Medicare in Massachusetts
Medicare Advantage Plans in Massachusetts by County (2027)
How many Medicare Advantage plans each of Massachusetts’ 14 counties has for 2027, compared with 2026, counted directly from CMS plan landscape files. Counts include HMO, PPO and Special Needs Plans.
- Massachusetts has 97 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, down from 103 in 2026.
- Bristol County has the most plans (56) and Nantucket the fewest (5).
- 79 of the 97 plans are open to anyone with Medicare; the other 18 are Special Needs Plans.
- SHINE offers unbiased Medicare counseling statewide if you want a second opinion.
Table of Contents
Make sure your family is financially protected today!
How many Medicare Advantage plans can you choose from where you live? In Massachusetts, the answer depends a lot on your county. A Worcester or Bristol County resident sees dozens of plans for 2027. Someone on Nantucket sees a handful.
This page counts the Medicare Advantage plans Massachusetts residents can choose by county for 2027 and compares them with 2026. We took the counts from the plan files CMS publishes each fall. We show totals only. We don’t name plans or companies or list any plan’s premium, because the right plan depends on your doctors, your drugs and your budget. Use these numbers to see how many choices you have, then compare the actual plans on Medicare Plan Finder.
Medicare Advantage plans in Massachusetts by county: 2027 vs 2026
This table counts every Medicare Advantage plan in each county, including Special Needs Plans (SNPs), which only certain people can join. CMS’s Massachusetts Open Enrollment fact sheet for 2027 reports 97 Medicare Advantage plans statewide in 2027, down from 103 in 2026. Our count of the same files gives the same statewide totals.
| County | Plans in 2026 | Plans in 2027 | Change | SNPs in 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable | 24 | 23 | −1 | 7 |
| Berkshire | 12 | 10 | −2 | 3 |
| Bristol | 54 | 56 | +2 | 17 |
| Dukes | 11 | 10 | −1 | 2 |
| Essex | 57 | 52 | −5 | 17 |
| Franklin | 25 | 27 | +2 | 5 |
| Hampden | 50 | 53 | +3 | 16 |
| Hampshire | 42 | 44 | +2 | 16 |
| Middlesex | 49 | 50 | +1 | 17 |
| Nantucket | 6 | 5 | −1 | 2 |
| Norfolk | 49 | 51 | +2 | 17 |
| Plymouth | 55 | 51 | −4 | 17 |
| Suffolk | 52 | 50 | −2 | 17 |
| Worcester | 58 | 50 | −8 | 16 |
| Statewide (each plan counted once) | 103 | 97 | −6 | 18 |
County numbers don’t add up to the statewide total, because many plans are offered in more than one county.
Plans anyone with Medicare can join: drug coverage, HMO vs PPO, $0 premium
Most people turning 65 can’t join a Special Needs Plan. So this table leaves SNPs out and counts only the 2027 plans open to anyone with Medicare Parts A and B who lives in the county.
| County | Open plans 2026 → 2027 | With drug coverage | Without drug coverage | HMO or HMO-POS | PPO | $0 monthly plan premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable | 18 → 16 | 13 | 3 | 13 | 3 | 3 |
| Berkshire | 10 → 7 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 2 |
| Bristol | 38 → 39 | 32 | 7 | 22 | 17 | 20 |
| Dukes | 9 → 8 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
| Essex | 39 → 35 | 27 | 8 | 22 | 13 | 16 |
| Franklin | 21 → 22 | 17 | 5 | 16 | 6 | 7 |
| Hampden | 35 → 37 | 30 | 7 | 22 | 15 | 16 |
| Hampshire | 27 → 28 | 23 | 5 | 21 | 7 | 8 |
| Middlesex | 33 → 33 | 27 | 6 | 22 | 11 | 15 |
| Nantucket | 4 → 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Norfolk | 33 → 34 | 28 | 6 | 22 | 12 | 15 |
| Plymouth | 37 → 34 | 28 | 6 | 22 | 12 | 15 |
| Suffolk | 36 → 33 | 27 | 6 | 23 | 10 | 14 |
| Worcester | 43 → 34 | 26 | 8 | 19 | 15 | 19 |
| Statewide (each plan counted once) | 84 → 79 | 64 | 15 | 57 | 22 | 29 |
“$0 monthly plan premium” means the plan’s own premium for health and drug coverage is $0. You still pay your Part B premium. CMS’s landscape file notes that members remain responsible for their Part B premium. A $0 premium also says nothing about a plan’s copays, deductibles, out-of-pocket limit or network.
Medicare Advantage plans by county: what changed for 2027
The statewide total hides real differences between counties. Below is how Medicare Advantage plans by county changed from 2026 to 2027, counting only the plans anyone with Medicare can join. Special Needs Plans are counted separately in the first table.
- Barnstable County: 16 plans, down from 18. 13 are HMOs and 3 are PPOs. 3 have a $0 monthly premium, down from 4.
- Berkshire County: 7 plans, down from 10. All 7 are HMOs now that the county’s only PPO is gone. 2 have a $0 premium, down from 4.
- Bristol County: 39 plans, up from 38. HMOs rose from 19 to 22 while PPOs fell from 19 to 17. 20 have a $0 premium, up from 19.
- Dukes (Martha’s Vineyard) County: 8 plans, down from 9. PPOs fell from 8 to 5 and HMOs rose from 1 to 3. 6 have a $0 premium, the same as 2026.
- Essex County: 35 plans, down from 39. PPOs fell from 16 to 13. 16 have a $0 premium, unchanged.
- Franklin County: 22 plans, up from 21. HMOs rose from 15 to 16; PPOs held at 6. 7 have a $0 premium, down from 8.
- Hampden County: 37 plans, up from 35. HMOs rose from 21 to 22 and PPOs from 14 to 15. 16 have a $0 premium, down from 17.
- Hampshire County: 28 plans, up from 27. HMOs rose from 20 to 21; PPOs held at 7. 8 have a $0 premium, down from 9.
- Middlesex County: 33 plans, unchanged. HMOs rose from 19 to 22 while PPOs fell from 14 to 11. 15 have a $0 premium, up from 14.
- Nantucket County: 3 plans, down from 4. All 3 are HMOs; the island had 3 PPOs in 2026 and none for 2027. 1 has a $0 premium.
- Norfolk County: 34 plans, up from 33. HMOs rose from 19 to 22 while PPOs fell from 14 to 12. 15 have a $0 premium, up from 14.
- Plymouth County: 34 plans, down from 37. HMOs fell from 23 to 22 and PPOs from 14 to 12. 15 have a $0 premium, unchanged.
- Suffolk County: 33 plans, down from 36. HMOs rose from 20 to 23 while PPOs fell from 16 to 10. 14 have a $0 premium, down from 16.
- Worcester County: 34 plans, down from 43, the largest drop in the state. HMOs fell from 22 to 19 and PPOs from 21 to 15. 19 have a $0 premium, down from 23.
Suffolk and Worcester each lost 6 PPOs, the biggest PPO declines. If a plan you have now is leaving your county, read what to do when a Medicare Advantage plan is not renewing. Because plans set their service areas county by county, neighbors a few miles apart can have different choices, so always search with your own ZIP code in Medicare Plan Finder.
Source: CMS CY2027 and CY2026 Medicare Advantage landscape files (September 2026 releases), counted by Octans Insurance as described below.
What the 2027 numbers show
- Fewer plans overall. Massachusetts has six fewer Medicare Advantage plans in 2027 than in 2026. Worcester County shows the largest drop, 58 to 50 plans in total, and 43 to 34 among plans open to everyone.
- Fewer PPOs. Statewide, open-enrollment PPO plans fell from 28 to 22. Berkshire and Nantucket counties have no PPO plans in 2027.
- Islands and the Berkshires have the fewest choices. Nantucket has 3 open plans and Berkshire has 7. If you live there, a narrow plan network may matter more than the number of plans.
- Every county has at least one $0-premium plan. CMS’s Massachusetts fact sheet says all people with Medicare in the state have access to a Medicare Advantage plan with a $0 monthly premium.
- Average premiums rose slightly. The same fact sheet says the average monthly Medicare Advantage premium in Massachusetts went from $36.19 in 2026 to $37.80 in 2027, and that 10 stand-alone drug plans are offered in the state in 2027.
If your current plan isn’t in your county’s 2027 lineup, see our guide to a Medicare Advantage plan that isn’t renewing.
HMO vs PPO: what the plan type means for you
Most Medicare Advantage plans in Massachusetts are HMOs. Here are the differences, from Medicare.gov’s compare types of Medicare Advantage plans page:
- HMO: you generally must use the plan’s network, except for emergencies, urgent care when you’re out of the area, and out-of-area dialysis. You need a referral to see a specialist.
- HMO-POS: an HMO that may let you get some services out of network, usually at a higher cost.
- PPO: you can see doctors outside the network, but you may pay more. You don’t need a referral to see a specialist.
If you split the year between Massachusetts and another state, or see specialists in Boston from western Massachusetts or the Cape, check each plan’s network carefully. That matters more than the plan type label.
About drug coverage: most plans include it, but not all. Medicare.gov says that if you want drug coverage in a Medicare Advantage plan, you have to join a plan that offers it. See what is Medicare Part D for how drug coverage works.
Special Needs Plans are different. Medicare.gov’s Special Needs Plans page says they serve people who qualify through one of three types: dual eligible (Medicare and Medicaid), chronic condition, or institutional. All SNPs must include Part D drug coverage. In the 2027 Massachusetts file, 17 of the 18 SNPs are dual-eligible plans, for people with both Medicare and MassHealth, and 1 is a chronic condition plan. Our page on Medicare Special Needs Plans explains who qualifies.
How to compare plans on Medicare Plan Finder
Counting plans tells you how many options you have. Medicare Plan Finder tells you which ones fit. Medicare’s Remember Key Medicare Dates fact sheet says Medicare.gov/plan-compare lets you:
- Compare health and drug plans side by side.
- Save a list of your prescription drugs and preferred pharmacies.
- Get an estimate of your out-of-pocket costs.
- See quality and customer service ratings.
- Check whether your providers are in a plan’s network.
Enter your ZIP code, then every drug at its current dose. CMS posted the 2027 Star Ratings to Plan Finder on October 8, 2026, per its 2027 Star Ratings fact sheet. Plans are rated from one to five stars.
Look at the yearly total, not just the monthly premium. A plan with a $0 premium and high copays can cost more over a year than a plan with a premium, if you use a lot of care.
Massachusetts points to know before you choose
Medigap is open to you any month. The Division of Insurance’s 2026 Massachusetts Consumer Guide to Medicare (Bulletin 2025-06) says Massachusetts offers continuous open enrollment for Medigap, so you can enroll in, change or drop a plan any month. Medigap plans in Massachusetts are also community rated, which means everyone with the same policy pays the same monthly premium regardless of age or medical history.
That changes the math compared with many other states. Trying Medicare Advantage in Massachusetts doesn’t close the door on Medigap later. You can still only leave a Medicare Advantage plan during an allowed enrollment period, though. Massachusetts Medigap plans also have their own names, Core and Supplement 1A, with Supplement 1 only for people eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. Our guide to Medicare Supplement plans in Massachusetts explains them.
SHINE offers free counseling. The state’s SHINE program provides free health insurance information, counseling and assistance to Massachusetts residents who are eligible for Medicare and their caregivers. The Division of Insurance guide lists SHINE at 1-800-243-4636. See our SHINE Medicare counseling page for how to book.
For a broader look at how these plans work here, read our guide to Medicare Advantage plans in Massachusetts.
When you can join or switch for 2027
- Open Enrollment: October 15 to December 7, 2026. You can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage plan, and changes start January 1, 2027. The plan must get your request by December 7, per Medicare.gov’s Open Enrollment page.
- Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 to March 31. If you’re already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can switch to another one or return to Original Medicare. The change starts the first of the month after the plan gets your request, per Medicare.gov’s joining a plan page.
- Turning 65. Your first chance comes with your initial enrollment period around your 65th birthday. Our Medicare enrollment calculator shows your dates.
If you keep your current plan and it is still offered, you don’t need to do anything. Your coverage continues automatically.
How we counted Medicare Advantage plans in Massachusetts by county
We used CMS’s 2027 landscape file (CY2027 Landscape, version 202609.1) and its 2026 file (CY2026 Landscape, version 202609), both posted on CMS’s Prescription Drug Coverage – General Information page. We kept the Massachusetts rows, left out stand-alone drug plans, and counted each plan once per county by its contract, plan and segment number. “With drug coverage” uses the file’s Part D coverage field. HMO includes HMO-POS. Employer group plans are not in the file. CMS says the data may change as contracts are finalized.
Medicare Advantage plans Massachusetts by county: FAQ
How many Medicare Advantage plans are in Massachusetts for 2027?
97 plans statewide, including Special Needs Plans, down from 103 in 2026. Of these, 79 are open to anyone with Medicare who lives in the plan’s area.
Which county has the most plans?
Bristol County, with 56 plans in total and 39 open to everyone.
Which county has the fewest?
Nantucket, with 5 plans in total and 3 open to everyone.
Does a $0 premium plan cost nothing?
No. You still pay the Part B premium, plus copays, coinsurance and deductibles when you get care.
Can I switch back to Original Medicare and a Medigap plan later?
You can leave a Medicare Advantage plan during an allowed enrollment period. In Massachusetts, Medigap has continuous open enrollment, so you can buy a Medigap plan in any month.
Talk it through
Octans Insurance is a licensed, independent agency in Massachusetts. Our agents can help you narrow the Medicare Advantage plans in your county and compare the ones we offer. We do not offer every plan available in your area. For information on all of your options, contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048), or SHINE at 1-800-243-4636.
Keep Reading: Related Guides
- Medicare Advantage plans in Massachusetts
- SHINE Medicare counseling in Massachusetts
- Medicare Supplement plans in Massachusetts
- Medicare changes 2027
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.
This article is for general information and is not tax, legal, or medical advice.
About examples and tools: Hypothetical examples, sample rates, calculators and quizzes on this site are for general educational and illustrative purposes only. They are not quotes, offers of coverage, or guarantees of eligibility, approval, price or benefits, and they are not legal, tax, financial or medical advice. The insurance company decides eligibility and price; Medicare rules are set by CMS and the Social Security Administration. Octans Insurance is not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program.
Compare 2027 Medicare Options With a Licensed Agent
Start with a free, no-obligation quote review with a licensed Octans agent.
(617) 935-9220 | life@octansinsurance.com