Medicare Part D
Illinois Part D Plans for 2027: 10 Stand-Alone Drug Plans From 5 Insurers, Down From 12
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — People with Medicare in Illinois will have 10 stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plans to choose from in 2027, offered by 5 insurers across the state. That is down from 12 plans and 6 insurers in 2026, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Landscape files for the Illinois Part D region.
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Click to call 855-729-3240Key takeaways
- Illinois has 10 stand-alone Part D plans from 5 insurers for 2027, down from 12 plans and 6 insurers in 2026.
- The Part D out-of-pocket cap drops to $2,400 in 2027, and no Part D plan may charge a deductible higher than $700.
- People with full Extra Help can join 2 Illinois stand-alone plans in 2027 with no monthly plan premium.
- Open Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7, 2026; coverage chosen in that window starts January 1, 2027.
| Fact | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Part B standard monthly premium (2026) | $202.90 | Medicare.gov |
| Part D out-of-pocket cap (2026) | $2,100 | CMS |
| Part D out-of-pocket cap (2027) | $2,400 | CMS |
| Part D maximum deductible (2026) | $615 | CMS |
| Annual Enrollment Period (for 2027 coverage) | October 15 – December 7, 2026 | Medicare.gov |
Area counts are for the county as a whole and are not a recommendation of any plan. Program figures are set nationally.
The slimmer slate still comes with two of the biggest program changes Congress built into Part D: a lower annual cap on what enrollees pay out of pocket at the pharmacy counter, and a ceiling on how high any plan's deductible can go. Illinois residents can review their options during Medicare Open Enrollment 2027, which runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, with any new choice taking effect January 1, 2027.
How many stand-alone Part D plans are offered in Illinois for 2027?
Illinois has 10 stand-alone Medicare Part D plans available statewide in 2027, offered by 5 insurers, according to CMS Landscape data. That compares with 12 plans from 6 insurers in 2026, a net reduction of two plans and one insurer.
Stand-alone Part D plans in Illinois are sold on a region-wide basis — the state is its own CMS Part D region — so each of the 10 plans is available to any Illinois resident with Medicare, regardless of county. One insurer that offered stand-alone coverage in Illinois in 2026, HealthSpring, is not offering a stand-alone Part D plan in the state in 2027. People currently enrolled in a departing plan will receive notices from their plan and from Medicare explaining their options.
Which insurers offer stand-alone Part D plans in Illinois for 2027?
Five insurers are offering stand-alone Part D plans in Illinois for 2027. Listed alphabetically, with the number of plans each is offering:
- Aetna Medicare — 1 plan
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of IL, NM, OK, TX — 2 plans
- Humana — 3 plans
- UnitedHealthcare — 2 plans
- Wellcare — 2 plans
This list is for stand-alone Part D only. Prescription drug coverage built into Medicare Advantage plans is counted separately and is not included in the 10-plan total.
What do the 2027 Part D out-of-pocket cap and deductible limit mean for Illinois enrollees?
In 2027, the most any Illinois enrollee will pay out of pocket for covered Part D drugs in a calendar year is $2,400, up from $2,100 in 2026. Once an enrollee's out-of-pocket spending on covered drugs reaches that cap, the plan pays 100 percent of the cost of covered drugs for the rest of the year.
The second guardrail is the deductible. No Part D plan — in Illinois or anywhere else — may charge a deductible higher than $700 in 2027. Individual plans can set a lower deductible, or none at all; the $700 figure is a ceiling, not a standard amount. For specific deductibles, copays and covered drugs on any Illinois plan, use the Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE.
CMS also publishes a national Part D base beneficiary premium of $41.33 for 2027. That national figure is used to calculate the Part D late-enrollment penalty for people who go without creditable drug coverage; actual plan premiums are set plan by plan.
Which Illinois Part D plans can someone with full Extra Help join with no premium in 2027?
Illinois residents who qualify for full Extra Help (the federal Low-Income Subsidy) can join 2 stand-alone Part D plans in 2027 with no monthly plan premium, the same count as in 2026. These are the plans CMS designates as benchmark plans in the Illinois Part D region.
Extra Help also lowers what enrollees pay for covered prescriptions. People can apply for Extra Help any time through the Social Security Administration, and those who already have Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income or a Medicare Savings Program generally qualify automatically. The specific benchmark plan names are listed in the Medicare Plan Finder.
How does stand-alone Part D in Illinois compare with drug coverage inside a Medicare Advantage plan?
A stand-alone Part D plan in Illinois works alongside Original Medicare (Parts A and B) and, often, a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy; it covers prescriptions only. The 10 plans counted here are those stand-alone plans.
Most Medicare Advantage plans in Illinois include prescription drug coverage as part of a single bundled plan that also covers hospital and medical services. Those Medicare Advantage drug benefits are not counted in the 10-plan Part D total. A person generally chooses one path or the other for drug coverage — a stand-alone Part D plan with Original Medicare, or a Medicare Advantage plan that includes drug coverage.
How can Illinois residents check a plan's drug list and pharmacies before December 7, 2026?
The Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov lets Illinois residents enter their ZIP code and their current prescriptions, then shows each available stand-alone Part D plan's formulary (drug list), pharmacy network and cost-sharing details. Doing this before December 7, 2026 means any change takes effect January 1, 2027.
A short checklist for reviewing a plan:
- Confirm every regular prescription is on the plan's 2027 formulary.
- Check whether a preferred pharmacy is nearby, including mail-order if used.
- Look at the plan's 2027 deductible and the tier each medication falls into.
- Read the Annual Notice of Change from any current plan for 2027 updates.
Plan documents from the insurer and the Medicare Plan Finder are the authoritative sources for these details.
Where can Illinois residents get free help with Part D for 2027?
Free, unbiased help is available directly from Medicare. Medicare.gov hosts the Plan Finder and official plan documents, and 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048) is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to answer questions about enrollment, Extra Help and plan comparisons.
The Social Security Administration announced a 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment for benefits payable beginning January 2027, which may change the Social Security deposit many Illinois Medicare enrollees see at the start of the year. The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income-related surcharges, had not been announced by CMS as of this writing.
By the numbers
Medicare Part B premium, 2006–2026
The standard monthly Part B premium has climbed from $88.50 in 2006 to $202.90 in 2026. Hover any point for that year’s premium.
Source: CMS. Standard premium shown; in some hold-harmless years many existing enrollees paid less. Confirm at Medicare.gov.
Prescription coverage
How Medicare Part D works in 2026
The old coverage gap (“donut hole”) is eliminated as of 2025 (three phases now). There’s now a hard yearly cap of $2,100 on what you pay out of pocket for covered drugs, and you can spread those costs across the year with the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan.
Key dates
Medicare enrollment periods at a glance
- Around your 65thInitial Enrollment PeriodA 7-month window around the month you turn 65 — your first chance to sign up.
- October 15 – December 7Annual Enrollment Period (Open Enrollment)Anyone with Medicare can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.
- January 1 – March 31Medicare Advantage Open EnrollmentIf you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can make one change.
- January 1 – March 31General Enrollment PeriodFor people who missed their first chance to sign up for Part B.
- VariesSpecial Enrollment PeriodTriggered by life events like moving or losing other coverage.
Dates are set by Medicare and apply nationwide. Confirm your personal windows at Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.
Try it
How the 2026 Part D drug cap works
Slide to your estimated yearly prescription costs and see how the $2,100 out-of-pocket cap protects you. This illustrates the standard Part D benefit; your plan may structure costs differently.
Once your out-of-pocket spending on covered drugs reaches $2,100, you pay nothing more for the rest of 2026. Confirm details at Medicare.gov.
Explore
When can you enroll? An interactive year
Enrollment windows are federal and the same nationwide. Confirm your personal dates at Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
How many stand-alone Medicare Part D plans are offered in Illinois for 2027?
What is the Part D out-of-pocket cap in Illinois for 2027?
When is Medicare Open Enrollment for 2027, and when does a new plan start?
How many Illinois Part D plans can a person with full Extra Help join with no premium in 2027?
- CMS — Medicare Part D program rules (medicare.gov)
- CMS — Medicare enrollment periods (medicare.gov)
For personalized answers, contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.
Sources and methodology
- Medicare.gov, Medicare costs (Part B premium)
- CMS, Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D) program rules
- CMS, Medicare Advantage and Part D plan-year announcements
- Medicare.gov, enrollment periods and plan rules
Figures cited in this article
- CMS Landscape Source Files (2027 and 2026): Illinois stand-alone Part D plan and insurer counts, insurer-by-insurer plan counts, benchmark plan counts and the HealthSpring exit.
- CMS — Medicare Part D program rules (Medicare.gov): the 2027 out-of-pocket cap of $2,400, the $700 deductible ceiling, and the $41.33 national base beneficiary premium.
- CMS — Medicare enrollment periods (Medicare.gov): the October 15 – December 7, 2026 Annual Enrollment dates and the January 1, 2027 effective date.
- Social Security Administration: the October 14, 2026 announcement of a 3.6 percent COLA for benefits payable beginning January 2027.
How we put this together: area counts come from the CMS files listed above for the county that contains this city, program figures come from CMS, Medicare.gov and the Social Security Administration, and no plan is ranked or recommended.
By The Medicare Desk · Published . For personalized answers, contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.
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This page was last updated: October 2026.