Medicare Advantage

Newark Medicare: 46 Advantage Plans for 2027

Essex County has 48 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 10 plans are not coming back, 10 are new, and 12 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 2 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Newark, not which plan to pick.

Medicare in Newark: 46 Medicare Advantage plan options available in Essex County for 2027 from 9 carriers.

NEWARK, N.J. — If you're turning 65 in Newark, or already on Medicare and thinking about a change for 2027, here's the big-picture number to start with: Essex County has 46 Medicare Advantage plans available for the coming plan year, according to the 2027 CMS Landscape data. Compared with 2026, 10 plans are not returning, 10 are new, and 2 have been renamed; 10 continuing plans change something in their terms (see your ANOC for details).

That's a lot of choices for the roughly 122,000 Newark-area residents who are 65 or older. This article walks through what those counts mean, and — just as important — what they don't mean.

What the "48 plans" number really means

The 48 figure is a county-level count of Medicare Advantage plans that any Essex County resident with Medicare can consider. It's not a Newark-only number, and it isn't a ranking. CMS publishes these counts every fall as part of the Medicare Plan Finder release.

A big number sounds great, but it can also feel overwhelming. The point isn't to compare all 48 line by line. It's to know that in Newark, you have real choice — and to use tools like Medicare.gov to filter down to plans that fit your doctors, your prescriptions, and your budget.

How many carriers are behind those plans?

Those 48 Medicare Advantage plans come from 9 carriers doing business in Essex County. Each carrier typically offers several plan designs, which is how the total plan count gets so high.

When you shop, it can help to think in two steps: first, which carriers include your doctors and hospitals in-network; then, which of that carrier's plans fits your prescriptions and travel needs.

What about stand-alone Part D drug plans?

Here's something Newark readers should know: New Jersey has 11 stand-alone Part D plans for 2027, sold statewide, and anyone in Essex County with Original Medicare can join one of them. Many Newark residents who want drug coverage instead get it bundled inside a Medicare Advantage plan (an "MA-PD").

If you have Original Medicare and want a separate Part D plan, call 1-800-MEDICARE or check Medicare.gov directly — national Part D options may still be available to you even when local landscape counts look thin.

The 2027 Part D rules that apply everywhere

No matter which plan you pick, some Part D rules are set by federal law and apply the same way in Newark as they do anywhere else:

• $2,400 out-of-pocket cap on covered Part D drugs in 2027. Once you hit it, you pay $0 for the rest of the year on covered drugs.
• $700 maximum deductible a plan can charge for Part D in 2027.
• 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 out in monthly installments instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter. It's optional and free to opt into.
• IRMAA (the income-based premium surcharge) kicks in above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

A quick word on Star Ratings

You may see plans marketed by their CMS Star Rating. Under CMS's 2026 Star Ratings, of the 19 Medicare Advantage contracts offering plans in Essex County, 19 have a 2026 Star Rating and 10 are rated 4 stars or higher at the contract level. Star Ratings measure a lot of things (customer service, appeals, preventive care) and they change year to year. Use them as one input, not the whole decision.

Key dates to circle

• October 15 – December 7: Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. You can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.
• January 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment. If you're already in an MA plan, you get one chance to switch to another MA plan or go back to Original Medicare.

If you miss these windows, you generally have to wait — unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (a move, loss of other coverage, and so on).

Where to get unbiased help in Newark

Free, one-on-one Medicare counseling is available in New Jersey through SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program), sometimes called SHIP NJ or the State Health Insurance Program. Counselors don't sell plans and don't earn commissions.

You can also:

• Compare plans yourself at Medicare.gov/plan-compare
• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), open 24/7
• Contact your local Area Agency on Aging in Essex County for help getting to a counselor