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Zing Medicare Advantage Plans 2027: Who Qualifies & Is It Good?

Reviewed by Russell Noga, Licensed Medicare Insurance Broker (all 50 states) — Last updated October 9, 2026

KEY TAKEAWAY

Zing Health is a small Chicago-based Medicare Advantage insurer that is growing for 2027, from 52 counties to 63 across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and Mississippi. Its plans are built for people with certain chronic conditions, and its star ratings have been below average, so check whether you qualify and how your exact plan is rated before you enroll.

Zing Medicare Advantage plans 2027 are now viewable on Medicare Plan Finder. Zing is not a household name like Humana or UnitedHealthcare. It is a young, physician-backed insurer that started selling Medicare Advantage in January 2020 and focuses on members who manage ongoing health conditions.

While many large carriers are pulling back for 2027, Zing is one of the few insurers adding counties. Below is what Zing is, who can join, where it sells plans, how its quality scores really look, and how to decide whether a Zing plan is right for you.

✔ Licensed across all 50 states✔ Built on CMS 2027 data✔ No-cost plan comparison

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2027 STAR RATINGS UPDATE — OCTOBER 9, 2026

Zing Health’s star ratings improved for 2027. Its rated Medicare Advantage contracts are listed at 3.5 stars, up from 2.5 stars for its main contract in 2026.

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2027: 3.5 stars.

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Context: the national average is 3.99 stars, so Zing is still below average, but it moved in the right direction in a year when many plans slipped.

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What to check: the 2027 rating on the specific Zing plan in your county, plus whether your doctors and drugs are covered.

Ratings shown elsewhere on this page are from 2025 and 2026. See the full 2027 Medicare Advantage star ratings.

Zing Medicare Advantage Plans 2027: At A Glance

Zing Medicare Advantage plans 2027 grow from 52 to 63 counties in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and Mississippi
Measure Zing Health
Headquarters Chicago, Illinois
Selling Medicare Advantage since January 2020
States Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and Mississippi (select counties)
2027 footprint 63 counties, up from 52 in 2026 (+21%)
Plan type HMO, offered as a Chronic Condition Special Needs Plan (C-SNP)
Star rating 3.5 stars for 2025; 2.5 stars for 2026 (contract H4624)

Plans and benefits vary by county. Zing only sells in select counties of its six states, and its 2027 premiums, copays and extra benefits are listed plan by plan. Not all plans offer all benefits. Enter your ZIP code to see what is available where you live.

Is Zing A Medicare Advantage Plan?

Zing Health Medicare Advantage star ratings: 3.5 stars for 2025 and 2.5 stars for 2026

Yes. Zing Health is a private insurance company with a Medicare contract to sell Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans. When you join a Zing plan, Zing replaces Original Medicare as the company that pays your hospital and medical claims, and its plans typically include Part D prescription drug coverage. You keep paying your Part B premium.

What makes Zing different is who its plans are for. Zing describes itself as a Chronic Condition Special Needs Plan insurer. A C-SNP is a type of Medicare Advantage HMO limited to people with specific long-term conditions, built around care coordination for those conditions. Zing was founded with backing from Health2047, a venture fund started by the American Medical Association.

HMO rules apply. You generally need to use doctors and hospitals in Zing’s network and live in its service area. Emergency and urgent care are covered anywhere in the United States.

Who Can Join A Zing Plan

Because Zing’s plans are Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans, eligibility is narrower than a standard Medicare Advantage plan. In general you need to:

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Have Medicare Part A and Part B.

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Live in a county Zing serves in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee or Mississippi.

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Have a qualifying chronic condition. C-SNPs commonly cover conditions such as diabetes, chronic heart failure and cardiovascular disorders. The plan confirms your condition with your doctor after you apply.

Which conditions qualify depends on the specific Zing plan, so confirm the list for the plan in your county before you apply. If you do not have a qualifying condition, a standard Medicare Advantage HMO or PPO from another carrier is the comparison to make.

Where Zing Offers Plans In 2027

Zing grows from 52 counties in 2026 to 63 for 2027, according to CMS county data reported by Becker’s. That makes it one of the faster-growing smaller insurers this year, while larger carriers such as Wellcare, Humana and Aetna pull back. Here is what the 2027 market looks like in Zing’s states:

State 2027 Medicare Advantage Market What It Means
Illinois 157 to 136 plans; average premium $7.11 Blue Cross of Illinois cuts to 7 counties, so Zing is one of the remaining options in its areas
Indiana 127 to 140 plans; average premium $9.27 More choice overall, so compare Zing against new options
Michigan 192 to 181 plans; average premium $16.21 Devoted Health enters Michigan for 2027, adding a new competitor
Ohio 212 to 180 plans Wellcare drops to Special Needs Plans only, so many Ohioans are shopping
Tennessee 132 to 155 plans Wellcare leaves the state, but overall choice grows
Mississippi Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi exits Medicare Advantage Displaced members may see Zing as an option in its select counties

Source: CMS 2027 Medicare Advantage landscape data as reported October 1, 2026. Zing serves select counties only; confirm by ZIP code.

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Is Zing A Good Medicare Advantage Plan?

This is the part to be straight about. Zing’s quality scores have been below average. Its Medicare Advantage contract H4624 earned 3.5 stars for 2025, then dropped to 2.5 stars for 2026. Zing says the drop came from the February 2024 cyberattack on Change Healthcare, which disrupted claims payments across the industry, and that it expects its 2027 ratings to better reflect quality improvements it has made.

There is also history to know. In early 2024, CMS placed enrollment and marketing sanctions on an earlier Zing drug plan contract and moved to terminate it at the end of 2024 after it was rated below 3 stars for three years in a row. Zing continues to sell under its current contract.

CHECK THE 2027 RATING FIRST

CMS publishes new star ratings each October. Look up the 2027 rating for the exact Zing plan in your county on Medicare Plan Finder before you enroll. A plan rated below 3 stars for three straight years can be flagged by Medicare as a low-performing plan.

The honest answer: Zing can be worth a look if you have a qualifying chronic condition, your doctors are in its network, and you want a plan built around managing that condition. If quality scores are your top priority, compare it against higher-rated plans in your county. Our 2027 Medicare Advantage star ratings guide explains what the scores measure, and the best Medicare Advantage plans 2027 ranks the major carriers.

Zing Health Reviews: What To Look At

Online reviews of any health plan skew toward unhappy members, so they are a weak guide on their own. The more reliable way to review a Zing plan is to check the same measures Medicare uses:

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Overall star rating: the 2027 rating for the plan in your county.

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Member experience scores: part of the star rating, showing how members rate getting care and customer service.

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Complaints and appeals: how often members complain to Medicare and how appeals are handled.

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Network: whether your own doctors, specialists and hospital are in the plan.

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Drug coverage: whether your prescriptions are on the formulary and at what tier.

Zing’s own stated focus is care coordination for members with chronic conditions. Ask how that works in practice, such as care team access and help with appointments, and compare it with what other plans in your county offer.

What Zing Plans May Include In 2027

Every Zing plan must cover everything Original Medicare covers. Beyond that, benefits vary by plan and county. Depending on the plan and area, 2027 Zing plans may include:

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Part D prescription drug coverage built into the plan

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Care coordination and condition management for your chronic condition

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Routine dental, vision and hearing benefits

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An over-the-counter allowance and help with healthy food for members who qualify

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Transportation to medical appointments in some areas

Not all plans offer all benefits. For 2027, the maximum Part D deductible is $700 and the yearly cap on covered drug costs is $2,400, and the national average Medicare Advantage premium is $12 a month. Check the plan’s Evidence of Coverage for exact benefits and costs.

Who A Zing Plan Fits, And Who It Does Not

IT FITS IF

You have a qualifying chronic condition and want a plan built around managing it. You live in one of Zing’s counties and your doctors are in its network. Your prescriptions are on its drug list at a low tier. Or the specific Zing plan in your county carries a 2027 rating you are comfortable with.

IT DOES NOT FIT IF

You do not have a qualifying condition, since you generally cannot join a C-SNP without one. You put star ratings first. You want a PPO with out-of-network coverage. Or you travel often or split time between states, since HMO networks are local. In those cases compare carriers such as Humana Medicare Advantage plans or UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans 2027 in your county.

How To Compare Zing Plans For 2027

YOUR 2027 CHECKLIST

Five steps before you pick a Zing plan

1

Confirm Zing serves your county. Zing is only in select counties of six states.

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Check that you qualify. Ask which chronic conditions the plan in your county accepts.

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Look up the 2027 star rating. Check the exact plan on Medicare Plan Finder, not the company average.

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Price it against two competitors. Enter every prescription with dose and your pharmacy, and compare total yearly cost including the out-of-pocket maximum.

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Enroll between October 15 and December 7, 2026. Coverage starts January 1, 2027.

Outside Annual Enrollment? People with a qualifying chronic condition may have a Special Enrollment Period to join a Chronic Condition SNP. If you are already in Medicare Advantage, you can also make one change from January 1 to March 31, 2027.

Compare Zing Medicare Advantage plans for 2027

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Zing Vs Other Carriers For 2027

Zing is growing while several big carriers shrink, which is part of why more people are looking at it this year:

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Wellcare: leaving 344 counties, exiting Tennessee and offering only Special Needs Plans in Ohio. See Wellcare Medicare Advantage plans 2027.

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Humana: 861 plans, down from 887, leaving 57 counties and Minnesota.

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Aetna: 654 plans, leaving 123 counties plus Maryland and New Hampshire. See Aetna Medicare Advantage plans.

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Devoted Health: adding 342 counties and entering Michigan. See Devoted Medicare Advantage plans 2027.

For the full 2027 picture across every carrier, see our guide to Medicare Advantage plans 2027.

Zing Medicare Advantage FAQs

➤ Is Zing a Medicare Advantage plan?

Yes. Zing Health is a Chicago-based insurer with a Medicare contract to sell Medicare Advantage HMO plans, offered as Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans. When you join, Zing replaces Original Medicare for your hospital and medical coverage, and you keep paying your Part B premium.

➤ Is Zing a good Medicare Advantage plan?

It can fit people with a qualifying chronic condition whose doctors are in its network, but its quality scores have been below average. Its contract earned 3.5 stars for 2025 and 2.5 stars for 2026, so check the 2027 rating for your exact plan before you enroll.

➤ What states does Zing Health cover in 2027?

Zing sells in select counties of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and Mississippi. For 2027 it grows from 52 counties to 63, so check your ZIP code to see whether a Zing plan is offered where you live.

➤ Who can join a Zing Medicare Advantage plan?

You generally need Medicare Parts A and B, to live in a county Zing serves, and to have a qualifying chronic condition, because Zing’s plans are Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans. Qualifying conditions vary by plan, so confirm the list for the plan in your county.

➤ What star rating does Zing Health have?

Zing’s Medicare Advantage contract H4624 earned 3.5 stars for 2025 and 2.5 stars for 2026. Zing attributes the drop to the 2024 Change Healthcare cyberattack, and CMS publishes new ratings each October, so look up the 2027 rating on Medicare Plan Finder.

➤ Is Zing Health expanding for 2027?

Yes. CMS county data shows Zing growing from 52 counties in 2026 to 63 for 2027, about 21% more. That makes it one of the faster-growing smaller insurers this year while several large carriers cut back.

➤ Does Zing include prescription drug coverage?

Zing’s Medicare Advantage plans typically include Part D drug coverage. For 2027 the maximum Part D deductible is $700 and covered drug costs are capped at $2,400 a year, so check that your prescriptions are on the plan’s drug list and at what tier.

➤ What benefits do Zing plans include?

Every Zing plan covers everything Original Medicare does, and depending on the plan and area may include drug coverage, care coordination, dental, vision and hearing benefits, and an over-the-counter allowance. Not all plans offer all benefits, so check the plan’s Evidence of Coverage.

➤ Who owns Zing Health?

Zing Health is an independent, Chicago-based insurer founded with backing from Health2047, a venture fund started by the American Medical Association. It has sold Medicare Advantage plans since January 2020.

➤ When can I enroll in a Zing plan for 2027?

Annual Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7, 2026, with coverage starting January 1, 2027. People with a qualifying chronic condition may also have a Special Enrollment Period to join a Chronic Condition SNP, and Medicare Advantage members can make one change from January 1 to March 31, 2027.

New to Medicare?

If you are new to Medicare, then you can enroll in a 2027 Medicare Advantage plan up to three months prior to your Medicare Part B effective date.

Call one of our licensed insurance agents to see what the best time frame is for you to enroll, based on your current situation. You can contact them at 1-855-409-6195 (TTY 711), Mon–Fri 8am–9pm EST.

Have Questions?

Speak with a licensed insurance agent

1-855-454-9051

TTY users 711

Mon-Fri: 8am-9pm ET

Compare plans & benefits in your area

Or speak with a licensed insurance agent

1-855-454-9051TTY 711

Mon-Fri: 8am-9pm ET

Agent 08