CMS said September 28 that Medicare Advantage’s weighted average monthly premium is projected to fall from $14.37 in 2026 to $12 in 2027. It estimates 34 million enrollees—47.4% of Medicare—and says 97% of beneficiaries will have at least 10 MA choices. Open Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7. CMS also warns that plan costs and benefits can change each year.

DomAfina’s take: “stable” at the market level does not make a patient’s plan operationally stable. January can still bring a different payer, network, authorization rule or home-benefit design. Before the first 2027 visit, capture every patient’s selected plan, verify network status, recheck authorization requirements and record the source and date of verification. Build a January exception queue now for patients whose coverage cannot be confirmed. The premium headline is good news. The intake risk begins when teams assume nothing else changed.

Source reviewed: CMS: Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Programs Expected to Remain Stable in 2027. The source supports the reported update; the operational recommendations are DomAfina’s analysis.