How we estimate costs and rank plans

Every Michigan plan, price and benefit comes from official files published by CMS, the federal agency that runs Medicare: the 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape files and the 2027 Plan Benefit Package files. We don't type in or estimate plan figures by hand.

CMS hasn't released 2027 star ratings yet, so we show 2026 ratings, labeled "2026." New plans show "New — no rating yet." Medigap prices are typical estimates and are labeled that way.

Our estimate of a typical year: 12 months of the plan's premium, plus the standard Part B premium, plus a separate Part D drug plan premium if the plan doesn't cover drugs. We add your likely medical costs using the plan's real copays and deductible, and your drug costs using the plan's drug deductible, up to the Part D cap.

What a very bad year could cost: premiums, plus the plan's medical out-of-pocket limit, plus the Part D drug cap. A Medicare Advantage plan's out-of-pocket limit does not include drugs, so we add the drug cap separately. Original Medicare alone has no yearly limit.

We start with the estimated true yearly cost. Then we adjust for your answers: whether you want to keep any doctor, whether you prefer peace of mind or a lower premium, whether you travel, and which extras you want (dental, vision, hearing).

When two plans cost within about $250 of each other in a typical year, the one with the lower worst case ranks higher, and we tell you they cost about the same.

Special Needs Plans are always listed last, because only people who meet certain rules can join them.

• Dental, vision and hearing costs beyond what the plan covers.
• Drugs that aren't on the plan's formulary (drug list), or that need approval the plan denies.
• Bills from out-of-network doctors or hospitals.
• Part B "excess charges" some doctors bill under Original Medicare.
• Long-term care, such as nursing-home stays beyond what Medicare covers.
• Late-enrollment penalties for Part B or Part D.
• Income-based surcharges (called IRMAA) that raise Part B and Part D premiums for higher incomes.
• Your actual visits and prescriptions. We use typical amounts for low, medium or high health use.

Who offers the plan. Payments from insurers (we take none). Donations: donors have no say in rankings or content.

• These are estimates, not quotes. Your real costs depend on the care you use.
• Drug estimates assume your medicines are on the plan's formulary. Check my drugs.
• Medicare data doesn't list which hospitals are in each plan's network. Always confirm your doctors and hospitals with the plan.

For free, unbiased help, call Michigan MMAP at 1-800-803-7174, or visit Medicare.gov.