How to Compare Medicare Plans for 2027 (Without Getting Overwhelmed)

Here's the short answer. Comparing Medicare plans for 2027 comes down to four things, checked in order: your drug costs, your doctor's network, the total estimated yearly cost, and the plan's star rating as a tiebreaker. Do this during Open Enrollment, October 15 through December 7, 2026, using Medicare Plan Finder. You don't have to review every plan in your area — narrowing to 2 or 3 finalists is enough.

How to find 2027 Medicare Advantage plans

Use Medicare Plan Finder, the official tool on Medicare.gov. It lists Medicare Advantage plans, with or without drug coverage, that serve your area. You can also use it to compare Medicare drug plans.

What you need before you search

• Part A and Part B. You need both to join a Medicare Advantage plan.
• Your address. You must live in the plan's service area.
• Your Medicare Number and coverage start dates. Both are on your Medicare card.
• Your drug list and doctor names. The steps below use them.

When you can switch to a 2027 plan

During Open Enrollment, October 15 to December 7, you can join, drop, or switch Medicare Advantage plans. You can also go between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage. Your new coverage starts January 1, as long as the plan gets your request by December 7. Already in a Medicare Advantage plan? You also have a second window, January 1 to March 31.

Once you have your list of plans, follow the four steps below to narrow it down.

Step 1: Start with your drugs, not the premium

The biggest cost difference between two plans is usually prescription drugs, not the monthly premium. List every drug you take, including the dose, and enter them into Plan Finder. Two plans can charge the same premium and still differ by hundreds of dollars a month once you add up what each one charges for your specific prescriptions. Check the tier each drug lands on — tier 1 usually costs less than tier 3 or 4 — and look for coverage rules like prior authorization or step therapy that could slow down a refill. See our full Plan Finder walkthrough for the exact screens.

Step 2: Confirm your doctors are actually in-network

Plan Finder shows whether a doctor is listed as in-network, but that information isn't always current. Make a short list of the doctors that matter most to you — primary care, any specialists, your eye doctor or dentist if relevant — and call each office directly: "I'm considering plan XYZ for 2027. Are you in their network, and are you accepting new patients?" This ten-minute call catches problems Plan Finder's directory misses.

Step 3: Compare the total estimated yearly cost

Plan Finder's headline number for each plan is the total estimated cost: premium, deductible, copays, and coinsurance all added up for a year, based on the drugs and pharmacy you entered. Compare this number, not the premium alone — a plan with a low premium can still have a high total cost once drug copays and an out-of-pocket maximum are factored in. See Understanding Your Costs for how premium, deductible, copay, coinsurance, and the out-of-pocket maximum fit together.

Step 4: Use star ratings as the tiebreaker

Once you've narrowed to 2 or 3 plans with similar total costs and networks that work for you, star ratings are a reasonable tiebreaker. They reflect customer satisfaction, quality, and service, but they don't measure whether a plan covers your specific drugs affordably — that's still steps 1 through 3. If a 5-star plan is available where you live, you can also switch to it once outside the usual enrollment windows, between December 8 and November 30 of the following year.

What to ignore while comparing

• Mailers and unsolicited calls. Open Enrollment season brings a wave of ads and calls; Medicare and Medicare plans have rules about how they may contact you. Never give your Medicare number to someone who calls you out of the blue. See Medicare scams.
• Extra perks as the deciding factor. Dental, vision, hearing, or a flex card can be nice, but they shouldn't outweigh whether your drugs and doctors are covered. See dental, vision, and hearing extras.
• The idea that you must switch. If nothing important changed in your Annual Notice of Change and your current plan still passes steps 1 through 3, staying put is a legitimate choice, not a failure to compare.

If you're choosing between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage

This page assumes you already know which path you're on. If you're deciding between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage in the first place, Choosing Coverage walks through that decision without favoring either option, and Medicare Advantage explains how the private-plan alternative works.

Common questions

Official sources

• Medicare Plan Finder
• Medicare.gov: Joining a plan
• Medicare.gov: Special Enrollment Periods
• Medicare.gov: Your health plan options