The Buckeye State is losing 32 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, dropping from 212 plans to 180. That’s one of the steepest declines in the country, and it lands on a state where more than 2.5 million people are on Medicare.
If you have a Wellcare Medicare Advantage plan in Ohio, or you get your care through Kettering Health in the Dayton area, read the next two sections first. Those are the 2027 changes most likely to force a decision.
Annual Enrollment runs through December 7, 2026. Coverage you choose starts January 1, 2027.
Wellcare Members in Ohio: Your Plan Is Likely Changing
Centene, the company behind Wellcare, is dropping its standard Medicare Advantage plans in Ohio for 2027. It will sell only special needs plans in the state, which are limited to people with Medicaid, certain chronic conditions, or who live in a facility.
If you’re in a regular Wellcare Medicare Advantage plan and you don’t qualify for a special needs plan, you should have received a non-renewal letter. You have three choices:
- Choose another Medicare Advantage plan by December 7. Because your plan is ending, you also have a special enrollment period through the end of February.
- Return to Original Medicare and add a Medicare Supplement with no health questions. A plan leaving Medicare gives you a federal guaranteed-issue right to certain Medigap plans, including Plan G. The window opens 60 days before your plan ends and closes 63 days after.
- Do nothing, and you land in Original Medicare on January 1 with no drug coverage and no supplement. Avoid this one.
Check Your Hospital Before Your Premium
Ohio’s big health systems each accept a different mix of Medicare Advantage plans, and those lists change. Here’s what to check in each part of the state.
Dayton and Western Ohio: Kettering Health
Kettering Health stopped accepting Humana and Devoted Health Medicare Advantage plans on January 1, 2026, citing denials and payment problems. For 2027, Kettering has been reported as not renewing its contract with Anthem Medicare Advantage, which would put it out of network for Anthem members starting January 1. If Kettering is your hospital, confirm its 2027 status with your plan before you renew. Kettering continues to accept Original Medicare.
Columbus: Ohio State Wexner Medical Center
Ohio State publishes the Medicare Advantage plans that cover care at its hospitals and the James cancer center, and its 2026 list was short, made up mostly of Aetna plans plus a few special needs plans. Original Medicare with a Medicare Supplement is accepted there. If Ohio State is where you’d want to go for serious care, check its list before choosing any Advantage plan.
Cleveland and Northeast Ohio: Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic lists AARP and UnitedHealthcare, Humana Choice, Medical Mutual of Ohio, Anthem, Aetna, and Zing Health Medicare Advantage plans among those it accepts. Not every plan from a listed company is in network, and some plans are limited to certain locations. Confirm your specific plan name.
The Buckeye State’s Homegrown Plans
Ohio has an unusual number of local and regional Medicare Advantage plans tied to its own hospital systems, and several have been among the state’s highest rated. For 2026, 4.5-star plans in Ohio came from these companies:
- SummaCare
- Medical Mutual of Ohio
- MediGold
- PrimeTime Health Plan
- UPMC for Life
- Aetna and Humana, on some of their Ohio plans
Star ratings dropped across the industry for 2027, so check each plan’s new rating rather than last year’s. Local plans often have tighter networks built around one hospital system, which is a strength if that’s your system and a problem if it isn’t.
What’s Changing in Almost Every Ohio Plan
Even if your plan is continuing, your Annual Notice of Change probably shows some of these:
| What’s changing | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio Medicare Advantage plans available | 212 | 180 |
| Highest in-network out-of-pocket limit allowed | $9,250 | $9,850 |
| Typical in-network limit, plans with drug coverage | $5,900 | $6,500 |
| Part D yearly out-of-pocket cap | $2,100 | $2,400 |
| Part D standard deductible | $615 | $700 |
PPO plans are getting harder to find nationally. Humana is dropping 37 PPOs, UnitedHealthcare 34, and Aetna 20, mostly in favor of HMOs. If you’re in a PPO, look closely at what your carrier moved you into.
A higher out-of-pocket limit mostly matters in a year with a hospital stay. If a $6,500 bill would be a real problem, ask about hospital indemnity or cancer coverage now. Those plans are underwritten and may not be available after a diagnosis.
Medicare Supplements in the Buckeye State
Ohio does not have a Medigap birthday rule in effect. Once your first six months on Part B have passed, an Ohio Medicare Supplement company can ask health questions and turn you down, unless you have a federal guaranteed-issue right.
The two guaranteed-issue situations most Ohioans run into:
- Your Medicare Advantage plan is ending, like the Wellcare change above.
- You joined Medicare Advantage when you first turned 65 and you leave within the first 12 months.
A hospital leaving your plan’s network, like the Kettering changes, doesn’t create that right. If you’re healthy and thinking about switching to a Medicare Supplement, get approved before you drop your Advantage plan.
Buckeye State Medicare Questions for 2027
How many Medicare Advantage plans does Ohio have for 2027?
180, down from 212 in 2026. What’s available to you depends on your county.
Is Wellcare leaving Ohio?
Wellcare’s parent company, Centene, is dropping its standard Medicare Advantage plans in Ohio for 2027 and keeping only special needs plans. Members of standard Wellcare plans need to choose new coverage.
Does Kettering Health accept Humana Medicare Advantage?
No. Kettering Health stopped accepting Humana and Devoted Health Medicare Advantage plans on January 1, 2026. Confirm Kettering’s status with any other Advantage plan before you enroll.
Does Ohio have a Medigap birthday rule?
No. Outside your initial Medigap open enrollment or a federal guaranteed-issue situation, Ohio Medicare Supplement applications can include health questions.
What’s the deadline to change plans in Ohio?
December 7, 2026, for coverage starting January 1, 2027. If you’re already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one more change between January 1 and March 31.
Lost Your Plan or Your Hospital? Let’s Sort It Out
I’ll check your Ohio doctors, hospital, and prescriptions against the 2027 plans in your county and tell you straight whether you need to move. Call 512-844-3983. There’s no cost for the review.
Book a Medicare ReviewWritten and reviewed by Scott Bowling, independent Medicare broker, Trusted SR Solutions. Ohio license #1454608. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent [X] organizations which offer [X] products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or the Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP) to get information on all of your options. Trusted SR Solutions is not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program.
Sources
- Becker’s Payer: The states losing the most Medicare Advantage plans in 2027
- Becker’s Payer: Medicare Advantage looks stable for 2027, underneath it’s shifting
- Kettering Health: Ending Medicare Advantage contracts with Humana and Devoted Health
- CareRoute: Kettering Health and Anthem Medicare Advantage in 2027
- Ohio State Wexner Medical Center: Medicare Advantage plans that cover care at Ohio State
- Cleveland Clinic: Accepted insurance plans
- NerdWallet: Best Medicare Advantage plans in Ohio 2026
- Healthline: Medicare plans in Ohio
- 24/7 Wall St.: States with a Medigap birthday rule in 2026
- Benefits USA: typical Medicare Advantage out-of-pocket limit rises $600 in 2027
- Benefits USA: 2027 Medicare Advantage out-of-pocket maximum