Your plan's 2027 Annual Notice of Change answers three questions: what you have, how to use it, and what it covers. Here is how to read it in that order, with the national numbers behind each one.
The Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) is the letter your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan must send so it reaches you by September 30. It lists what changes on January 1, 2027.
Read it in three passes. What you have: is your plan renewing, merging or ending? In the CMS 2027 plan crosswalk, 808 plans or plan areas fold into another plan and 1,006 end.
No. As of October 30, 2026, the enhanced ACA premium tax credits have not been extended. They ended December 31, 2025, and 2027 coverage uses the original rules: help stops above 400% of the poverty level, and the IRS 2027 percentages run from 2.15% to 10.22% of income.
No extension is law. The enhanced premium tax credits ended on December 31, 2025. A three-year extension, H.R. 1834, passed the House on January 8, 2026, and has waited on the Senate calendar since February 10, 2026 (Congress.gov, checked October 30, 2026).
For 2027 coverage the 400% income line applies: $63,840 for one person and $132,000 for a family of four, from the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines.
Every Medicare drug plan publishes a new drug list for 2027. Most common drugs stayed put, but thousands of plan listings moved a drug to a higher tier or added prior authorization. Here is what changed and how to check yours before December 7.
Across 4,748 renewing Medicare drug plans and the 100 most-prescribed Part D drugs, 90.6% of plan and drug pairs kept the same tier for 2027.
The rest moved: 2.0% went to a higher, usually costlier tier, 7.4% went to a lower tier, and 354 pairs were dropped from the drug list.
Maricopa County keeps 52 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, but the average in-network out-of-pocket maximum rose and 20 renewing plans raised theirs. Here is what changed and what to check before December 7.
Maricopa County has 52 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027 (not counting Special Needs Plans), the same count as 2026, from 13 carriers.
The average in-network out-of-pocket maximum rose from $4,560 in 2026 to $4,896 in 2027, and the highest went from $7,900 to $8,900.
Original Medicare works with any provider that takes Medicare in any state, while most Medicare Advantage plans in Maricopa County are built around local networks. Here is how to choose coverage when you live in two places, and what to do about trips abroad and visiting family.
Original Medicare works with any doctor or hospital in the U.S. that accepts Medicare, which is why many snowbirds pair it with a Medicare Supplement.
Most Maricopa County Medicare Advantage plans for 2027 are network plans: 29 HMO and 7 HMO-POS plans, compared with 14 PPO and 2 Regional PPO plans (not counting Special Needs Plans).
Open enrollment for 2027 Marketplace coverage in Arizona runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. The bigger story is the income cap on tax credits, which came back in 2026. Here is what that means for your renewal.
Arizona uses HealthCare.gov. Open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027; enroll by December 15 for coverage that starts January 1.
The enhanced premium tax credits expired at the end of 2025. For 2026 coverage, credits generally stop above 400% of the federal poverty level: $62,600 for a single person and $84,600 for a couple.
You cannot put money into an HSA once any part of Medicare starts, and Part A can be backdated up to 6 months. Here is how to time your last contribution, what the 2026 limits are, and how to spend the balance in retirement.
Once you are enrolled in any part of Medicare, including premium-free Part A, you can no longer contribute to a Health Savings Account.
If you sign up for Medicare after 65, premium-free Part A is backdated up to 6 months (never earlier than the month you turned 65). Stop contributing about 6 months before you apply to avoid a tax problem.
Your plan mailed a 2027 Annual Notice of Change by September 30. It lists every change that starts January 1. Here is how to read it in 20 minutes and what to do before December 7.
The Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) is the letter your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan mails by September 30. It lists what changes on January 1, 2027.
It is worth reading this year: in Maricopa County, 20 of the 44 Medicare Advantage plans offered in both 2026 and 2027 raised their in-network out-of-pocket maximum.
Medicare Advantage plans in Maricopa County cap in-network costs at between $2,000 and $8,900 for 2027, and daily hospital copays are how many people reach that cap. Here is when a hospital indemnity plan fills that gap, and when it does not.
Hospital indemnity pays a fixed cash amount to you when you are admitted to the hospital. It is not health insurance and does not replace your Medicare plan.
Its job is the gap a Medicare Advantage plan leaves: daily inpatient copays, up to the plan's out-of-pocket maximum. In Maricopa County for 2027 those maximums run from $2,000 to $8,900 in network, averaging $4,896.
Published October 3, 2026 · Chandler, AZ
Showing 9 of 18 articles · Page 1 of 2
FAQ
Common questions
Who writes the Rise Up Benefits Group blog?
Articles are written by the Rise Up Benefits Group Data Desk and reviewed by Viola Lucero, CLTC, the agency's founder and a licensed insurance agent in Chandler, Arizona.
Where do the numbers in these articles come from?
From official sources: the CMS Medicare plan landscape files for 2027 plan data, CMS and Medicare.gov for 2026 Medicare costs, HealthCare.gov and the IRS for Marketplace rules, and named surveys for long-term care costs. Every article lists its sources with links.
Can someone go over my own plan with me?
Yes. Book a plan review through the contact page or call (480) 300-5776. Viola also runs free Medicare workshops online and in Chandler, AZ.
How current are the figures in the articles?
Medicare plan figures, such as plan counts, premiums and out-of-pocket maximums, come from the CMS plan files for 2027. Federal Medicare amounts, such as the Part B premium, are the 2026 values, because CMS usually announces the 2027 amounts around November 2026. Marketplace articles use the 2026 income rules and the 2027 open enrollment dates. Each article shows the date it was published and lists its sources.
Is Rise Up Benefits Group part of Medicare or the government?
No. Rise Up Benefits Group is an independent insurance agency. We are not a government office. For official information, Medicare.gov is the Medicare website, HealthCare.gov is the official Marketplace in most states, and each state runs its own Medicaid program. Our articles link to those official sources so you can check the rules yourself.
Can I use these articles instead of personal advice?
Please use them as a starting point. The articles are general information, not medical, tax or legal advice, and your own costs depend on your plan, your health, your income and where you live. For tax questions, such as HSA contributions or tax credits, check with your tax professional. For coverage questions, a plan review looks at your actual doctors, drugs and budget.
Does a plan review with Viola cost anything?
No. There is no cost to you to sit down with us and review your coverage, and there is no pressure to change anything. Bring your plan papers, your list of doctors and your prescriptions to our Chandler, AZ office, or call (480) 300-5776 to go over them by phone. We speak insurance, so you don't have to.
Where is your office, and when are you open?
Our office is at 2160 North Alma School Road, Suite 102, Chandler, AZ 85224. We are open Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM. Please call ahead at (480) 300-5776 to book a time, so Viola or a member of the team is ready for you. You can also reach us by email at [email protected].
Can you help me if I live in another state?
Often, yes. Some articles use Arizona plan data, because that is where our office is, but the federal Medicare and Marketplace rules they explain apply across the country. Viola Lucero is licensed in 29 states plus DC. Call (480) 300-5776 and we will tell you whether we can help where you live.
We speak insurance, so you don't have to.
Book a free, no-pressure review with Viola in person in Chandler, AZ, or by phone or video from any state where she is licensed. Bring your questions; leave with answers.
