Out-of-Pocket Max Up? 2027 Medicare Advantage in Maricopa
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.
Key takeaways
- 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.
- Of the 44 plan IDs offered in both years, 20 raised their out-of-pocket maximum, 1 lowered it and 23 kept it the same.
- 8 plan IDs in the 2026 file are not in the 2027 file and 8 are new. A missing ID can be a merger into another plan, so your Annual Notice of Change is the document that tells you what happens to you.
- Annual Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7, 2026, for coverage that starts January 1, 2027.
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The short answer: the number of Medicare Advantage plans in Maricopa County did not change for 2027, but the protection inside many of them did. The CMS plan landscape files show 52 plans in both years, yet the average in-network out-of-pocket maximum climbed by about $336, and 20 of the 44 plans that carried over raised their cap.
That matters more than most headline changes, because the out-of-pocket maximum is the most you would pay in a bad year for covered in-network care. A plan can keep the same $0 premium and the same name and still ask more of you if you are hospitalized or need ongoing treatment.
We pulled both years of CMS data for Maricopa County and lined them up plan ID by plan ID. Below is what moved, what stayed put, and the short list of things worth checking in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe and the rest of the East Valley before Annual Enrollment closes on December 7.
How many Medicare Advantage plans are in Maricopa County for 2027?
There are 52 Medicare Advantage plans in Maricopa County for 2027, the same number as 2026, offered by 13 carriers. That count leaves out Special Needs Plans, which only people with certain conditions, Medicaid (AHCCCS) eligibility or a nursing home stay can join. There are 40 of those for 2027, up from 36.
| Measure | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Medicare Advantage plans | 52 | 52 |
| Carriers | 13 | 13 |
| Plans with a $0 Part C premium | 49 | 50 |
| Plans with a $0 total (Part C plus D) premium | 40 | 39 |
| Plans that include Part D drug coverage | 46 | 45 |
| Lowest in-network out-of-pocket max | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| Highest in-network out-of-pocket max | $7,900 | $8,900 |
| Average in-network out-of-pocket max | $4,560 | $4,896 |
| Special Needs Plans (counted separately) | 36 | 40 |
The carrier list is also unchanged in name: Aetna Medicare, Alignment Health Plan, Banner Medicare Advantage, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (AZ Blue), Devoted Health, HealthSpring, Humana, SCAN Health Plan, UnitedHealthcare, Verda Health Plan of Arizona, Wellcare, Wellpoint, eternalHealth. What changed is the line-up inside some of those carriers, which is where the plan ID comparison below comes in.
Did out-of-pocket maximums go up in Maricopa County for 2027?
Yes, on average. The average in-network out-of-pocket maximum across Maricopa County Medicare Advantage plans went from $4,560 in 2026 to $4,896 in 2027. The lowest stayed at $2,000; the highest rose from $7,900 to $8,900.
Source: Plan ID comparison of the CMS CY2026 and CY2027 landscape files for Maricopa County, non-SNP plans.
Some of the increases are small, as little as $50 on a cap of several thousand. Others are larger: in the CMS files we found renewing plans whose cap rose by $900, $1,000 or $1,200. If you stay put, the change takes effect January 1 whether you read your mail or not.
Why it matters: in a quiet year you may never get close to the cap, and the premium and copays you pay at the doctor are what you feel. In a year with a surgery, a hospital stay, cancer treatment or dialysis, the out-of-pocket maximum is the number that decides your bill. People who were comfortable with a plan at one cap should look again at the new one.
Which Maricopa County plans are new or missing for 2027?
8 plan IDs that appear in the 2026 Maricopa County file do not appear in the 2027 file, and 8 new plan IDs appear. By carrier, the IDs missing from 2027 belong to Aetna Medicare (4), Wellcare (2), HealthSpring (1) and eternalHealth (1). The new IDs come from Devoted Health (3), UnitedHealthcare (1), Aetna Medicare (1), AZ Blue (1), Humana (1) and SCAN Health Plan (1).
Special Needs Plans moved too. Maricopa County has 10 Dual Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) for people with both Medicare and AHCCCS in 2027, compared with 11 in 2026, and 25 Chronic Condition plans (C-SNPs) compared with 20. Most C-SNPs focus on diabetes, heart failure and cardiovascular disorders; a few focus on chronic kidney disease or lung disease.
Is Pinal County different?
Slightly. If you live in San Tan Valley, Queen Creek's Pinal County side, Maricopa (the city), Casa Grande or Apache Junction's Pinal side, your county is Pinal, and the 2027 menu is a little smaller: 47 Medicare Advantage plans from 10 carriers, 45 with a $0 Part C premium, and an average in-network out-of-pocket maximum of $4,980.
| Measure | Maricopa | Pinal |
|---|---|---|
| Medicare Advantage plans | 52 | 47 |
| Carriers | 13 | 10 |
| $0 Part C premium | 50 | 45 |
| Average in-network out-of-pocket max | $4,896 | $4,980 |
| Plans rated 4 stars or higher (2026 star rating) | 15 | 13 |
| Special Needs Plans | 40 | 24 |
Plans are filed county by county, so a plan your neighbor across the county line has may not be open to you. Always check by ZIP code.
Pinal County, 2026 vs 2027
We ran the same plan ID comparison for Pinal County. The count went from 46 plans in 2026 to 47 in 2027, from the same 10 carriers, and the out-of-pocket story matches Maricopa: the average in-network maximum rose from $4,641 to $4,980, and 19 of the 40 plans offered in both years raised their cap.
| Measure | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Medicare Advantage plans | 46 | 47 |
| Carriers | 10 | 10 |
| Plans with a $0 Part C premium | 43 | 45 |
| Plans with a $0 total (Part C plus D) premium | 34 | 35 |
| Plans that include Part D drug coverage | 40 | 41 |
| Lowest in-network out-of-pocket max | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| Highest in-network out-of-pocket max | $7,900 | $8,900 |
| Average in-network out-of-pocket max | $4,641 | $4,980 |
| Plan IDs offered in both years that raised the max | Base year | 19 |
| Special Needs Plans (counted separately) | 22 | 24 |
Carriers in Pinal County both years: Aetna Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (AZ Blue), Devoted Health, HealthSpring, Humana, SCAN Health Plan, UnitedHealthcare, Wellcare, Wellpoint, eternalHealth. 6 plan IDs in the 2026 Pinal file are not in the 2027 file (Aetna Medicare 2, Wellcare 2, HealthSpring 1, eternalHealth 1) and 7 are new (Devoted Health 3, Aetna Medicare 1, AZ Blue 1, Humana 1, SCAN Health Plan 1). As in Maricopa, a missing ID can be a merger, so check your Annual Notice of Change.
What to do, by budget
- Lowest monthly cost matters most. Most plans in both counties have a $0 Part C premium (45 of 47 in Pinal, 50 of 52 in Maricopa). Compare those on the out-of-pocket maximum, which runs from $2,000 to $8,900 in both counties, because that is what a hard year costs.
- You want to cap a bad year. Sort by the out-of-pocket maximum first and premium second. A plan that charges a small premium but has a much lower cap can cost less in a year with a hospital stay.
- Your prescriptions are the big cost. Price each drug on each plan, including the Part D deductible and tier. Covered drug costs are capped at $2,100 in 2026, and the CMS 2027 landscape lists $2,400 for 2027.
- You would rather pay a steady premium for predictable bills. Look at Original Medicare with a Medicare Supplement and a Part D plan, keeping in mind that Medigap health questions can apply outside your first enrollment window.
- You have AHCCCS as well, or a chronic condition. Ask about Special Needs Plans. Pinal County has 24 for 2027 (10 Dual Special Needs Plans and 14 Chronic Condition plans), and Maricopa has 40.
What should I check before December 7?
Start with your own plan, not the market. Five checks cover most of what goes wrong in January:
- The out-of-pocket maximum. Compare 2026 to 2027 on page one of your Annual Notice of Change.
- Your doctors and hospital system. Networks in the Valley change every year. Confirm each doctor by name, and the hospital you would actually go to.
- Every prescription. Check the 2027 drug list (formulary), the tier and any prior authorization. The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026, and the CMS 2027 landscape lists $2,400 for 2027.
- The extras you use. Dental allowances, over-the-counter cards and Part B givebacks are reset each year and are the easiest benefits to trim quietly.
- Whether your plan ID is still there. If you received a non-renewal letter, you must choose new coverage or you will default to Original Medicare.
Prefer to learn in a group first? Viola runs free Medicare workshops online and in Chandler; see the workshop schedule or the events calendar. The official handbook, Medicare & You 2027, is also worth keeping beside you.
The bottom line
Maricopa County still has plenty of Medicare Advantage choice for 2027, with 52 plans and 13 carriers. The quiet change is the out-of-pocket maximum: it rose on 20 of the 44 plans that carried over. Read your Annual Notice of Change, check your doctors and drugs, and make any change by December 7.
Frequently asked questions
How many Medicare Advantage plans are available in Maricopa County for 2027?
52 Medicare Advantage plans from 13 carriers, not counting 40 Special Needs Plans, according to the CMS CY2027 landscape file.
What is the highest out-of-pocket maximum on a Maricopa County Medicare Advantage plan in 2027?
$8,900 in network, up from $7,900 in 2026. The lowest is $2,000 and the average is $4,896.
My plan is not on the 2027 list. Am I losing coverage?
Not necessarily. Plans are often merged into another plan with a new ID. Your Annual Notice of Change or non-renewal letter says which applies to you. If your plan is not renewing, you get a Special Enrollment Period in addition to Annual Enrollment.
When can I change my Medicare Advantage plan for 2027?
During Annual Enrollment, October 15 to December 7, 2026, with coverage starting January 1, 2027. After that, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31 allows one change for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan.
Sources
- CMS Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape, Contract Year 2027 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- CMS Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape, Contract Year 2026 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- Medicare & You 2027 handbook Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Please note: We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.Rise Up Benefits Group is not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program. Medicare has neither endorsed nor reviewed this information. This article is general information, not medical, tax or legal advice.
