Medicare Advantage Premiums Drop 16.5% for 2027 as Out-of-Pocket Caps Rise to $9,850
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Nov 9
Medicare Advantage Premiums Drop 16.5% for 2027 as Out-of-Pocket Caps Rise to $9,850
1 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Nov 9
Summary
$12 is the projected average monthly Medicare Advantage premium for 2027, down from $14.37, but the savings amount to only a little over $2 a month.
Higher cost-sharing may erase that benefit: agents say some 2027 plans are raising specialist co-pays, prescription deductibles and annual out-of-pocket limits, with the maximum cap increasing to $9,850 from $9,250.
Benefit trims can hit harder than the premium cut — including smaller dental allowances, reduced over-the-counter benefits and lower reimbursements toward Medicare Part B premiums.
Before open enrollment ends Dec. 7, beneficiaries are being urged to review annual notices of change, confirm doctors, hospitals, drugs and pharmacies remain in network, and compare plans on Medicare's Plan Finder.
Plan discontinuations can also create a 63-day guaranteed-issue window to buy Medigap without medical underwriting, making total coverage costs more important than the headline premium.