Everyday Digital Explained

How Do You Use the Official Medicare Plan Finder for 2027 Plans?

Last verified against 9 official sources

Short answer: Medicare Plan Finder, at Medicare.gov/plan-compare, is Medicare's official tool for comparing Medicare health and drug plans in your area side by side. You can log in to see a summary of your current coverage and use your saved drugs and pharmacies, or skip logging in by choosing the coverage year and entering your ZIP code. Add your prescriptions, pharmacies and doctors to get cost estimates and see which plans include them, then check each plan's 1-to-5-star quality rating. Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage runs October 15 to December 7, 2026, and free help is available from your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) or 1-800-MEDICARE.

Watch the video: How Do You Use the Official Medicare Plan Finder for 2027 Plans?▶ Watch the short video
  • Medicare.gov, the "Medicare & You" handbook and 1-800-MEDICARE are Medicare's official sources of unbiased information. Expect a lot of mail and ads from companies during Open Enrollment.
  • If you have employer or union coverage, call your benefits administrator before you make any changes to your coverage.
  • Doctors and other providers can join or leave a plan's network during the year, so confirm with your doctor's office too.

Step by step

  1. Make your list first. Write down each prescription with its strength, dose and how often you take it, the pharmacies you use, and the doctors you want to keep. If you plan to log in, you'll need your Medicare Number to create an account.
  2. Go to Medicare.gov/plan-compare and choose how to start. Type the address yourself instead of clicking a link in an ad or email. Choose Log in or Create account if you have or want a Medicare account. To browse without one, choose the coverage year (2027) and enter your ZIP code. Plan Finder then asks a few questions that it says help it give better cost estimates but won't change which plans you see.
  3. Add your drugs. Enter each drug with the right strength and how often you take it. Plan Finder now alerts you when the drug frequency you picked isn't covered, and shows covered options if there are any.
  4. Pick your pharmacies and add your doctors. Choose the pharmacies you use. Some drug plans offer a discount, or only cover your drugs, at pharmacies in their network. You can also add the doctors and other providers most important to you, and your results will show whether they're in network with the plans you're considering.
  5. Read the cost estimate and compare plans. Medicare says Plan Finder gives estimates of your total out-of-pocket costs, using the drugs and pharmacies you entered. Compare a few plans side by side, and use the filters to narrow the list; for example, you can filter results to show Special Needs Plans (SNPs). Remember that the cost is an estimate.
  6. Check star ratings and plan documents. Medicare rates plans from 1 to 5 stars for quality and performance. Plans that earned 5 stars show a high-performing icon, and plans with consistently low ratings show a low-performing icon. Open Plan Details to find links to each plan's drug list (formulary), Evidence of Coverage and Summary of Benefits.
  7. Get free help, then decide by December 7. For free, personalized counseling, contact your SHIP (find yours at shiphelp.org) or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048). To switch, select Enroll in Plan Finder or contact the plan; the plan must get your request by December 7, 2026, and new coverage starts January 1, 2027. If you keep your current coverage, its 2027 changes also start January 1, 2027.

Logging in vs. browsing without an account

The Plan Finder start page says logging in saves time: you get a summary of your current coverage and can use your saved drugs and pharmacies to compare plan costs. The 2027 "Medicare & You" handbook says your Medicare account lets you add your prescriptions and pharmacies to help you compare plans in your area.

You need your Medicare Number to create an account. Medicare.gov lets you create or log in to your account through ID.me, CLEAR or Login.gov, free services that verify your identity. Once you connect an existing Medicare account to one of these services, you can't log in with your old Medicare username and password.

You don't have to log in. Without an account, you choose the coverage year, enter your ZIP code and answer a few questions. Plan Finder says the answers help it give better cost estimates but won't change which plans you see.

Reading the results: costs, stars and plan details

Medicare says you can use Plan Finder to compare plans side by side, get estimates of your total out-of-pocket costs, find quality and customer service ratings from current plan members, get coverage and cost information for your pharmacies and drugs, and search for your doctors to see if they're in network.

Star ratings run from 1 to 5. Medicare bases them on member satisfaction surveys, plans and health care providers, and says plans with a 5-star rating are considered excellent. For 2027, CMS rated Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage on up to 43 quality and performance measures and stand-alone drug plans on up to 13. The 2027 ratings were posted on Plan Finder on October 8, 2026.

Ratings and estimates are only part of the picture. Check that each of your drugs is on the plan's formulary, that your pharmacies and doctors are in network, and what the plan charges for the care you use most. Doctors and other providers can join or leave a plan's network at any time during the year.

What's new in Plan Finder this fall

CMS says Plan Finder got a simpler start page on July 27, 2026. On October 1, 2026, it added more detail on preventive services and extra benefits, alerts when a drug frequency you pick isn't covered, and links to each plan's formulary, Evidence of Coverage and Summary of Benefits on the Plan Details page.

On October 9, 2026, CMS switched Plan Finder's provider network information to 2027 data supplied by Medicare Advantage plans and checked by CMS, and added autocomplete to the provider search. The 2027 handbook says you could start comparing 2027 options on October 1, 2026.

Common questions

Do I have to log in to use Medicare Plan Finder?

No. You can choose the coverage year, enter your ZIP code and answer a few questions without an account. Logging in lets you see a summary of your current coverage and use your saved drugs and pharmacies to compare plan costs.

Is the Plan Finder cost the amount I'll actually pay?

It's an estimate based on the drugs and pharmacies you enter. Your real costs can differ, for example if your prescriptions or pharmacies change. Before you choose, check the plan's drug list and Summary of Benefits, or call the plan.

What do Medicare star ratings mean?

Medicare rates plans from 1 to 5 stars on quality and performance, using member satisfaction surveys, plans and health care providers. Plans with a 5-star rating are considered excellent. If a plan with a 5-star rating is available where you live, you may be able to switch to it using the 5-star Special Enrollment Period.

Can I enroll in a plan through Plan Finder?

Yes. Select Enroll for the plan you want. You can also visit the plan's website or call the plan, and you can ask for a paper form. During Open Enrollment, the plan must get your request by December 7, 2026, and your new coverage starts January 1, 2027.

Where can I get free help using Plan Finder?

Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) gives free, personalized counseling and isn't connected to any insurance company or health plan; find yours at shiphelp.org. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY 1-877-486-2048, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays.

Official sources

Related