you pay nothing for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $700 in 2027.
• The old "donut hole" coverage gap was eliminated in 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly payments instead of paying at the pharmacy counter. It's optional and free to join.
• IRMAA (an income-based surcharge on Parts B and D) begins above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

What about Star Ratings?

CMS rates Medicare Advantage and Part D contracts on a 1-to-5 scale for things like customer service, member complaints and preventive care. In Salt Lake County's 2027 data, no contracts are rated 4 stars or higher. Ratings can change year to year, and they're one input among many — not a substitute for checking whether your doctors, drugs and pharmacy are covered.

Get free, unbiased help

You don't have to sort this out alone. Utah's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), known locally as Utah SHIP, offers free one-on-one counseling from trained volunteers who don't sell insurance. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (available 24/7) or use the Plan Finder at medicare.gov.

With 142,165 residents age 65 or older in Salt Lake County, these counselors stay busy in the fall — booking an appointment early in October is a smart move.