Medicare Advantage

Medicare plan counts across counties near Miles City

MILES CITY, Mont. — If you're sorting through your Medicare options for 2027, it helps to start with a simple question: what's actually offered in your corner of eastern Montana? Plan availability is set county by county, so the mix near Miles City can look different than what a friend in another part of the state sees.

A local look at 2027 Medicare choices around Miles City

Here's a straightforward snapshot of what's on the table in and around Custer County for the coming year, plus a few program-wide changes worth knowing before the Annual Enrollment Period closes on Dec. 7.

How Medicare draws the map

Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plans are approved and priced at the county level. Miles City sits in Custer County, so when you shop on Medicare.gov, the results you see are tied to that county — not to the city itself or to the wider region.

That matters because a neighbor across a county line may see a different list. If you spend part of the year elsewhere, your options can shift with your permanent address.

Plan availability in the Miles City area

For 2026, Custer County residents have the following at the area level:

• 6 Medicare Advantage plans available to choose from.
• 1 carrier offering Medicare Advantage with prescription drug coverage (MA-PD) in the area.
• 11 stand-alone Part D prescription drug plans available in Montana for 2026, sold statewide. Note: Stand-alone Part D plans are generally offered on a regional basis in Montana, so most people who want drug-only coverage with Original Medicare will still find options through Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. It's worth checking your ZIP code directly.
• 0 contracts rated 4 stars or higher in the local area for 2026.

Roughly 2,482 residents age 65 and older live in Custer County, according to Census figures — a reminder that even in a smaller market, the choices you make affect thousands of neighbors making the same decisions.

What Star Ratings actually mean

CMS scores Medicare Advantage and Part D contracts on a 1-to-5 scale based on things like customer service, member complaints, and how well plans manage chronic conditions. A lower local star count doesn't necessarily mean poor care — many contracts serve wide regions, and ratings can shift year to year.

Star Ratings are one piece of information among many. Your doctors, your medications, and your travel patterns usually matter more to your day-to-day experience than a single rating number.

2027 program changes that apply everywhere

No matter which county you live in, several nationwide updates take effect for 2027:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your covered drug spending hits that limit, you pay nothing for covered prescriptions the rest of the year.
• Part D deductible maximum: $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027. Plans can set a lower deductible, but not higher.
• The coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone, as of 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the calendar year in monthly payments, at no extra charge. You have to opt in.
• IRMAA surcharges on Part B and Part D begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026 (higher thresholds apply for joint filers).

Key dates to circle

• Oct. 15 – Dec. 7: Annual Enrollment Period. You can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for coverage starting Jan. 1.
• Jan. 1 – Mar. 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance to switch to another MA plan or return to Original Medicare (with a Part D plan if needed).