The plan letter lists an out-of-pocket maximum. It does not add up what a bad year costs you all in: the premium, Part B, the medical limit, and the drug cap. An engineer does the arithmetic with 2026 and 2027 numbers, for both paths through Medicare.
The plan letter is supposed to show what changed, and this week we read one that did not show either deductible. For 2027, more Advantage plans in Maricopa have a medical deductible, and drug deductibles can reach $700. Where to find your real numbers before October 15.
Since the 2027 plans went live on October 1, our team has pulled every plan in Scottsdale and Las Vegas to get ready for next week's client workshops. More deductibles, higher out-of-pocket limits, a $700 drug deductible cap, and what Medicare.gov cannot show yet.
What yesterday's Medicare workshops taught us. People holding their plan letter still had not caught that things were changing, Medicare.gov is not showing doctor matches for 2027 yet, and the numbers on the screen only help if you know what each one means. Here is what each one means.
The workshop's last section sorts the room into three groups: not on Medicare yet, on an Advantage plan, or on a Supplement with a drug plan. What each group does this fall, the six questions to ask anyone who offers to help, and every section of the show in print, in one place.
This morning Medicare.gov switched to 2027 plans, and the workshop's live demo walks the search click by click. How to search drug plans and Advantage plans, the notes-sheet grid, what the little tooth means, and what the site does not show yet on day one.