Medicare Advantage

Aetna's 2027 Medicare Advantage plans in Madison: a plan-by-plan look before Dec. 7

Madison, Wis. — As the Annual Enrollment Period for 2027 coverage runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, Aetna's Medicare Advantage lineup in Dane County is a short one: three PPO plans, two of them with drug coverage, and one plan carrying a new name this year. If you already have an Aetna plan here — or you're thinking about one — the next few weeks are the window to check how it lines up with your doctors and prescriptions for January 1.

MyMedicarePlans.org is an independent consumer site, not Aetna and not Medicare. We're walking through what the carrier offers in the county Madison sits in, and how to verify the details that matter to you before the deadline.

What Medicare Advantage plans does Aetna offer in Madison for 2027?

In Dane County, where Madison is located, Aetna (grouped by CMS as Aetna (CVS Health)) offers 3 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. All three are PPOs. Two include Part D prescription drug coverage; one does not. Aetna does not offer any Special Needs Plans in the county this year.

The table below lists every Aetna plan available in the county for 2027. The three plans, in alphabetical order, are Aetna Medicare Eagle (PPO), Aetna Medicare Enhanced (PPO) and Aetna Medicare Signature (PPO).

Aetna is one of 10 carriers offering Medicare Advantage plans in Dane County for 2027; across all carriers together, there are 48 Medicare Advantage plans in the county. So Aetna's lineup is one slice of a bigger local market.

What is new, renamed or not returning from Aetna in Dane County for 2027?

For 2027, Aetna is not adding any new Medicare Advantage plans in Dane County and is not pulling any plans out. One plan has been renamed: Aetna Medicare Premier (PPO) is now listed as Aetna Medicare Enhanced (PPO).

A rename is not the same as a benefit change. It can mean a simple relabeling, or it can come with adjustments to the plan's cost sharing, drug list or extras. The place to find out is the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) the plan mailed in late September — that document spells out what, if anything, is different for 2027 compared with 2026.

How do I check an Aetna plan against my doctors and prescriptions before December 7?

The most reliable way is the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov. You can enter your ZIP code, add the prescriptions you take and the pharmacies you use, and see each plan side by side with its own cost and coverage details for 2027. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A few things worth checking before you decide:

• Your doctors and specialists. Look them up in the plan's provider directory, or call the office and ask whether they take that specific Aetna plan for 2027 — not just "Aetna."
• Your hospital. PPO rules on in-network versus out-of-network care vary plan to plan.
• Your medications. Enter each drug by name and dose; a plan's drug list (formulary) and tier placement can change year to year.
• Your pharmacy. Preferred versus standard pharmacy status affects what you pay.

The plan's Evidence of Coverage and its formulary are the authoritative documents.

What does the Annual Enrollment Period mean for Madison residents in 2026?

The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026. Any change you make during that window takes effect January 1, 2027. If you don't do anything, your current plan renews automatically — assuming it is still offered next year — with whatever changes are described in the ANOC.

After that, Medicare Advantage members get a second, narrower window: the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, January 1 through March 31, 2027. During that window you can switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare, but you cannot use it to join a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time if you're currently on Original Medicare.

What 2027 Medicare figures are already confirmed?

A few program-wide numbers for 2027 have been published by CMS and apply regardless of which plan you pick:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026).
• Part D maximum deductible: $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026).
• Part D national base beneficiary premium for 2027: $41.33. This is a formula input used across the program, not what any particular plan charges.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, have not been announced yet. CMS typically publishes those figures later in the fall, usually in November.

The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan — the option to spread your out-of-pocket drug costs across the calendar year in monthly amounts — remains available for 2027. The coverage gap (the old "donut hole") was eliminated as of 2025; Part D now has three phases.