If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan in New England, there is one piece of advice I would strongly recommend heading into 2027: do not put your Medicare coverage on autopilot. The coming year is shaping up to be one of the most volatile the region has seen, and assuming your plan will look the same next year is a bet most beneficiaries should not take.
Over the past several years, insurance carriers have discontinued plans, reduced service areas, modified provider networks, and changed benefits as they respond to rising healthcare costs and shifts in the Medicare program. Here in New England, those changes have hit close to home: Mass General Brigham, one of the region's largest health systems, saw its primary care providers leave UnitedHealthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Advantage networks in January 2026, part of a wave of more than 25 major health systems dropping Advantage contracts that year (Affordable Care Agents). As an insurance broker who works with Medicare beneficiaries across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine, I have watched clients who were perfectly satisfied with their coverage suddenly need to reevaluate everything because something changed for the upcoming year.
Heading into 2027, the warning signs are more visible than ever.
Why Is the Medicare Advantage Market Changing?
Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private insurance companies that contract with Medicare, and every year those companies decide where to offer plans, which to continue, and how to structure them. Rising healthcare utilization and medical costs drive much of that calculus, but so do changes to the federal payment and risk-adjustment systems that determine how carriers are reimbursed.
The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized its Medicare Advantage payment policies for 2027, and it projects the policies will produce an average 2.48% increase in payments to plans, representing more than $13 billion nationally (CMS).
Yet an overall rise in federal payments does not mean every plan or every local market stays stable. Insurers still make individual decisions about plans, counties, provider networks, premiums, copayments, and supplemental benefits — and those decisions land directly on beneficiaries.
In fact, the national numbers conceal how much disruption is underway. According to a mid-2026 industry analysis, Humana is exiting Medicare Advantage plans covering roughly 600,000 members for 2027, Molina Healthcare is discontinuing its Medicare Advantage prescription drug product entirely, and UnitedHealthcare was reviewing exits from an additional 34 counties across 12 states when the analysis was published (Affordable Care Agents).
What Makes New England Different Heading Into 2027?
New England has traditionally been a strong Medicare market, with a variety of Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, and prescription drug options available across the tri-state region. But the market has become increasingly fluid, and the geography makes this year's volatility land harder here than in most of the country.
In New Hampshire and Maine, fewer residents and more rural geography can mean fewer Medicare Advantage choices in certain counties compared with larger metropolitan markets. When a national carrier trims its footprint, those counties are often the first to lose plans — which leaves fewer in-network hospitals, longer drives for care, and fewer backup options when a plan discontinues.
In New Hampshire and Maine, fewer residents and more rural geography can mean fewer Medicare Advantage choices in certain counties compared with larger metropolitan markets. When a national carrier trims its footprint, those counties are often the first to lose plans — which leaves fewer in-network hospitals, longer drives for care, and fewer backup options when a plan discontinues. The regional reality is sharper than the national story: the same industry analysis that tracked carrier exits nationally notes that at least 25 major health systems dropped Medicare Advantage contracts in 2026, and New England's provider networks were not spared (Affordable Care Agents).
Massachusetts faces its own considerations. The state's unique Medicare Supplement market — which carries stricter rules than most states, including limited open-enrollment flexibility — makes it especially important to compare Medicare Advantage against Medigap options rather than assuming one approach beats the other for everyone.
The lesson from the past few years is clear: just because a Medicare plan worked well for you this year does not mean you should automatically assume it will be your best option next year.
Watch Your Mail This Fall
If you currently have a Medicare Advantage or Medicare prescription drug plan, one of the most important documents you will receive is your Annual Notice of Change, or ANOC. Please don't throw it away. This document explains exactly what is changing with your current plan for the following year.
Those changes may involve your:
Monthly premium
Doctor and specialist copayments
Hospital costs
Prescription drug coverage
Pharmacy network
Provider network
Maximum annual out-of-pocket exposure
Dental, vision, and hearing benefits
Other supplemental benefits
Even if your insurance company's name remains on your Medicare card next year, the coverage underneath that name could be different. A plan that carried the same brand for a decade can quietly shift its hospital network, raise a specialist copay, or drop a medication from its formulary — and only the ANOC tells you.
A $0 Premium Doesn't Tell the Whole Story
One of the biggest misconceptions I see is that the monthly premium determines whether a Medicare Advantage plan is a good plan. It doesn't. A $0-premium Medicare Advantage plan may be an excellent option for one beneficiary and a poor choice for another.
What matters is how the plan works for you. Are your doctors participating? Is your preferred hospital in the network? Are your medications on the formulary, and what will those prescriptions cost? What are your copayments for specialists, diagnostic testing, outpatient procedures, and hospital stays? And what is your maximum out-of-pocket exposure if you experience a serious illness?
Those are the questions that should drive a Medicare decision — not a headline premium of zero.
Start Preparing Before October 15
Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period runs from October 15 through December 7, with coverage changes generally taking effect January 1. But that doesn't mean you should wait until October 15 to start preparing.
Before the enrollment period begins, I recommend Medicare beneficiaries put together four things:
A current list of your doctors and specialists — include your primary care physician and every specialist you see regularly.
A current prescription list — include the name, dosage, and frequency of every medication you take.
Your preferred hospitals and healthcare systems — this is extremely important when evaluating Medicare Advantage provider networks.
Your priorities for the coming year — are you anticipating surgery, seeing a new specialist, taking an expensive medication, traveling extensively, or managing a chronic health condition?
These factors can significantly influence which type of Medicare coverage makes the most sense. When you have this list ready, comparing your current plan against the alternatives takes minutes instead of a stressful scramble.
Medicare Advantage Isn't the Only Option
Another important part of the conversation is remembering that Medicare beneficiaries may have alternatives to Medicare Advantage. Depending on your circumstances and state of residence, those alternatives can include Original Medicare combined with a Medicare Supplement policy and standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage.
There are real tradeoffs between the two approaches, and the right choice depends on how you use healthcare. Medicare Advantage typically bundles medical and drug coverage into one plan with lower upfront premiums; Medicare Supplement coverage gives you greater flexibility to see any provider who accepts Medicare. In New England — where rural geography narrows Advantage networks in places like northern Maine and New Hampshire, while Massachusetts maximizes the value of its Supplement market — that tradeoff takes on a sharp regional edge.
How it compares | Medicare Advantage | Original Medicare + Medigap |
|---|---|---|
Premiums | Often $0–$50/month; a headline of zero is common but says nothing about fit | Monthly Part B premium plus a Medigap premium, typically $100–$300 depending on age and plan |
Provider access | Restricted to the plan's network; in-network hospitals and doctors only | Any provider who accepts Medicare — usually the widest access, especially valuable in rural counties |
Prescription drugs | Usually included in the plan's formulary | Sold separately via a Part D plan; separate premium and formulary to check |
Out-of-pocket cap | An annual in-network maximum that CMS sets each year; verify your plan's exact 2027 figure | No Medicare-wide cap historically, though Part D now has its own cost limits |
Extra benefits | Often includes dental, vision, and hearing allowances | None built in; beneficiaries pay separately or go without |
There isn't one Medicare solution that is best for everyone. That's exactly why an individualized review is so important.
Don't Wait Until December
Every year, we hear from Medicare beneficiaries in late November or the first week of December who are just beginning to look at their options. That can create unnecessary stress. The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period ends December 7.
My recommendation is to begin the review process as early as possible once the new plan information becomes available. That gives you time to properly compare your current plan against your alternatives rather than making an important healthcare decision under a deadline.
The Bottom Line: Don't Assume, Review
The Medicare Advantage market is evolving. While we won't know the complete impact of the 2027 changes in every New England county until the new plan information is available, beneficiaries should be prepared.
Don't assume. Review. Review your doctors, your prescriptions, your hospitals, and your costs. Most importantly, review whether the Medicare coverage you have today still makes sense for you in 2027.
After the changes we've seen throughout the Medicare Advantage market over the past several years, taking the time to conduct an annual Medicare review has never been more important.
1What exactly is an ANOC?
The Annual Notice of Change tells you what is changing with your current Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for the coming year. It arrives in the fall and is the document that tells you whether your coverage will look different on January 1 — so it should never be ignored or tossed out.
2Can I switch plans during this year's enrollment window?
Yes. Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period runs from October 15 through December 7 each year, and during that window you can switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another, drop Medicare Advantage and return to Original Medicare, or change your Part D prescription drug plan. A switch made during AEP generally takes effect January 1.
3If my plan sends an ANOC, is my coverage safe for 2027?
Not necessarily. The ANOC reflects your current plan's own changes. Because carries can exit markets and health systems can leave networks mid-year, even a plan that stays on your card can change its provider network, formularies, or costs. The annual review should compare your plan against all alternatives, not just trust the status quo.
