Medicare Advantage

Four new Medicare Advantage plans land in Madison for 2027 — all are dual-eligible SNPs

People in Madison can choose from 48 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 55 this year. Eleven of this year’s plans are gone, 4 are new to Dane County, and 31 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 9 of them under a new name.

MADISON, Wis. — Fall 2026. Four Medicare Advantage plans are brand new to Dane County for the 2027 plan year, and every one of them is a Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) built for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. If that's not you, these four plans are not available to you — but they're worth knowing about if you help a parent, spouse or neighbor who qualifies. The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and any choice you make takes effect January 1, 2027.

What Medicare Advantage plans are new in Madison for 2027?

Madison is in Dane County, where the CMS 2027 Landscape Source File lists 4 new Medicare Advantage plans among the 48 plans offered in the county for 2027. In alphabetical order by carrier, the new plans are:

• Anthem Dual Advantage Plus (HMO D-SNP) — Elevance Health (Anthem); with drug coverage
• Anthem Full Dual Advantage (HMO D-SNP) — Elevance Health (Anthem); with drug coverage
• HumanaChoice SNP-DE H5216-420 (PPO D-SNP) — Humana; with drug coverage
• UHC Dual Complete WI-S1 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — UnitedHealthcare; with drug coverage

The table below lists every 2027 plan in the county, new and returning, so you can see where these four fit in the overall lineup.

Which carriers are adding plans in Dane County for 2027?

Three carriers are introducing plans in Dane County for 2027: Elevance Health (Anthem) with 2 new plans, Humana with 1, and UnitedHealthcare with 1. The other carriers serving the county are renewing or renaming their existing plans rather than adding brand-new ones. CMS also lists 11 plans that are not returning for 2027 and 9 that are being renamed — if your current plan is in one of those groups, your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), which should have arrived by late September, will spell out what is happening.

What is a D-SNP, and why are all four new plans D-SNPs?

A Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) is a type of Medicare Advantage plan built for people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. Enrollment is limited to people who meet those eligibility rules. The plans typically coordinate Medicare benefits with the state's Medicaid program and include Part D prescription drug coverage. In Dane County for 2027, all four new entries are D-SNPs: three use an HMO or HMO-POS structure and one is a PPO. If you are not dually eligible, you cannot enroll in these specific plans, but Dane County still offers plenty of other HMO, HMO-POS, PPO, PFFS, MSA and Cost options to compare.

How is a new plan different from a renewing one?

The practical difference is track record. A plan that has been offered for several years has published Star Ratings — CMS's 1-to-5 quality score — based on things like member experience, customer service and how it handles chronic conditions. A plan that is brand new for 2027 doesn't have that history yet, so it will not have its own Star Rating in its first year. That is simply how the rating system works; it is not a judgment on the plan. Everything else that matters still applies: you can look up the premium, deductible, drug formulary, pharmacy network and provider directory on the Medicare Plan Finder before you enroll.

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

Do these three things before December 7, 2026:

1. Make a list of your current doctors, specialists, preferred hospital and every prescription you take, with the dose and how often you fill it. 2. Use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov. Enter your ZIP code and your drug list; the tool will show which plans cover each drug, the pharmacy you prefer, and estimated yearly cost. For provider networks, check the plan's own online directory or call the plan directly — directories are the authoritative source. 3. Confirm with your doctor's office that they will be in-network for the specific plan name and plan number for 2027. Networks can change year to year, even for plans that are not new.

If you prefer to talk to someone, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

What's confirmed about 2027 costs, and what isn't?

A few 2027 program-level figures are already set. The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026). The Part D maximum deductible rises to $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026). The Part D national base beneficiary premium for 2027 is $41.33 — that is a formula input, not what any particular plan charges. The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets have not yet been announced; CMS typically publishes those in the fall, usually November.