BALTIMORE — September 28, 2026. The enrollment-weighted average monthly premium across Medicare Advantage plans is projected to fall to $12 in 2027 from $14.37 in 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced.
The projected decline is 16.5%. The average includes Medicare Advantage plans with prescription-drug coverage and Special Needs Plans, according to CMS’s September 28 release.
What CMS projected
CMS expects more than 99% of Medicare beneficiaries to have access to at least one Medicare Advantage plan in 2027, with 97% able to choose from 10 or more. The agency projects about 5,532 plans nationwide, compared with 5,553 in 2026.
Estimated Medicare Advantage enrollment is 34 million, or 47.4% of the Medicare population. CMS said final enrollment could be higher. Average prescription-drug premiums within Medicare Advantage are projected to fall 38%, while the average premium for a stand-alone Part D plan is projected to rise by less than $1, from $35.09 in 2026 to $36 in 2027.
Why the headline average is not a personal quote
The $12 figure is a national, enrollment-weighted projection. It is not the price every beneficiary will pay. Premiums, deductibles, drug formularies, provider networks, prior-authorization rules and supplemental benefits can differ by plan and county. A plan can also change from one year to the next.
CMS said hearing, dental and vision benefit offerings are expected to remain stable overall. “Stable” at the program level does not guarantee that a particular enrollee’s current benefits or providers will remain unchanged.
Open enrollment dates
Medicare open enrollment begins October 15, 2026, and ends December 7, 2026. Coverage selections made during that window generally take effect January 1, 2027.
Beneficiaries can compare plans through Medicare Plan Finder. Useful checks include total annual cost, whether current doctors and pharmacies participate, coverage rules for each prescription, maximum out-of-pocket limits and any extra benefits that matter to the enrollee.
The announcement concerns plan availability and premiums, not a broad assessment of health conditions. For separate public-health reporting, AskNovus recently summarized the CDC’s September measles update.
Sources
This report is general information, not individualized insurance or financial advice.
Featured photo: Vitaly Gariev via Unsplash.