Medicare is heading toward an unusually important fall enrollment season.

This week brought new attention to 2027 Medicare Part D costs, Medicare Advantage plan exits, Medicare card scams, Extra Help, and changes in how Medicare is encouraging hospitals and healthcare organizations to coordinate care.

For beneficiaries in Palm Beach County and across the country, the common theme is simple:

Don’t assume your Medicare coverage will look exactly the same in 2027.

Here’s what happened this week—and what each development could mean for people with Medicare.

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Monday: 2027 Part D Changes Put Extra Help Beneficiaries on Alert

We started the week with an important prescription drug issue.

CMS has officially announced that its temporary Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration will end after 2026.

The demonstration was introduced in 2025 to help stabilize standalone Medicare Part D premiums while insurers adjusted to major changes in the prescription drug benefit.

For 2026, CMS reduced the demonstration’s uniform premium subsidy from $15 to $10, another step toward returning standalone Part D plans to ordinary market conditions.

For 2027, the demonstration ends entirely.

CMS has confirmed that the 2027 national Part D base beneficiary premium will be $41.33, up from $38.99 in 2026.

But here’s where beneficiaries receiving Extra Help need to pay particular attention.

Extra Help Doesn’t Mean Every Part D Plan Will Always Have a $0 Premium

People receiving Medicare’s Low-Income Subsidy—better known as Extra Help—can qualify for a $0 premium when enrolled in qualifying prescription drug plans.

However, the benchmark used for this assistance varies by Part D region.

That means a plan that falls below the benchmark one year may not necessarily remain below it the following year.

As premiums and plan offerings change for 2027, some Extra Help beneficiaries could need to review their coverage to determine whether their current standalone drug plan will remain a $0-premium option.

What beneficiaries should do

Don’t make a change yet based on projections.

Instead, watch for your plan’s Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) and review the finalized 2027 Part D options once they’re released.

CMS says the finalized Medicare Advantage and Part D landscape—including final average premiums—will be released in September 2026.

For current information about assistance with prescription costs, review Medicare’s official Extra Help information.

Source: North Caroline Health News

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Tuesday: Medicare Part D Isn’t Going Away in 2027

Another Part D story gained attention this week because the end of the Premium Stabilization Demonstration has created understandable confusion.

Let’s make one thing very clear:

Medicare Part D is NOT ending in 2027.

What’s ending is the temporary Premium Stabilization Demonstration for standalone prescription drug plans.

Those aren’t the same thing.

Medicare Part D will continue providing prescription drug coverage.

What may change are individual:

• Monthly premiums
• Plan availability
• Formularies
• Drug tiers
• Preferred pharmacy networks
• Deductibles
• Copayments and coinsurance
• Standalone Part D offerings

CMS has already confirmed that the national base beneficiary premium for 2027 will be $41.33.

But that figure is not the premium every beneficiary will pay.

Individual plan premiums can differ.

CMS expects to publish the finalized 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D landscape in September.

Why September’s ANOC Will Matter

If you already have Medicare prescription coverage, one of the most important documents you’ll receive this fall is your Annual Notice of Change.

Don’t throw it away.

Compare your 2026 coverage with what your plan is offering for 2027.

Pay particular attention to:

Your medications.

Your pharmacy.

Your monthly premium.

Your deductible.

Your drug tiers.

Any formulary changes.

A familiar plan name doesn’t guarantee identical benefits next year.

Source: CMS

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Wednesday: Medicare Advantage Plan Exits Are Becoming a Bigger 2027 Story

Wednesday’s biggest development involved Medicare Advantage.

Insurers have increasingly been reducing Medicare Advantage offerings in markets where costs and profitability have become difficult to manage.

Recent reporting indicates this restructuring will continue into 2027.

One of the most significant examples is Humana, which is expected to withdraw offerings affecting approximately 600,000 Medicare Advantage members in 2027, representing roughly 8% of its Medicare Advantage membership.

Other insurers have also been reducing or exiting certain markets.

This follows substantial disruption entering 2026, when roughly 10% of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries needed to look for new coverage because of plan exits or changes.

What happens if your Medicare Advantage plan leaves?

Don’t panic.

You don’t simply lose Medicare.

If a Medicare Advantage plan’s Medicare contract isn’t renewed, Medicare provides affected beneficiaries with opportunities to choose other coverage.

Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to:

• Join another Medicare Advantage plan
• Join a Medicare drug plan
• Return to Original Medicare
• Potentially have certain additional enrollment rights

Medicare has specific Special Enrollment Periods for beneficiaries whose plans terminate or don’t renew their contracts.

Don’t Wait Until December to Read Your Mail

If your carrier is leaving your county or terminating your particular plan, you should receive notices explaining what’s happening.

Read them carefully.

The worst response is assuming:

“I’ve had this plan for years, so I’ll automatically have it next year.”

Plan availability can change annually.

If you’re affected by a non-renewal, understand your replacement options before the current plan ends.

Source: Healthcare Dive

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Thursday: Medicare Card Scams Are an Important Fall Enrollment Threat

As Medicare beneficiaries begin thinking about fall Open Enrollment, scam awareness becomes increasingly important.

One of the easiest pieces of information for a criminal to exploit is your Medicare Number.

Scammers may claim:

“We’re sending you a new Medicare card.”

Or:

“Your Medicare benefits are being canceled.”

Or:

“Medicare needs to verify your number.”

Or:

“You qualify for additional benefits, but we need your Medicare information first.”

Those statements can be used to create urgency and convince someone to disclose personal information.

Medicare’s Rule Is Simple

Treat your Medicare Number like a credit card number.

Medicare advises beneficiaries not to provide their Medicare Number or other personal information to unsolicited callers, emails, or visitors unless the beneficiary initiated the contact or gave permission to be contacted.

Medicare also warns that it will not unexpectedly call you and demand personal information or threaten to cancel your health benefits.

If someone calls claiming to be Medicare and pressures you for information:

Hang up.

You can contact Medicare directly at 1-800-MEDICARE if you need to verify whether something is legitimate.

Protect yourself this enrollment season

Never provide an unsolicited caller with your:

• Medicare Number
• Social Security Number
• Banking information
• Credit card information

Be especially cautious when someone uses urgency:

“You must act today.”

“Your benefits will expire.”

“Your Medicare card has been suspended.”

“We need your number to activate new benefits.”

Those are reasons to slow down—not speed up.

Source: The Washington Post

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Friday: Medicare Is Expanding Its Push Toward Coordinated, Technology-Enabled Care

Friday brings us away from insurance premiums and into the way Medicare pays for healthcare itself.

CMS continues to expand its focus on value-based and coordinated care.

One major example is the Medicare Shared Savings Program and other Accountable Care Organization (ACO) initiatives.

An ACO is a group of doctors, hospitals and other healthcare professionals working together to coordinate patient care.

The idea is straightforward:

Instead of having every doctor operate in isolation, providers work together to help patients receive appropriate care at the appropriate time while reducing duplicated services and preventable complications.

CMS reports that approximately 14.3 million Medicare beneficiaries are receiving care coordinated through ACOs and related accountable-care initiatives in 2026.

CMS has also proposed additional changes for 2027 intended to expand participation and strengthen financial incentives for accountable care.

Its new Long-term Enhanced ACO Design (LEAD) Model is scheduled to begin January 1, 2027 and run for 10 years.

The model places particular emphasis on:

• Care coordination
• High-needs patients
• Smaller and independent providers
• Rural healthcare providers
• Preventive care
• Medicare and Medicaid coordination

Technology Is Becoming Part of the Hospital Story Too

At the hospital level, Medicare also maintains the New Technology Add-on Payment (NTAP) pathway.

NTAP allows qualifying new medical technologies used in inpatient settings to receive additional Medicare payments when applicable requirements are met.

For FY 2027, CMS has been evaluating new technology applications as part of the inpatient hospital payment rulemaking process.

The broader direction is important:

Medicare increasingly wants healthcare to become more coordinated, data-driven and focused on preventing expensive complications rather than simply paying after problems occur.

That doesn’t mean an AI algorithm will suddenly replace your physician.

It means technologies capable of helping clinicians identify risks, coordinate treatment or improve hospital care are becoming increasingly relevant to Medicare payment and healthcare delivery.

Source: PR News Wire

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The Bigger Medicare Story This Week

At first glance, these five stories look unrelated.

Part D.

Extra Help.

Medicare Advantage.

Scams.

Healthcare technology.

But there’s a common thread.

Medicare is changing—and beneficiaries need to become more active consumers of their coverage.

The days of assuming:

“I’ll just keep the same Medicare plan forever.”

can create problems.

Your insurer can change benefits.

Your Medicare Advantage plan can leave your county.

Your Part D premium can change.

Your prescriptions can move tiers.

Your preferred pharmacy can change.

Fraudsters can exploit enrollment confusion.

And the healthcare system itself is changing how Medicare patients receive coordinated care.

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Five Things Medicare Beneficiaries Should Do Before Fall Enrollment

1. Read your Annual Notice of Change

Don’t automatically throw insurance mail away.

2. Review every prescription

Check the formulary and expected costs for 2027.

3. Verify your doctors

Especially if you have Medicare Advantage.

4. Protect your Medicare Number

Don’t give it to unsolicited callers.

5. Don’t assume your 2026 plan is automatically your best option for 2027

Review first.

Then decide.

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Palm Beach County Medicare Beneficiaries: Start Preparing Now

Open Enrollment doesn’t begin until October 15, but that doesn’t mean you should wait until then to start paying attention.

September is when finalized plan information and Annual Notices of Change become especially important.

That gives beneficiaries time to understand:

• What changed
• What stayed the same
• Whether their plan is returning
• Whether doctors remain in network
• Whether medications remain covered
• Whether premiums changed
• Whether another option deserves consideration

Medicare Plan Assistance will continue breaking down the important Medicare developments as 2027 plan information becomes available.

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Need Help Understanding a Medicare Change?

If you’ve received a Medicare letter you don’t understand, learned that your plan may be changing, or simply want help understanding your Medicare options, you don’t have to sort through everything alone.

Medicare Plan Assistance provides Medicare guidance for beneficiaries throughout Palm Beach County and beyond.

📞 Call Medicare Plan Assistance at (561) 808-9410.

We can help you understand Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, Medicare Part D, enrollment periods and other Medicare coverage questions.

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Final Thoughts

If there is one takeaway from this week’s Medicare news, it’s this:

Pay attention to your Medicare mail this fall.

2027 is shaping up to bring meaningful changes across the Medicare marketplace.

CMS is ending its temporary standalone Part D premium stabilization demonstration.

Some Medicare Advantage insurers are reducing their geographic footprints.

Extra Help beneficiaries need to watch which prescription plans qualify for $0 premiums in their regions.

Scammers are taking advantage of Medicare confusion.

And CMS continues moving Original Medicare toward more coordinated, value-based care.

You don’t need to become a Medicare policy expert.

But you should know when something affecting your doctors, prescriptions, premiums or coverage has changed.

Medicare Plan Assistance will continue monitoring these developments and explaining what they mean in plain English.

📞 Questions? Call Medicare Plan Assistance at (561) 808-9410.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Medicare Part D ending in 2027?

No. Medicare Part D is not ending. CMS is ending the temporary Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration for standalone prescription drug plans after 2026. Medicare prescription drug coverage will continue in 2027.

What is the 2027 Medicare Part D base beneficiary premium?

CMS announced a 2027 national base beneficiary premium of $41.33. This is used in calculating plan-specific basic Part D premiums and does not mean every beneficiary will pay $41.33 per month.

Could my Medicare Advantage plan disappear in 2027?

Yes. Medicare Advantage insurers can change their service areas or decide not to renew particular plans. Beneficiaries affected by a non-renewal receive notices and may qualify for enrollment opportunities to choose replacement coverage.

What happens if my Medicare Advantage plan isn’t renewed?

Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to join another Medicare Advantage plan, return to Original Medicare or make other coverage changes during a Special Enrollment Period.

Does Extra Help guarantee every Part D plan has a $0 premium?

No. Extra Help provides substantial assistance with Medicare prescription drug costs, but $0-premium plan availability depends partly on regional subsidy benchmarks and individual plan premiums.

Will Medicare call me and ask for my Medicare Number?

Medicare says it won’t make unsolicited calls asking you to provide personal or private information except in limited circumstances. If an unexpected caller asks for your Medicare Number or threatens to cancel your benefits, hang up and contact Medicare directly.

What is an Accountable Care Organization?

An ACO is a group of doctors, hospitals and other healthcare providers that works together to coordinate care for Medicare patients with the goal of improving quality and reducing unnecessary spending.

Where can I get local Medicare help in Palm Beach County?

Medicare Plan Assistance helps beneficiaries throughout Palm Beach County understand Medicare coverage and enrollment options. Call (561) 808-9410 for assistance.