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Best Medicare Advantage Plans 2027

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

KEY TAKEAWAY

The 2027 star ratings, released October 8, 2026, reshuffled the best Medicare Advantage carriers. Humana jumped from about 20% to 95% of members in 4-star-plus plans and now ranks first on our scorecard, followed by UnitedHealthcare, Aetna and Kaiser Permanente.

Most “best Medicare Advantage plans” articles rank carriers by how many people bought them. That is a bad method. Enrollment follows price and marketing reach, and quality moves on its own schedule. The 2027 ratings proved it: the carrier at the bottom of the quality table a year ago is now at the top, and one carrier that had every member in a highly rated plan now has only a quarter.

“Best” and “top rated” are not the same thing. Medicare’s star ratings score plans on quality and service rather than cost or network. See 5-star Medicare Advantage plans for the 15 contracts that reached five stars for 2027.

This page ranks the national Medicare Advantage carriers on four criteria we state up front and weight in the open, using the 2027 CMS star ratings wherever they have been published, plus announced 2027 plan exits and enrollment data. It also tells you who each carrier is wrong for.

This page is the verdict, not the primer. If you need the basics of how Medicare Advantage works, start with our 2027 Medicare Advantage plans guide, and for costs and benefits carrier by carrier, see 2027 Medicare Advantage plans compared by carrier.

How current is this? 2027 plan details went live on Medicare Plan Finder on October 1, 2026, and CMS released the 2027 star ratings on October 8. Humana, Aetna and Alignment have published their 2027 results. UnitedHealthcare’s figure below is an analyst estimate, and Kaiser, Elevance and Centene have not yet published theirs, so their quality scores still use 2026 data. We update the scorecard as each carrier reports.

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Medicare Advantage 2027 contraction: 2.9 million members facing plan disenrollment, carrier exit list

Why “Best” Means Something Different for 2027

In a normal year, picking a Medicare Advantage carrier is a question of which plan is best. For 2027 there is a prior question: which plans will still exist.

Research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health puts roughly 2.9 million Americans, about one in ten Medicare Advantage members, in plans being discontinued. Rural counties are hit hardest: UnitedHealthcare and Humana together hold at least 75% of enrollment in 28% of US counties, so when one of them pulls out of a rural market there is frequently no comparable replacement waiting.

What the major carriers announced for 2027:

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Humana is exiting 57 counties and Minnesota, cutting 37 PPO plans, with about 600,000 members affected.

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UnitedHealthcare is exiting about 140 counties, leaving Wyoming and cutting 34 PPO plans.

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Aetna is exiting 123 counties, leaving Maryland and New Hampshire, and froze broker commissions on 123 plans across 33 states.

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Centene (Wellcare) is exiting 344 counties and leaving Hawaii, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

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Elevance (Anthem) is pulling plans from 56 counties and exiting South Carolina.

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Kaiser Permanente is leaving 2 Nevada and 3 Washington counties and dropping its last 3 PPO plans.

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Molina and Presbyterian Health Plan are moving to special needs plans only.

A frozen commission is worth understanding, because it is the quietest signal on that list. When a carrier stops paying agents to sell a plan but does not formally cancel it, the plan technically remains available and quietly stops being offered. Plan exits and commission freezes are the same strategy at different intensities.

High ratings do not guarantee a carrier stays in your county either. UPMC Medicare Advantage plans held 4.5 stars for 2026, yet UPMC for Life still left twelve central Pennsylvania counties at the end of 2025 to concentrate on its core markets.

This is why our ranking weights stability at 25 points. A four-star plan you get moved out of in twelve months is worth less than a three-and-a-half-star plan that stays put. If you are in a UnitedHealthcare HMO, our guide to UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage HMO plans covers what is changing.

How We Ranked These Carriers

Four criteria, 100 points total. We publish the weights so you can disagree with them, because for a lot of people the right weights are different.

Plan quality — 30 points. The share of each carrier’s members enrolled in a plan CMS rates 4 stars or better, using the 2027 star ratings where the carrier has published its figure. It is the only quality measure that is independently calculated, applied identically to every carrier, and published by the federal government. Our breakdown of the 2027 Medicare Advantage star ratings covers what the rating does and does not measure.

2027 stability — 25 points. Announced plan exits, county withdrawals, commission freezes and state departures. A carrier that is contracting is a carrier that may move you next year, and a forced plan change costs you your network, your drug formulary and your deductible progress at once.

Availability — 25 points. How many counties and states the carrier serves, and how large its provider network is. A carrier that scores perfectly on quality is worth nothing to you if it does not sell in your county.

Scale and member trend — 20 points. Total enrollment, which drives provider negotiating power and plan variety, adjusted for whether members are joining or leaving. Weighted lowest on purpose, because size is a proxy for quality, not a substitute for it.

One limit worth stating plainly: a national ranking compares carriers, and you do not enroll in a carrier. You enroll in a specific plan, sold in a specific county, with its own premium, network and formulary. Once you have narrowed the field here, check what is actually offered where you live. Our guide to the Medicare Plan Finder covers how to do that without the mistakes that make the results misleading.

Best Medicare Advantage carriers 2027 scorecard: Humana 84, UnitedHealthcare 80, Aetna 75, Kaiser 73, Elevance 66, Centene 52
Carrier Quality (30) Stability (25) Availability (25) Scale (20) Total
1. Humana 29 10 24 21 84
2. UnitedHealthcare 20* 16 25 19 80
3. Aetna 21 14 22 18 75
4. Kaiser Permanente 30† 23 8 12 73
5. Elevance / Anthem 16† 15 20 15 66
6. Centene / Wellcare 5† 8 22 17 52

* Based on an analyst estimate of about 67% of members in 4-star-plus plans; UnitedHealthcare has not published its own figure. † 2026 quality figure, pending the carrier’s 2027 results. Elevance and Centene have both been reported as having fewer members in 4-star-plus plans for 2027, so their scores are more likely to fall than rise.

Two honest caveats about this scorecard. First, it is a national ranking and Medicare Advantage is sold county by county, so the carrier that finishes first here can be the worst of three options where you live, or not sold there at all. Second, if you never travel outside your metro area and Kaiser sells there, weight availability far lower than we did, and Kaiser wins outright.

Regional carriers never appear on a national scorecard because they do not compete nationally, and they frequently beat the national names inside their own service area. Tufts Medicare Preferred in Massachusetts and Rhode Island is one of them. Before you settle on a carrier from the table above, check which regional plans serve your county.

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The Carriers, Ranked

1. Humana — 84 points

The comeback of the 2027 ratings. About 95% of Humana’s Medicare Advantage members are in plans rated 4 stars or higher for 2027, up from about 20% for 2026, with 18 contracts at 4 stars or above and six of them at 4.5. Its national PPO contract, H5216, moved from 3.5 to 4 stars, and its standalone drug plan earned 4.5 stars.

It ranks first because it now pairs near-top quality with national reach. Humana is the second-largest carrier at roughly 7.0 million members and 20% of the market, it added 1.3 million members in 2026, and it is genuinely strong on price. Its Part B giveback plans are among the most widely available in the market, and its out-of-pocket maximums have historically run below Aetna’s and UnitedHealthcare’s.

The case against it is stability. Humana is exiting 57 counties and Minnesota and cutting 37 PPO plans for 2027, with about 600,000 members affected, which earns it 10 out of 25, the second-lowest stability score here. If you are in one of those plans, check your non-renewal letter before anything else. See our Humana 2027 overview and Humana PPO breakdown.

2. UnitedHealthcare — 80 points

The largest Medicare Advantage carrier in the country at roughly 9.3 million members and 26% of the market, with a provider network of about one million clinicians reaching more counties than anyone else. It scores a perfect 25 on availability, and it holds three of the 15 five-star contracts for 2027, more than any other national carrier.

Its quality slipped for 2027. Analysts estimate about 67% of its members are in 4-star-plus plans, down from 78% for 2026, and UnitedHealthcare has not yet published its own figure. It also shed 647,000 members in 2026, and for 2027 it is exiting about 140 counties, leaving Wyoming and cutting 34 PPO plans. For someone who wants the widest choice of doctors and hospitals, it is still the default answer. More detail is in our UnitedHealthcare 2027 overview and UnitedHealthcare PPO breakdown.

3. Aetna (CVS Health) — 75 points

More than 69% of Aetna’s members are in 4-star-or-better plans for 2027, down from more than 81% for 2026 and 89% the year before. That is still above most of the market, and Aetna reported strong individual scores on measures such as hospital readmissions and medication review. About 4.2 million members, 12% of the market, with enrollment essentially flat in 2026.

It drops from second to third because of two years of falling quality and a stability score of 14 out of 25. For 2027 Aetna is exiting 123 counties, leaving Maryland and New Hampshire, and it froze broker commissions on 123 plans across 33 states. If your county is affected, Aetna’s national average is not the number that matters to you. Our Aetna 2027 overview has the detail.

4. Kaiser Permanente — 73 points

On measured quality, Kaiser has been the carrier to beat. Essentially 100% of its members were in 4-star-or-better plans for 2026, and its Nevada contract earned five stars for 2027. Kaiser has not yet published its full 2027 figure. It grew by 87,000 members in 2026.

It ranks fourth purely because most Americans cannot buy it. Kaiser sells in nine states plus the District of Columbia and scores 8 out of 25 on availability. Its 2027 changes are small, leaving 2 Nevada and 3 Washington counties and dropping its last 3 PPO plans, which still leaves it the most stable carrier on this page.

If Kaiser operates in your county, start there. On quality and stability it outscores every carrier on this page, and the only reason it is not ranked first is a geographic limit that either applies to you or does not. Our page on Kaiser Medicare Advantage plans covers where it sells.

5. Elevance / Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield — 66 points

Elevance was the most improved carrier going into 2026, lifting the share of members in 4-star-or-better plans from roughly 40% to 53%. That gain reversed for 2027: some Elevance contracts slipped below 4 stars, and fewer of its members are in highly rated plans, though its Anthem HP contract kept five stars. Elevance has not yet published its 2027 figure, so the score above still uses 2026 quality and is more likely to fall than rise.

It also lost 346,000 members in 2026 and is pulling plans from 56 counties and exiting South Carolina for 2027. Because Blue Cross Blue Shield plans are licensed regionally, quality and benefits vary sharply from state to state under the same brand. See Elevance Medicare Advantage plans 2027 and our Blue Cross Medicare Advantage overview.

6. Centene / Wellcare — 52 points

Centene went from 1% of members in 4-star-or-better plans to about 18% going into 2026, the largest single-year improvement in the industry at the time, from a very low starting point. For 2027 it was reported among the carriers with fewer members in highly rated plans, and it is exiting 344 counties and leaving Hawaii, Oklahoma and Tennessee. It is broadly available and priced aggressively, which is why it ranks at all. See Wellcare Medicare Advantage plans 2027.

Regional Carriers Worth Checking for 2027

These carriers are not in the main ranking because their footprints are too small to compete on availability, but if one sells in your county it deserves a look.

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Devoted Health increased its share of members in 4-star-plus plans for 2027 and is adding 342 counties, the biggest expansion of any carrier, including first-time entries into Connecticut, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey and New York.

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Clover Health earned five stars for its largest contract for 2027, one of only 15 five-star contracts in the country.

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Alignment Health had nearly every member in a 4-star-plus plan for 2026, but its largest California contract fell to 3.5 stars for 2027, which Alignment is disputing. Only about 25% of its members are now in 4-star-plus plans, though six of its seven rated contracts still score 4 stars or higher.

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HealthSpring, the former Cigna Medicare business now owned by HCSC, is a regional option worth checking, though HCSC was reported among the carriers with fewer members in highly rated plans for 2027.

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SCAN Health Plan, a nonprofit, builds its 2027 lineup around removing copays at the point of care rather than advertising a low premium. It is regional, so check your county first.

Star Ratings: The One Number That Separates Them

If you take one thing from this page, take how far the 2027 ratings moved. In a single release, one major carrier went from roughly one in five members in a highly rated plan to nearly all of them, and another went from nearly all to one in four.

Members in 4-star Medicare Advantage plans 2026 vs 2027: Humana 20% to 95%, Aetna 81% to 69%, Alignment 98% to 25%

CMS rates plans from 1 to 5 stars on up to 43 measures for plans with drug coverage, covering clinical outcomes, member experience, customer service and complaints. For 2027 the national average dipped to 3.99 from 4.01, only 15 contracts earned five stars, down from 22, and about 71% of members are in plans rated 4 stars or higher.

The rating attaches to the contract, not the individual plan, so every plan sold under one contract inherits the same score whatever it is called in your county. Your plan’s contract ID appears on its Summary of Benefits, formatted like H5216-043, and it is the number to look up rather than trusting a carrier’s national average.

Ratings are recalculated every October, and they move. For 2027, Humana rose from about 20% to 95% of members in 4-star-plus plans, Aetna fell from more than 81% to more than 69%, and Alignment fell from 98% to about 25%. Contracts at 4 stars or higher earn quality bonus payments, which plans generally use to fund extra benefits, so these moves tend to show up in benefits a year later.

What Changed for 2027

Medicare Advantage enrollment reached 35.2 million in 2026, or 55% of everyone eligible for Medicare, up from 19% in 2007. Growth slowed sharply, adding 1.1 million net members for a 3% increase, and special needs plans accounted for 85% of that net growth.

But the more useful number is where those members went.

Medicare Advantage enrollment by carrier 2026: UnitedHealthcare, Humana, Aetna, Kaiser, Elevance member change

Enrollment and quality do not move together. Members flowed to Humana in 2026 when its ratings were at their lowest, and away from carriers with stronger scores. Medicare Advantage enrollment follows price and marketing reach, not measured outcomes, which is the best argument against choosing a plan from a “most popular” list.

Three federal changes also apply to every plan in 2027 regardless of carrier. The Part D out-of-pocket maximum rises to $2,400 from $2,100. The standard Part D deductible rises to a maximum of $700 from $615. And CMS set the 2027 in-network out-of-pocket cap at $9,850, with the combined in-network and out-of-network cap at $14,800. The national average Medicare Advantage premium for 2027 is $12.00 a month, down from $14.37. Our 2027 costs and benefits breakdown covers what these mean in practice.

When you compare plans on total cost, remember the Part B premium sits underneath all of them. It is the same dollar amount no matter which plan you pick, unless the plan offers a giveback that credits some of it back. Our guide to the projected 2027 Part B premium and deductible shows what to budget.

Who Each Carrier Is Wrong For

Every carrier on this page is the wrong answer for somebody. Working out which somebody you are is faster than reading six reviews.

Carrier Best for Wrong for
Humana Price-focused shoppers who also want a highly rated plan, and people looking for a Part B giveback Anyone in one of its 2027 exit counties or discontinued PPOs
UnitedHealthcare People who want the widest network of doctors and hospitals People in its roughly 140 exit counties, or who rank quality above network size
Aetna People who want a broadly available carrier with most members in well-rated plans Anyone in Maryland, New Hampshire or a county where its plans are commission-frozen
Kaiser Permanente People who stay in its service area and want integrated care Travelers, snowbirds and anyone who wants doctors outside the Kaiser system
Elevance / Anthem People in states where its regional Blue plan rates well Anyone relying on the brand rather than checking the state-level rating
Centene / Wellcare Budget shoppers in counties with few other options Anyone for whom measured quality is a priority

How to Use This Ranking in Your County

A national ranking narrows the field. It does not pick your plan. Four steps close the gap:

1. Read your Annual Notice of Change. It was mailed by September 30 and tells you whether your current plan continues into 2027 and what changes if it does. If your plan is being discontinued you generally qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, which gives you more time and more options than the standard window.

2. Find out which of these carriers actually sell in your county. This is usually a shorter list than people expect. In 28% of US counties, two carriers hold at least three-quarters of the market between them.

3. Look up the 2027 contract-level star rating for each specific plan, not the carrier average. A carrier averaging 95% can still sell a 3.5-star plan in your county, and a carrier averaging 25% can sell a 4.5-star one. The 2027 rating now shows next to every plan in Medicare Plan Finder.

4. Check your own doctors and your own prescriptions against each plan. Every number on this page is an average. Whether your cardiologist is in network and whether your medication sits on tier 2 or tier 4 will affect your actual costs more than any ranking will.

Once you have a shortlist, check the calendar. Medicare open enrollment 2027 runs October 15 to December 7, 2026, with coverage starting January 1, 2027.

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Frequently Asked Questions

➤ What is the best Medicare Advantage plan for 2027?

There is no single best plan, because Medicare Advantage is sold county by county. On our 2027 scorecard, Humana ranks first at 84 points after its star ratings jumped to about 95% of members in 4-star-plus plans, followed by UnitedHealthcare at 80, Aetna at 75 and Kaiser Permanente at 73. If Kaiser sells in your county, start there, because it ranks fourth only on availability.

➤ What company has the highest rated Medicare Advantage plans for 2027?

Among large national carriers, Humana now has the highest share of members in 4-star-or-better plans for 2027, at about 95%. Kaiser Permanente had essentially 100% for 2026 but sells in only nine states plus DC and has not yet published its 2027 figure. CMS rates the contract rather than the carrier, so always check the rating on the specific plan in your county.

➤ Is Humana a good Medicare Advantage plan for 2027?

On quality, yes: about 95% of Humana’s members are in plans rated 4 stars or higher for 2027, up from about 20% for 2026, and its national PPO contract rose to 4 stars. It is also strong on price and Part B giveback availability. The caution is stability, since Humana is exiting 57 counties and Minnesota and cutting 37 PPO plans, so confirm your plan continues before you enroll.

➤ Is UnitedHealthcare or Humana better for 2027?

Humana now leads on star ratings, with about 95% of members in 4-star-plus plans against an analyst-estimated 67% for UnitedHealthcare. UnitedHealthcare leads on network size and county coverage, and it holds three of the 15 five-star contracts for 2027. Which is better depends on whether quality or network breadth matters more to you, and on which plans each sells in your county.

➤ Which Medicare Advantage carriers are cutting plans for 2027?

Humana is exiting 57 counties and Minnesota, UnitedHealthcare about 140 counties and Wyoming, Aetna 123 counties plus Maryland and New Hampshire, and Centene 344 counties plus Hawaii, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Elevance is pulling plans from 56 counties and exiting South Carolina, and Kaiser is leaving 5 counties. Molina and Presbyterian are moving to special needs plans only.

➤ What will happen to Medicare Advantage plans in 2027?

The market is contracting. Johns Hopkins research puts roughly 2.9 million members, about one in ten, in plans being discontinued. The average premium falls to $12.00 a month, but out-of-pocket limits and drug deductibles are rising, the Part D cap rises to $2,400, and only 15 contracts earned five stars for 2027, down from 22.

➤ How do I know if my Medicare Advantage plan is being discontinued?

Your plan must send an Annual Notice of Change by September 30, and a separate non-renewal notice if the plan is ending. If it is, you generally qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, and you may have a guaranteed-issue right to buy certain Medigap policies. The notice from your carrier is the document that matters.

➤ Do Medicare Advantage star ratings actually matter?

They are the only quality measure that is independently calculated and applied identically to every carrier. They lag, and they rate the contract rather than the plan, but no better standardized comparison exists. They also carry money: contracts at 4 stars or higher earn bonus payments that plans generally use to fund extra benefits.

➤ When did the 2027 Medicare Advantage star ratings come out?

CMS released the 2027 star ratings on October 8, 2026, a week after plan details went live on Medicare Plan Finder on October 1. Annual Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, for coverage beginning January 1, 2027.

➤ Is Medicare Advantage worth it in 2027?

For most people who choose it, yes: 35.2 million Americans, or 55% of everyone eligible for Medicare, are in a Medicare Advantage plan. It typically costs less monthly and may bundle drug coverage and extras, in exchange for a provider network and prior authorization rules. If you live in a rural county where a carrier is leaving, price a Medigap policy alongside your options while you have guaranteed-issue rights.

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