Medicare Advantage

Huntsville Medicare Advantage: 70 plans for 2027

For 2027, Huntsville is looking at 76 Medicare Advantage plans: 15 new, 5 gone since 2026, and 24 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 6 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Madison County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — If you're turning 65 soon or already on Medicare, you have a lot to look at this fall. Huntsville is in Madison County, where 70 Medicare Advantage plans are available for 2027, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plan data. That's a big menu, and it's worth understanding what those numbers mean before you pick anything.

This guide walks through the count of options in your area, how Medicare is structured, and where to get unbiased help.

What "66 plans" actually means

The number 66 refers to Medicare Advantage plans (Part C) offered to people who live in Madison County. Medicare Advantage is the private-plan alternative to Original Medicare, and plan availability is always set at the county level — not the city level. So whether you live in downtown Huntsville, Madison, or a quieter corner of the county, you generally see the same slate of plans.

Behind those 66 plans are 8 carriers offering Medicare Advantage with prescription drug coverage (MA-PD) locally. That means several companies are competing for your enrollment, and each carrier typically offers more than one plan design.

One number worth knowing: Alabama has 12 stand-alone Part D plans for 2026, sold statewide. If you stay with Original Medicare and want drug coverage, you would normally add a stand-alone Part D plan — so it's worth double-checking current Part D availability on Medicare.gov when you shop, since Part D plans are generally offered statewide.

Why the number of options matters — and why it can feel like too much

Having 66 Medicare Advantage plans to choose from is both good news and a challenge. More options mean more chances to find a plan that fits your doctors, your prescriptions, and your budget. But it also means more fine print.

Madison County is home to about 63,754 residents age 65 and older, and each one may have different priorities — a specific cardiologist, a particular pharmacy, a snowbird schedule. There is no single "right" plan for everyone, and the sheer count is a reminder to compare carefully rather than pick the first mailer that lands in your box.

The 2027 Medicare facts every Huntsville reader should know

A few program-wide rules apply no matter which plan you're weighing:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your out-of-pocket spending on covered drugs hits that ceiling, you pay nothing for covered prescriptions the rest of the year.
• Part D maximum deductible: $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027 (individual plans may set a lower deductible).
• The "donut hole" is gone. As of 2025, the old coverage gap phase was eliminated. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: An optional program that lets you spread your drug costs across monthly payments instead of paying large amounts at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA: Higher-income beneficiaries pay an income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D. For 2026, IRMAA begins above $109,000 in income for a single filer.

About Star Ratings in the Huntsville area

CMS publishes Star Ratings (1 to 5 stars) on Medicare Advantage and Part D contracts as a quality measure. Under CMS's 2026 Star Ratings, of the 18 Medicare Advantage contracts offering plans in Madison County, 17 have a 2026 Star Rating and 10 are rated 4 stars or higher.

Ratings can shift year to year, and a contract may cover a wide geography. It does mean Star Ratings alone shouldn't be your deciding factor. Look at whether your doctors are in-network, whether your prescriptions are on the plan's formulary, and how the plan handles the pharmacies and hospitals you actually use.

Key dates to circle

• Annual Enrollment Period (AEP): October 15 – December 7. This is when most people can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for the coming year.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period: January 1 – March 31. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance during this window to switch to another MA plan or return to Original Medicare.

Missing these windows usually means waiting a full year, unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (for example, after a move or loss of other coverage).