Medicare Part D

Arkansas Part D Plans for 2027: 11 Stand-Alone Drug Plans From 6 Insurers, Down From 12

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansans who buy their Medicare drug coverage as a stand-alone plan will have 11 options from 6 insurers for 2027, one fewer plan than the 12 offered in 2026, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Landscape files for the Arkansas Part D region. The lineup takes effect January 1, 2027 for choices made during Medicare Open Enrollment 2027, which runs October 15 – December 7, 2026.

Medicare Part DArkansas

The change is modest in count but notable in composition: a new national Blue Cross and Blue Shield entrant joins the Arkansas market for 2027, while HealthSpring is no longer offering a stand-alone Part D plan in the state.

How many stand-alone Part D plans are offered in Arkansas for 2027?

Arkansas has 11 stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plans from 6 insurers for 2027, compared with 12 plans from 6 insurers in 2026, according to the CMS Landscape files. That is a net drop of one plan statewide.

Stand-alone Part D plans in Arkansas are sold across the state's single CMS Part D region, so every plan counted is available to any Arkansas resident with Medicare, regardless of county. One national insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of IL, NM, OK, TX, is new to the state's stand-alone market for 2027. HealthSpring, which offered stand-alone coverage in Arkansas in 2026, is not in the 2027 stand-alone lineup.

Which insurers offer stand-alone Part D plans in Arkansas for 2027?

Six insurers offer stand-alone Part D plans in Arkansas for 2027. Listed alphabetically with their 2027 plan counts:

• Aetna Medicare — 1 plan
• Arkansas Blue Medicare — 2 plans
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of IL, NM, OK, TX — 1 plan
• Humana — 3 plans
• UnitedHealthcare — 2 plans
• Wellcare — 2 plans

This list reflects stand-alone Part D only. Drug coverage packaged inside a Medicare Advantage plan is counted and shopped separately on Medicare Plan Finder.

What do the 2027 Part D out-of-pocket cap and deductible limit mean in Arkansas?

For 2027, the Part D annual out-of-pocket maximum for covered drugs is $2,400 nationwide, up from $2,100 in 2026, and no Part D plan may set a deductible above $700. Those limits apply to every stand-alone Part D plan sold in Arkansas.

In practice, the cap means that once an enrollee's out-of-pocket spending on covered Part D drugs reaches $2,400 in a calendar year, they pay $0 for the rest of that year's covered prescriptions under the plan. The $700 figure is a ceiling on the deductible; individual plans may set theirs lower. For enrollees who want to spread costs across the year, Medicare continues to offer the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which lets people pay their Part D cost-sharing in monthly amounts. Details are on medicare.gov.

The Part D base beneficiary premium for 2027 is $41.33. That national figure is used to calculate the Part D late-enrollment penalty; actual monthly premiums are set by each plan.

Which Arkansas Part D plans can someone with full Extra Help join at no premium in 2027?

In Arkansas, 1 stand-alone Part D plan qualifies as a low-income benchmark plan for 2027, meaning a person who receives full Extra Help from Medicare can enroll in it with no monthly plan premium. In 2026, there were 3 such benchmark plans in the state.

Extra Help, also called the Low-Income Subsidy, lowers Part D premiums, deductibles and copays for people who qualify based on income and resources. Applications are handled by the Social Security Administration, and current enrollees can check their status or apply at ssa.gov. The Social Security Administration announced on October 14, 2026 a 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security benefits payable beginning January 2027, which can affect income figures some beneficiaries review when planning for the year.

How does stand-alone Part D in Arkansas compare with Medicare Advantage drug coverage?

Stand-alone Part D is drug-only coverage that pairs with Original Medicare (Parts A and B) or, in some cases, with other coverage. The 11 plans counted here for Arkansas in 2027 are stand-alone plans. Most Medicare Advantage plans, by contrast, build prescription drug coverage into a single plan that also handles hospital and medical care — those are shopped and counted separately on Medicare Plan Finder.

Someone on Original Medicare who wants prescription coverage generally buys a stand-alone Part D plan. Someone enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan that already includes drugs typically does not also buy a stand-alone Part D plan. Which path fits best depends on the drugs a person takes, their preferred pharmacies and doctors, and other personal factors — not on plan counts.

How can Arkansans check a plan's drug list and pharmacies before December 7, 2026?

The fastest check is Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov, where an Arkansas ZIP code and a list of current prescriptions will return each plan's formulary status, pharmacy network and total estimated yearly cost. Enrollees can also call 1-800-MEDICARE, which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Before choosing or renewing a plan for 2027, it is worth confirming three things with the plan's own documents or Plan Finder: that each prescription is on the plan's formulary, that a preferred pharmacy (retail or mail-order) is in network, and that any prior authorization or step-therapy rules are understood. Choices made during Medicare Open Enrollment 2027 — October 15 through December 7, 2026 — take effect January 1, 2027.

Where can Arkansans get free help with Medicare Part D for 2027?

Free, official help is available from Medicare directly. Beneficiaries, family members and caregivers in Arkansas can:

• Visit medicare.gov to compare plans with Medicare Plan Finder and read the official Part D rules.
• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.
• Contact the Social Security Administration at ssa.gov or 1-800-772-1213 about Extra Help eligibility.