Comparing Medicare Advantage Across States in 2027

Last updated October 26, 2026

Over 11,000 American seniors turn 65 every day.

Over 70 million Americans – mostly age 65 and older – are enrolled in Medicare.

Original Medicare (Parts A and B) is administered by the federal government and is available to qualified beneficiaries in all states. Private Medicare insurance plans such as Part C and Part D plans are offered by insurance companies and – unlike Original Medicare – are offered in limited areas. A Medicare beneficiary can only enroll in a private Medicare plan if it’s offered in their ZIP code.

Over 36 million Medicare beneficiaries (over half of all Medicare enrollees) are enrolled in a type of private Medicare plan called a Medicare Advantage plan. Another 25 million are enrolled in a stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plan (PDP).

Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plans (MAPDs)

Also known as Medicare Part C, Medicare Advantage plans are sold by private insurance companies and replace a beneficiary’s government-provided Original Medicare coverage.

Medicare Advantage plans offer all the same benefits of Original Medicare, and many plans may offer additional benefits that Original Medicare doesn’t cover, such as prescription drug coverage. In 2026, 89% of all Medicare Advantage plans included prescription drug coverage.

Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs)

Also known as Medicare Part D, these plans provide coverage exclusively for retail prescription drugs, which aren’t typically covered by federally-provided Original Medicare (Medicare Parts A and B).

Beneficiaries can have either a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MAPD) plan, a standalone Part D plan (PDP) or neither, but they cannot have both.

Private Medicare insurance can vary greatly from one state — or even one county or zip code — to the next. Some seniors may live in an area where numerous affordable and high-quality plan options are offered, while others may live in an area with a number of high cost plans and scarce selection.

Best States for Medicare: Overview

In this report, we determine where Medicare beneficiaries have access to the widest range of quality private Medicare plans at the most affordable prices. To do this, we compared plan data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for the 50 states, using two primary factors:

• Affordability
  We factored the average premium and the average annual medical deductible.
  
  
• Quality
  We highlighted the percentage of plans that are ranked four stars or higher based on the Medicare Star Rating system. All Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare Part D drug plans are assigned an annual star rating by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). One-star plans are determined to be lowest quality, and plans rated four stars or higher are considered “highly-rated” plans.

Read on for our findings and for insight on the future of Medicare in America from two licensed insurance agents.

2027 National Average Medicare Premiums, Deductibles and Quality

The average 2027 MAPD premium is $8.66 per month, though many areas may offer plans that feature $0 monthly premiums. The average deductible for the medical coverage offered by MAPD plans is $32.90 for the year, partly due to the number of plans that feature $0 medical deductibles.

The average in-network maximum out-of-pocket spending limit (MOOP) in 2027 is $6,741.02 for MAPD plans. No Medicare Advantage plan can have an out-of-pocket spending limit higher than $9,250 in 2026.

Best States for Medicare: 2027 Average Medicare Costs by State

Factors in Medicare Advantage Premiums

The national average cost of a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plan in 2026 is $11.64 per month. But as you can see from the table above, the cost of an MA-PD plan can vary quite dramatically by location.

Some of the factors that can influence a state’s average premium is the local cost of living, competition among insurance companies, supplemental benefits that are offered by the plan and the quality of the plan’s coverage.

Medicare Advantage Plan Quality by State

Every year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services rates all Medicare Advantage plans according to a five-star scale based on various quality metrics. Three stars represents a plan of average quality, while four stars is considered above average and five stars is excellent.

The metrics used in scoring a plan include:

1. Preventive care and improvements in member health
2. Chronic condition management
3. Member satisfaction
4. Member complaints and turnover
5. Customer service

Is Medicare different in each state?

Medicare coverage is a federal program and will be the same from state to state, though costs and slight differences may exist.

Methodology

This article used data provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The 2027 MA Landscape Source Files as well as carrier-provided plan data provided by Sun Fire Inc. were used for analysis.

Fair Use Statement

Of course we would love for you to share our work with others. We just ask that if you do, please grant us the proper citation with a link to this study so that we may be given credit for our efforts.

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