Creator: Patrick Connole
MA Premiums to Decrease 16 Percent in 2027, CMS Projects
CMS said MA premiums are projected to decline 16 percent from 2026 to 2027, with access remaining high and average prescription drug premiums down sharply.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said weighted average Medicare Advantage (MA) premiums are projected to decline more than 16 percent from 2026 to 2027, and average prescription drug premiums in MA plummet 38 percent.
The average premium for stand-alone Part D prescription drug plans is projected to rise by less than $1 per month in 2027, CMS said.
More than 99 percent of Medicare beneficiaries will have access to at least one MA plan, while 97 percent will have access to 10 or more options. The new data comes ahead of Medicare Open Enrollment, which runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7.
MA Breakdown
CMS said a closer look at the weighted average monthly premium across all MA plans, including plans with prescription drug coverage and Special Needs Plans, shows a projected decrease from $14.37 in 2026 to $12 in 2027, a decline of 16.5 percent. Supplemental benefit offerings, including hearing, dental, and vision benefits, are expected to remain stable.
Based on plan projections, enrollment in MA is estimated to be 34 million in 2027, representing approximately 47.4 percent of all people enrolled in Medicare. Plan enrollment projections have historically understated actual enrollment, and CMS expects actual 2027 MA enrollment to again be more robust than current plan projections indicate.
On access, CMS said the total number of available MA plans nationally is expected to remain relatively stable, changing from 5,553 in 2026 to 5,532 in 2027. The agency said beneficiaries will continue to have a wide range of choices, and approximately eight in 10 MA beneficiaries will be able to remain in their current plan with the same or a lower premium in 2027.
Medicare Part D
On Part D, CMS said the total average monthly premium for stand-alone prescription drug plans is projected to increase less than $1, from $35.09 in 2026 to $36 in 2027. Some 88 percent of non-low-income beneficiaries will have access to a basic Part D plan that is $10.30 or less, and 93 percent of non-low-income beneficiaries will have access to an enhanced Part D plan at less than $6.
For MA plans that include prescription drug coverage, after application of MA rebates, the average monthly Part D total premium is projected to decrease from $11.32 in 2026 to $7 in 2027, a decrease of $4.32 or 38 percent, CMS said.
To view premiums and costs for 2027 MA and Part D plans, visit:
www.cms.gov/medicare/coverage/prescription-drug-coverage, and select the 2027 landscape source file under “Downloads.”
For state-by-state information, important dates, and enrollment resources for MA and Part D in 2027, visit: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/2027-medicare-advantage-part-d-landscape-state-state-fact-sheets.pdf
Comments or questions? Contact Patrick Connole at pconnole@parkplacelive.com.
