Medicare Part D

West Fargo Medicare 2027: Cass County, ND

WEST FARGO, N.D. — If you're turning 65 soon, or already reviewing your Medicare coverage for the year ahead, here's a quick snapshot of what's on the table locally.

West Fargo residents have Medicare choices to review for 2027

West Fargo sits in Cass County, where 25 Medicare Advantage plans were available for 2026, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plan landscape data. Five carriers offered MA plans with prescription drug coverage (MA-PD) in the area. The 2027 lineup is detailed in each plan's Annual Notice of Change and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder.

With about 25,154 residents age 65 or older across Cass County, that's a meaningful pool of neighbors sorting through the same decisions you may be facing.

What "25 plans" actually means

Medicare plan availability is set at the county level, not the city level. So while we say "West Fargo," the numbers above reflect what any Medicare-eligible resident of Cass County can choose from.

A few things worth knowing about that count:

• 25 Medicare Advantage plans are offered locally. These are private plans that bundle Part A, Part B, and usually Part D drug coverage.
• Stand-alone Part D plans are counted separately by CMS on a regional basis rather than county-by-county, so you'll want to use Medicare's Plan Finder to see the drug-only plans available to you.
• Five carriers offer MA-PD plans in the area, so shoppers have a mix of companies to compare.

A quick refresher on the parts of Medicare

• Part A covers hospital stays, skilled nursing, and some home health.
• Part B covers doctor visits, outpatient care, and preventive services.
• Part C (Medicare Advantage) is the private-plan alternative that combines A and B, often with extras.
• Part D covers prescription drugs, either as a stand-alone plan or built into a Medicare Advantage plan.

You can stay with Original Medicare (Parts A and B), optionally add a Part D drug plan and a Medigap policy, or choose a Medicare Advantage plan. It's a personal decision based on your doctors, medications, and budget.

What's changing for 2027

A few program-wide updates every West Fargo reader should have on their radar:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your out-of-pocket drug costs hit that amount, you pay nothing for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D deductible maximum is $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027. Plans can set a lower deductible, but not higher.
• The coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone as of 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the calendar year in monthly payments, at no extra cost. It's optional — you have to opt in.
• IRMAA surcharges (higher Part B and Part D premiums for higher-income enrollees) begin above $109,000 in income for single filers in 2026.

About Star Ratings in the area

CMS rates Medicare Advantage and Part D contracts on a 1-to-5 star scale, measuring things like customer service, member experience, and care quality. For 2026, no contracts serving the Cass County area carried an overall rating of 4 stars or higher in the data published for that year.

Star Ratings are one input among many. They don't tell you whether a plan covers your specific medications or includes your doctor's practice — that still takes a personal comparison.

Key dates to circle

• Annual Enrollment Period (AEP): October 15 – December 7. This is when most people join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for the following year.
• 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.

If you miss AEP, you may still qualify for a Special Enrollment Period based on life events like moving or losing other coverage.