CMS has not yet published the 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D landscape a month before open enrollment

CMS has finalized the rules and payment policies that will govern 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D plans, but as of early September 2026 it had not yet published the actual plan landscape — the list of available plans, their premiums, and their county-by-county details ^[1]. That information normally lets people compare specific plans before deciding what to do during the Annual Open Enrollment Period, which runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, with changes taking effect January 1, 2027 ^[1]. CMS's own prescription drug coverage page, last updated September 8, 2026, still listed the CY2026 landscape file as the most recent download, with no 2027 file posted ^[2].

Some numbers for 2027 are already set. The finalized standard Part D out-of-pocket threshold — the point where a beneficiary enters the catastrophic phase and stops paying cost sharing on covered drugs — is $2,400 ^[1]. The finalized standard-benefit deductible ceiling for 2027 Part D plans is $700, though some plans may set a lower deductible, no deductible, or exempt certain tiers ^[1]. As of late August 2026, the 2027 standard Medicare Part B premium had not yet been announced ^[1].

Those national figures do not tell a beneficiary what a specific plan will actually charge for a specific drug. Formulary tier placement, prior authorization rules, step therapy requirements, quantity limits, and which pharmacies count as "preferred" are all set at the individual plan level and vary by carrier and by county ^[1]. Until CMS releases the full 2027 landscape, none of those plan-specific details are available to compare.

Why it matters for patients

The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, which operates outside the standard Part D benefit, is not affected by plan choice — a person's eligibility for the Bridge does not depend on which Medicare Advantage or Part D plan they pick. But cost sharing is a different matter for anyone whose coverage gets routed back into Part D because of a diagnosis such as diabetes, sleep apnea, or MASH. For those beneficiaries, the exact copayment, coinsurance, deductible, and prior-authorization rules for a GLP-1 medication will depend entirely on the specific 2027 plan they are enrolled in, not on the national $2,400 threshold or $700 deductible ceiling alone ^[1]. Those plan-level details cannot be checked until CMS publishes the county-level landscape.

This creates a timing problem. Open enrollment starts October 15, but the finalized plan documents — Summary of Benefits, Evidence of Coverage, formulary, and pharmacy network — are what actually control coverage, not marketing materials or prior-year benefit summaries ^[1]. Anyone comparing plans this fall, including people who might need Part D coverage for a GLP-1 prescription tied to a diabetes, sleep apnea, or MASH diagnosis, has less time than usual to review the exact terms before the December 7 deadline.

What happens next

CMS has said it expects to publish the finalized 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D landscape — including premiums and county-level plan details — in mid-to-late September 2026 ^[1]. Once that happens, beneficiaries will be able to compare the exact plans approved for their address before the Annual Open Enrollment Period ends December 7, 2026 ^[1]. Selections made by that deadline generally take effect January 1, 2027 ^[1]. Until the landscape is released, formulary and cost-sharing questions for anyone who might be routed back into Part D for a GLP-1 prescription remain unanswered, and sources currently available do not specify how individual carriers will handle GLP-1 formulary tiers for 2027.