The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said Monday it expects the weighted average Medicare Advantage premium to drop to $12 per month in 2027, down 16.5 percent from $14.37 in 2026, as insurers file bids ahead of the enrollment window that opens October 15.
October 1 is prep week, not shopping week. Beneficiaries should be opening the Annual Notice of Change packets that carriers mail each fall, comparing drug formularies, and checking whether their doctors remain in-network before Medicare.gov’s Plan Finder refreshes with 2027 data. CMS says more than 99 percent of beneficiaries will have access to at least one MA plan and 97 percent will see ten or more options, with total plan counts roughly flat near 5,500 nationwide.
What improved—and what did not
Average MA prescription-drug premiums inside those plans are projected to fall about 38 percent after rebates, while standalone Part D plans face a much smaller increase, from $35.09 to about $36. That split matters if you keep traditional Medicare plus a separate drug plan instead of bundling into MA. Dental, vision, and hearing extras are expected to stay broadly similar, but “stable benefits” does not mean your specific plan keeps the same copays.
CMS projects MA enrollment around 34 million people in 2027, nearly half of all Medicare beneficiaries. The agency also plans to publish star ratings in early October, which can affect marketing and, for some enrollees, special switch rights into five-star plans later in the year.
Scam season starts before enrollment does
The Federal Trade Commission warned in late September that fake Medicare sites spike whenever search ads mimic Medicare.gov. Use Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE—not a sponsored link—to reach the real Plan Finder. Shady brokers may pitch “government-approved” plans that are not insurance at all. If a caller demands a Social Security number to “reserve” a benefit, hang up and report the contact.
Practical checklist for the next two weeks
Gather your current plan ID, list of prescriptions, and preferred hospitals. Check whether your employer retiree coverage coordinates with MA or whether Medigap makes more sense if you switch back to traditional Medicare. Remember open enrollment ends December 7 for changes effective January 1, 2027, with limited exceptions afterward.
Lower average premiums are good news on paper, but the right plan is the one that covers your drugs and doctors—not the one with the cheapest headline rate. October is for reading the fine print before the rush hits.