Medicare Advantage

What’s Changing in Wisconsin Medicare Advantage for 2027: 15 Plans Leaving, 55 Changing

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin's Medicare Advantage lineup is shifting again for the 2027 plan year, and every county in the state will feel at least some of the movement. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files for CY2026 and CY2027, Wisconsin will go from 121 Medicare Advantage plans in 2026 to 117 in 2027. Fifteen plans offered somewhere in the state this year will not be offered anywhere in Wisconsin next year, and 55 plans that continue into 2027 will look different in at least one county on paper CMS tracks. Eleven plans are new, and 51 continue unchanged.

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The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) that governs these decisions runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, with any choice taking effect January 1, 2027.

What the statewide numbers mean

CMS publishes a Landscape Source File each year listing every Medicare Advantage plan offered in every county. By comparing the CY2026 and CY2027 files, we can see how the Wisconsin market is moving. Each plan is counted once statewide, no matter how many counties carry it.

"Leaving" means a plan that was offered somewhere in Wisconsin in 2026 is not offered anywhere in Wisconsin in 2027. In this cycle, 15 plans fall into that bucket. Aspirus Health Plan is listed in the CMS file as having no Wisconsin Medicare Advantage plans for 2027.

"Changing" means a plan appears in both the 2026 and 2027 files but differs in at least one county on premium, drug deductible, plan type, or plan name. CMS treats any one of those as a change. For 2027, that applies to 55 Wisconsin plans. The ANOC your plan mails you is the document that spells out exactly what is different for your situation.

The remaining 51 plans continue into 2027 unchanged in the fields CMS tracks, and 11 plans are new entries in Wisconsin for 2027.

If your plan is leaving

If you are enrolled in one of the 15 plans not being offered in Wisconsin for 2027, your carrier is required to send you a non-renewal notice. You will not simply "roll over" into another plan automatically — Medicare Advantage coverage with that plan ends December 31, 2026.

Members whose plan is not renewed qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) that runs through the end of February 2027. During that window you can choose another Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare and, if you wish, add a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan. You can also act earlier, during the Annual Enrollment Period from October 15 through December 7, 2026, so your new coverage starts on January 1 without a gap.

If you do nothing at all and your plan is not renewed, you will generally fall back to Original Medicare on January 1, 2027. That may leave you without drug coverage until you make a new choice, so it is worth acting during AEP rather than waiting.

If your plan is changing

Fifty-five Wisconsin plans continue into 2027 but differ in at least one county on at least one of the fields CMS tracks: premium, drug deductible, plan type, or plan name. We are not going to tell you what changed or by how much — that is the job of the Annual Notice of Change that your plan is required to send you by late September.

The ANOC is the single best document for understanding your own plan. It compares your 2026 coverage to your 2027 coverage side by side. If you do nothing, you stay enrolled, and the ANOC changes take effect on January 1, 2027. If you want a different plan, you can switch during the Annual Enrollment Period, October 15 through December 7, 2026.

The counties with the most movement

CMS data show all 72 Wisconsin counties have at least one plan leaving or changing for 2027. Among the counties with the heaviest movement:

• Waushara County: 17 leaving, 22 changing
• Dodge County: 11 leaving, 24 changing
• Columbia County: 13 leaving, 21 changing
• Dane County: 11 leaving, 22 changing
• Green Lake County: 19 leaving, 14 changing
• Oconto County: 16 leaving, 16 changing
• Waupaca County: 10 leaving, 22 changing
• Brown County: 11 leaving, 20 changing

These are counts of plan activity in each county, not a judgment on any plan.

What to do before December 7

A short checklist for the weeks ahead:

1. Watch the mail in September and October for the Annual Notice of Change from your current plan, or a non-renewal notice if your plan is one of the 15 leaving Wisconsin. 2. Read the ANOC. It is written to show you, line by line, what is different for 2027. 3. Make a list of the doctors, hospitals, and prescriptions you use today. Confirm they still fit under your 2027 options. 4. Compare plans available in your county on Medicare's official Plan Finder. 5. Make any change during the Annual Enrollment Period, October 15 through December 7, 2026, so it takes effect January 1, 2027. If your plan is not renewed, you still have the Special Enrollment Period through the end of February 2027 as a safety net.

Where to get free help

You do not have to sort this out alone. Three free resources:

• Medicare.gov — the official Plan Finder lets you enter your ZIP code and prescriptions and see every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan available to you.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with TTY service for the hearing impaired.
• State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) — in Wisconsin, SHIP counselors offer free, unbiased, one-on-one help understanding your options. They do not sell plans.