2027 Medicare Plans in Utah County: How to Pick the Best Plan

By Tyler Haskell, CFP®

If you have Medicare and live in Utah County, you will once again have a lot of Medicare Advantage options to choose from for 2027.

There are approximately 28 non-Special Needs Medicare Advantage plan options available in Utah County for 2027, with plans offered by familiar companies such as UnitedHealthcare (UHC), Humana, Aetna, Select Health, Regence, and Devoted Health.

Having lots of choices is great—but it can also make choosing a Medicare plan confusing.

So, how do you determine which Medicare Advantage plan is the best fit for you in 2027?

The answer usually isn’t as simple as finding the plan with the lowest premium or the biggest dental benefit. Here are some of the most important things we recommend reviewing.

1. Are Your Doctors in the Network?

This is one of the first things we look at when helping someone compare Medicare Advantage plans.

A plan may have a $0 monthly premium and attractive extra benefits, but those benefits may not mean much if your preferred doctors aren’t in the network.

Before changing plans, check your:

• Primary care physician
• Specialists
• Preferred hospital
• Clinic or medical group
• Physical therapy providers
• Other providers you see regularly

This is especially important when comparing an HMO to a PPO.

HMOs generally require you to receive care within the plan’s network, except in certain situations such as emergencies. PPOs generally provide more flexibility to receive care outside the network, although your costs can be considerably higher.

Don’t assume that because your doctor accepts one Medicare Advantage plan from an insurance company, they accept every plan offered by that company. Networks can vary by individual plan.

2. Check Your Prescription Drugs

Your medications can sometimes make a bigger difference than the medical benefits.

Two Medicare Advantage plans that look almost identical can have very different prescription costs.

For each plan, we recommend checking:

• Are all of your prescriptions on the formulary?
• What tier is each medication?
• Is there a prescription drug deductible?
• What are the copays?
• Does the medication require prior authorization?
• Is your pharmacy preferred by the plan?

For someone taking several prescriptions or an expensive brand-name medication, this comparison can potentially make a significant difference over the course of the year.  Remember, the maximum out of pocket for all part D plans for 2027 is $2,400, but if you’re prescription is not covered by your plan, you could end up paying more than the $2,400 part D cap.

3. Don’t Choose a Plan Based Only on the $0 Premium

Utah County continues to have Medicare Advantage plans available with a $0 monthly plan premium.

That’s certainly attractive, but a $0 premium doesn’t mean you’ll have $0 healthcare costs.

You should also compare expenses such as:

• Specialist copays
• Hospital copays
• Outpatient surgery
• MRIs and CT scans
• Emergency room visits
• Physical therapy
• Skilled nursing
• Durable medical equipment
• Maximum out-of-pocket limits

A person who rarely uses healthcare may evaluate these costs differently than someone who sees several specialists or anticipates surgery during the year.

4. Compare the Maximum Out-of-Pocket

One number we think deserves more attention is the plan’s maximum out-of-pocket (MOOP).

This is the most you could be responsible for paying for covered Medicare Part A and Part B services during the year under the applicable plan rules.

Hopefully you’ll never come close to reaching it, but it becomes very important during a year with a major illness, hospitalization, surgery, or other expensive medical care.

When comparing two plans with similar benefits, look at both the everyday copays and the potential worst-case medical expenses.

5. Compare Dental Benefits Carefully

Dental is another area where it’s easy to look only at the advertised dollar amount.

For example, a plan might advertise a large dental benefit, but you’ll want to know:

• Which dentists can you use?
• Are cleanings and exams $0?
• Are crowns covered?
• Are dentures covered?
• Are implants covered?
• Is there coinsurance for major dental work?
• Is there an annual maximum?
• Does the plan use a network or an allowance?

A $2,000 dental benefit on one plan isn’t necessarily better than a $1,500 benefit on another. It depends on how the benefit actually works and what dental care you expect to need.

6. Look at Vision, Hearing and OTC Benefits

Many Medicare Advantage plans also include benefits Original Medicare generally doesn’t provide, such as:

• Routine dental
• Routine vision
• Eyeglasses or contact allowances
• Hearing aids
• Over-the-counter (OTC) allowances
• Fitness benefits
• Transportation or other supplemental benefits on qualifying plans

These can be valuable, but we generally recommend looking at them after making sure your doctors, prescriptions and major medical costs work well with the plan.

An extra OTC allowance probably isn’t worth changing plans if the new plan doesn’t cover one of your important doctors or makes an expensive prescription substantially more costly.

7. Look for Changes to Your Current Medicare Plan

Even if you love your current plan, don’t assume it will be exactly the same in 2027.

Medicare Advantage plans can change from one year to the next.

Changes may include:

• Premiums
• Medical copays
• Prescription drug deductibles
• Drug formularies
• Provider networks
• Maximum out-of-pocket amounts
• Dental coverage
• OTC allowances
• Vision and hearing benefits

Your insurance company should send you an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) explaining what’s changing for the upcoming year.

We recommend reviewing it rather than automatically assuming your current plan is still your best option.

8. Which Companies Offer Medicare Advantage Plans in Utah County for 2027?

Utah County residents have Medicare Advantage choices from several insurance companies for 2027, including:

UnitedHealthcare (UHC)
Humana
Aetna
Select Health
Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah
Devoted Health

Each company may offer multiple plans, and the benefits can vary significantly between plans from the same insurance company.

That’s why we don’t believe there is one Medicare Advantage plan that’s automatically the “best Medicare plan in Utah County.”

The better question is:

Which 2027 Medicare plan works best for your doctors, prescriptions, healthcare needs and budget?

9. When Can I Change My Medicare Plan for 2027?

The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period runs from:

October 15 through December 7, 2026

Changes made during this period generally take effect January 1, 2027.

This is your opportunity to compare your existing coverage with the new 2027 Medicare options available in Utah County.

Need Help Comparing 2027 Medicare Plans in Utah County?

With approximately 28 non-Special Needs Medicare Advantage plans, 8 different stand alone Part D plans, and hundreds of different supplemental plans available in Utah County, comparing everything yourself can be quite  overwhelming.

At Professional Insurance Solutions, we help Utah Medicare beneficiaries compare plans from multiple insurance companies.

We can help you review:

• Your doctors and hospitals
• Your prescriptions
• Monthly premiums
• Medical copays
• Maximum out-of-pocket costs
• Dental benefits
• Vision and hearing benefits
• OTC benefits
• HMO versus PPO options

Our goal is to help you understand the differences so you can choose the Medicare coverage that fits your individual needs.

If you live in Provo, Orem, Lehi, American Fork, Pleasant Grove, Springville, Spanish Fork, Payson, Salem, Santaquin, Eagle Mountain, Saratoga Springs, or anywhere else in Utah, contact Professional Insurance Solutions to review your 2027 Medicare plan options.

Give us a call at 801-369-3090 to discuss your unique situation.