Medicare Part D
Topeka Medicare 2027: Shawnee County Guide
If you live in Topeka and you're sorting out Medicare for 2027, here's some good news: you have plenty to look at, and a few new program rules are working in your favor next year.
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Key takeaways
- Shawnee County residents (including Topeka) could choose from 39 Medicare Advantage plans offered by 7 carriers for 2026; the 2027 lineup is in each plan's ANOC and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder.
- Under CMS's 2026 Star Ratings, 8 of the 14 rated contracts offering Medicare Advantage plans in Shawnee County are rated 4 stars or higher, but a lower rating doesn't mean a plan is a bad fit for your doctors, drugs, or budget.
- The Part D out-of-pocket drug cap is one of the federal program changes that apply everywhere, including Topeka, so it's important to factor it into your total cost estimate along with premiums, deductibles, and copays.
- Missing an enrollment window usually means waiting until the next one, unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, such as moving or losing other coverage.
Topeka, Kansas — Your 2027 Medicare Landscape at a Glance
Topeka is in Shawnee County, where 39 Medicare Advantage plans were available for 2026, offered by 7 different carriers. The 2027 lineup is in each plan's ANOC and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. That gives local shoppers a wide field to compare — but it can also feel overwhelming without a plan for how to sort through it. Below, we'll walk through what's on the map, what's changing in 2027, and where to get trustworthy help.
What's Available Around Topeka
Medicare plan availability is set at the county level, not the city level. So when we talk about what's on offer for Topeka residents, we're really talking about Shawnee County.
Here's the snapshot for 2026:
- Medicare Advantage plans in Shawnee County: 39
- Carriers offering Medicare Advantage with drug coverage (MA-PD): 7
- Stand-alone Part D drug plans: Kansas has 12 stand-alone Part D plans for 2026, sold statewide
- Population age 65+: about 34,618
Kansas has 12 stand-alone Part D plans for 2026, sold statewide, and anyone in Shawnee County with Original Medicare can join one of them. It's always worth confirming what you personally qualify for on medicare.gov, since Plan Finder shows the exact list of plans open to you based on your ZIP code.
What's New in 2027
Whether you stay with Original Medicare and a drug plan or choose a Medicare Advantage plan, a few program-wide changes apply everywhere — including Topeka:
- A hard out-of-pocket cap on Part D drug costs. The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once you hit that limit, you don't pay more for covered prescriptions the rest of the year.
- The Part D deductible is capped at $615 in 2026 ($700 in 2027). Plans can charge less, but not more.
- The "donut hole" is gone. As of 2025, Part D has just three phases instead of four, which makes the math simpler.
- The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly installments instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter. It's optional and free to opt into.
- IRMAA (the income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D) begins above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.
These changes are the same in Topeka as they are in Kansas City or Wichita — they're federal rules.
About Star Ratings in the Area
CMS publishes Star Ratings each year to measure plan quality on things like customer service, member complaints, and care coordination. Under CMS's 2026 Star Ratings, 8 of the 14 rated contracts offering Medicare Advantage plans in Shawnee County are rated 4 stars or higher; the 2027 ratings are on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder.
That doesn't automatically mean a plan is a poor fit — Star Ratings measure a contract's overall performance, not whether a specific plan will work for your doctors, drugs, or budget. It's one input among many. Use it as a piece of the puzzle, not the whole picture.
Key Dates to Remember
Two enrollment windows matter most:
- Annual Enrollment Period (AEP): October 15 – December 7, 2026. This is when anyone with Medicare can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for 2027.
- Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance during this window to switch to a different MA plan or return to Original Medicare (and add a Part D plan).
Missing these windows usually means waiting until the next one, unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (for example, if you move or lose other coverage).
How to Compare Without Getting Lost
With 39 Medicare Advantage plans in Shawnee County, it helps to walk in with a short checklist:
1. Your doctors. Are they in the plan's network? 2. Your prescriptions. Are they on the plan's formulary, and at what tier? 3. Your pharmacies. Are your preferred pharmacies "preferred" under the plan? 4. Your travel. Do you spend time out of state? Some plans handle that better than others. 5. Your total expected cost — premiums, deductibles, copays, and the new $2,100 in 2026 ($2,400 in 2027) drug cap combined — not just one number in isolation.
The Plan Finder tool at medicare.gov lets you enter your drugs and pharmacies and see personalized estimates.
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.
By the numbers
How people get Medicare in Shawnee County
(MA penetration in Shawnee County)
MA penetration from CMS enrollment data; Medigap share is an estimate. U.S. average is about 54% Medicare Advantage. These are area-level figures, not plan-specific.
Prescription coverage
How Medicare Part D works in 2027
The old coverage gap (“donut hole”) was eliminated as of 2025 (three phases now). There's a hard yearly cap on what you pay out of pocket for covered drugs — $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027 — and you can spread those costs across the year with the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan.
Try it
How the 2026 Part D drug cap works
Slide to your estimated yearly prescription costs and see how the new $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
Q: I live in Topeka. Do all 39 Medicare Advantage plans really apply to me?
Q: How do I get stand-alone Part D drug coverage in Topeka?
Q: What does the $2,100 out-of-pocket cap actually cover?
- CMS — Medicare Part D program rules (medicare.gov)
For personalized answers, contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local SHIP.