Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Programs Expected to Remain Stable in 2026

Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Programs Expected to Remain Stable in 2026

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is announcing that average premiums, benefits, and plan choices for Medicare Advantage (MA) and the Medicare Part D prescription drug program are expected to remain stable in 2026. Average premiums are projected to decline in both the MA and Part D programs from 2025 to 2026. CMS is committed to ensuring these programs work for Medicare beneficiaries while maintaining access to high-quality, affordable healthcare options, safeguarding taxpayer dollars, and making sure beneficiaries have the information they need to make informed choices about what is best for them.

CMS releases this key information, including 2026 premiums, benefits, and access to plan options for MA and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans, ahead of the upcoming Medicare Open Enrollment, which runs from October 15, 2025, to December 7, 2025.

"Millions of Medicare beneficiaries will continue to have access to a broad range of affordable coverage options in 2026," said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. "We want every beneficiary to take advantage of Open Enrollment-compare your options and choose the plan that gives you the right care at the best price."

Medicare Advantage

The average monthly plan premium across all MA plans, which includes MA plans that provide prescription drug coverage and MA Special Needs Plans (SNPs), is estimated by CMS to decrease from $16.40 in 2025 to $14.00 in 2026. Benefit options will remain stable, including MA supplemental benefit offerings such as hearing, dental, and vision. Based on plans' projections, enrollment in MA is projected to be 34 million in 2026, a decrease from 34.9 million in 2025, with MA enrollment representing approximately 48% of all people enrolled in Medicare, compared to 50% in 2025. However, based on recent historical experience and enrollment trends, CMS anticipates that enrollment in MA in 2026 will be more robust than the plans' projections and that enrollment will be stable.

Access to MA plans remains stable in 2026, with over 99% of Medicare beneficiaries having access to a plan, and 97% of Medicare beneficiaries will have access to 10 or more MA plan choices. The total number of available MA plans nationally will decrease slightly from 5,633 in 2025 to approximately 5,600 in 2026.

Medicare Part D

CMS is committed to controlling costs for people with Medicare prescription drug coverage. To uphold affordability, choice, and access for Medicare beneficiaries while safeguarding taxpayer dollars, CMS took unprecedented action to hold standalone prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsors accountable for significant year-over-year premium increases and exercised its full statutory authority to successfully negotiate bid terms and conditions and, when necessary, deny standalone PDP bids that included unacceptable, significant increases in cost sharing or reductions in benefits. Following these negotiations, CMS approved some revised bids and, for the first time, rejected standalone PDP bids that failed to address concerns regarding significant year-over-year premium increases and that were also market outliers compared to similar plans in the same region.

Additionally, CMS previously released CY 2026 parameters for the voluntary Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration (first implemented in 2025) to ensure Medicare Part D enrollees have access to affordable prescription drug plan choices and facilitate the program's return to operating under regular market conditions. Nearly all people with Medicare enrolled in a stand-alone Part D plan in 2025 are currently enrolled in a stand-alone Part D plan offered by a plan sponsor that opted into the demonstration for 2026.

The average stand-alone Part D plan total premium is projected to decrease from $38.31 in 2025 to $34.50 in 2026 (a decrease of $3.81). After the application of MA rebates, which reflects what people in MA plans with prescription drug coverage will pay, the average Part D total premium for MA plans with prescription drug coverage is projected to decrease from $13.32 in 2025 to $11.50 in 2026 (a decrease of $1.82).

Medicare Open Enrollment Resources

Medicare Open Enrollment begins October 15, 2025, and ends December 7, 2025. During this time, people eligible for Medicare can compare 2026 coverage options on Medicare.gov . Medicare.gov , as well as the Medicare Plan Finder , provides clear, easy-to-use information to allow people to compare options for health and drug coverage, which may change from year to year, and find the option that best fits their needs. Medicare beneficiaries should review and compare Medicare health and drug plans, especially this year with the new changes on Medicare.gov.

For 2026, CMS is introducing new features to simplify Medicare plan selection including comparing which plans accept beneficiaries' current providers, details about more supplemental benefits like weight management programs, enhanced security measures to safeguard Medicare accounts, and more filtering options to match beneficiaries' specific needs. In addition, an AI-powered prescription cost estimator across local pharmacies will be available to users over the next several months.

Medicare Plan Finder will be updated with the 2026 Medicare health and prescription drug plan information by October 1, 2025. During Open Enrollment, Medicare beneficiaries are encouraged to call 1-800-MEDICARE for help comparing plans and costs. 1-800-MEDICARE is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide help. People who want to keep their current Medicare coverage do not need to re-enroll.

To help with their Medicare costs, low-income seniors and people with disabilities may qualify to receive financial assistance from the Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs). The MSPs help pay Medicare premiums and may also pay Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments if people meet the conditions of eligibility. Enrolling in an MSP can reduce Medicare costs, helping people better afford other necessities like food, housing, or transportation. Individuals interested in learning more can visit https://www.medicare.gov/basics/costs/help/medicare-savings-programs .

In addition, Extra Help is a Medicare program that helps qualifying individuals pay Part D premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, and other costs. Individuals who enroll in MSPs automatically qualify for help affording their prescription drugs through the Extra Help program. To learn more about Extra Help, visit Medicare.gov/extrahelp .

To view the premiums and costs of 2026 Medicare Advantage and Part D plans, visit https://www.cms.gov/medicare/coverage/prescription-drug-coverage . Select the 2026 landscape source file in the downloads section of the webpage.

For state-by-state information, important dates, and enrollment resources for Medicare Advantage and Part D in 2026, visit: XXX

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