Medicare Advantage
2027 Medicare Advantage Bid Data Points to Stable Low Premiums but Fewer Supplemental Extras
Plan bids released by CMS on July 28 show insurers are preserving low monthly premiums going into 2027, while a continuing decline in over-the-counter cards, meal benefits, and other extras signals another year of supplemental benefit cutbacks.
By the Goodsurance editorial teamAugust 7, 2026
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released the 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D bid results on July 28, 2026, setting the national average monthly bid amount at 296.05 dollars and the base Part D beneficiary premium at 41.33 dollars. Those figures, read alongside trend data from KFF on supplemental benefit availability, sketch the likely shape of 2027 plan offerings ahead of October 15 open enrollment.
The bid structure suggests plans are positioning to maintain low or zero-dollar monthly premiums for most enrollees. When a plan's bid falls below the county benchmark, it receives a rebate that federal rules require be directed toward lower cost-sharing, supplemental benefits, or premium reductions. With bids staying competitive, rebates should continue flowing, but where those dollars land may shift.
2027 Medicare Advantage plans may keep the zero-dollar premium but quietly shrink the extras that made them attractive.
KFF tracking of 2026 plans found the share offering over-the-counter benefit cards fell to 66 percent, down from 73 percent in 2025. Meal benefit availability and remote access technology also declined year over year. Industry analysts following the 2027 bid data expect those trends to continue as plans absorb elevated medical costs that have weighed on margins since 2024.
For enrollees, the practical effect may be a plan that shows the same zero-dollar premium on the Annual Notice of Change arriving in September 2026 but delivers meaningfully fewer extras. Reviewing the full notice, particularly the supplemental benefits section, will be more important than usual this open enrollment season.
In plain words
Medicare Advantage plans turned in their price proposals for 2027 in late July. Most plans are expected to keep their monthly premium at zero or close to it. But extra benefits like store cards, meal deliveries, and remote care tools have been shrinking since 2025. That trend is likely to continue in 2027. When your plan sends you its yearly notice this September, look at more than just the premium. Check whether the extras you use are still included and at the same level as before.
Understand the basics first
Source: CMS
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