Medicare Part D

Akron Medicare 2027: 95 Plans in Summit County

AKRON, Ohio — If you're shopping for Medicare coverage this fall, you have plenty of choices — maybe more than feels comfortable. Akron is in Summit County, where 95 Medicare Advantage plans are available for the 2027 plan year, offered by 17 carriers, according to CMS Medicare Plan Finder data.

Akron seniors face a crowded Medicare menu for 2027

That's a lot to sort through. With more than 104,000 residents age 65 and older across the county, the good news is that no one has to figure it out alone. Here's a clear-eyed look at what's available, what's changing for 2027, and how to narrow the field.

What "113 plans" really means

The number sounds overwhelming, but it reflects every Medicare Advantage option a Summit County resident could enroll in — HMOs, PPOs, special needs plans, and MA-PD plans that bundle drug coverage. Not every plan will fit your doctors, your prescriptions, or your budget, so the practical list for most people is much shorter than 113.

A few local facts worth knowing:

• 17 carriers offer Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage in the area.
• Stand-alone Part D plans are counted separately from MA-PD plans; if you stay with Original Medicare and want drug coverage, you'll shop those on Medicare.gov.
• CMS publishes Star Ratings each fall (1 to 5 stars) to measure plan quality. Ratings are one input among many — not a substitute for checking whether your own doctors and drugs are covered.

What's actually new for 2027

Some of the biggest changes this year are program-wide, not plan-specific:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your covered drug spending hits that amount, you pay nothing for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• Part D deductible cap: $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027. No Part D plan can charge a deductible higher than that.
• The "donut hole" is gone. As of 2025, Part D has three phases instead of four — a simpler structure that carries into 2027.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. This optional program lets you spread your yearly drug costs into predictable monthly payments instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter. You have to opt in.
• IRMAA thresholds. Higher-income beneficiaries pay a surcharge on Part B and Part D. For 2026, that begins above $109,000 in income for a single filer.

How to narrow 95 plans down to a real short list

You don't have to read every plan brochure. A simple, honest process:

1. List your must-haves. Your primary care doctor, any specialists, and the hospital you prefer. 2. List your prescriptions with dosages. Small formulary differences can mean big cost differences. 3. Use Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov. Enter your ZIP code and your drug list, and the tool will estimate your yearly costs across plans available in Summit County. 4. Check the network. Even a well-rated plan is the wrong plan if your doctor isn't in it. 5. Consider the trade-off between Original Medicare (with a Medigap policy and a stand-alone drug plan) and Medicare Advantage. Both are legitimate paths — they just work differently.

If a plan looks appealing, call the carrier and confirm your specific doctors and drugs before you enroll.

Key dates to circle

• Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7, 2026. This is when most people compare and switch plans for 2027.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan and it isn't working, you get one chance to switch to another MA plan or return to Original Medicare.

Missing these windows usually means waiting a full year, so mark the calendar.

Free, unbiased help in the Akron area

Ohio's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) — known locally as OSHIIP — offers free one-on-one counseling from trained volunteers who don't sell insurance. They can sit with you and walk through Plan Finder. You can reach OSHIIP at 1-800-686-1578.

For questions any time, day or night, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).