Medicare Advantage

A Look at Medicare Plan Options Around Chattanooga

For 2027, Chattanooga is looking at 63 Medicare Advantage plans: 13 new, 15 gone since 2026, and 17 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 5 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Hamilton County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — If you live in the Chattanooga metro and you're shopping for Medicare coverage for 2027, here's something worth knowing: the plans you can pick from depend on the county you live in, not the city on your mailing address. That means a neighbor across the state line, or one county over, may see a very different list of options than you do.

Medicare choices vary block by block around Chattanooga

Medicare Advantage and Part D plan availability is set at the county level by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). So even though "Chattanooga" feels like one place, the Medicare picture shifts as soon as you cross into Marion, Bradley, or Sequatchie County — or over into North Georgia.

This snapshot focuses on Hamilton County, where the city of Chattanooga sits, and explains how to think about availability where you live.

What's available in Hamilton County

Chattanooga is in Hamilton County, where about 69,086 residents are age 65 or older, according to Census data. That's a sizable Medicare-eligible community, and it helps explain why plan availability here is fairly broad.

According to the CMS 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape files:

• 65 Medicare Advantage plans are available to Hamilton County residents.
• 11 carriers offer Medicare Advantage plans with prescription drug coverage (MA-PD) in the area for 2027, down from 12 in 2026.
• Tennessee has 12 stand-alone Part D plans for 2026, sold statewide, and anyone in the county with Original Medicare can join one of them. (Many people who want drug coverage here get it bundled inside an MA-PD plan instead.)

These numbers are counts of what's offered in the county — not a recommendation, ranking, or benefit description. What matters for you personally is which of those plans include your doctors, your pharmacy, and your medications.

Why nearby counties may look different

If you have family or friends in Cleveland, Dayton, Jasper, or across the Georgia line in Ringgold or Fort Oglethorpe, don't assume they see the same list you do. Each county has its own approved plan lineup. Carriers decide, county by county, where to offer coverage.

That's why a Medicare agent, or the Plan Finder tool at medicare.gov, will always ask for your ZIP code first. It's the only way to pull the correct list for your address.

If you move — even a short distance — it's worth checking whether your current plan is still offered in the new county. A move can also trigger a Special Enrollment Period to switch plans.

About Star Ratings in the area

CMS publishes Star Ratings each year to help people compare Medicare Advantage and Part D contracts on quality and member experience. Ratings run from 1 to 5 stars.

Under CMS's 2026 Star Ratings, 11 of the 20 Medicare Advantage contracts serving Hamilton County are rated 4 stars or higher. That's useful to know, but it isn't the whole story: ratings are only one input. Your provider network, your prescription list, and how a plan handles referrals often matter more day to day. Use ratings as one factor among several, not as a shortcut.

2027 program facts every Chattanooga reader should know

No matter which county you're in, some Medicare rules apply everywhere:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your covered drug spending hits that cap, you pay nothing for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• Part D deductible: up to $615 maximum in 2026 and up to $700 maximum in 2027 (plans can set a lower deductible).
• The "donut hole" is gone. Since 2025, Part D has three phases instead of four.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: an optional program that lets you spread your drug costs across the calendar year in monthly payments instead of paying at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA: higher-income surcharges on Part B and Part D begin above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026.
• Enrollment windows: Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 – December 7. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, the MA Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 – March 31 and lets you make one change.