Data-led articles on 2027 Medicare, Part D, Connect for Health Colorado and supplemental coverage, written for Brighton, Adams County and the rest of Colorado and reviewed by Lisa Asmussen.
Adams County has 36 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, down from 43, and most renewing plans raised their out-of-pocket maximum. Use this step-by-step checklist before December 7, 2026.
Medicare open enrollment for 2027 runs October 15 to December 7, 2026. Changes start January 1, 2027.
Adams County has 36 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027 from 10 carriers, down from 43 plans in 2026. Special Needs Plans add 28 more.
Medicare Advantage plans cap your in-network costs, but in Adams County that cap ranges up to $9,850 for 2027. Here is how a hospital indemnity policy can help cover the daily copays before you reach it.
For 2027, Adams County Medicare Advantage plans set in-network out-of-pocket maximums from $3,300 to $9,850, with an average of $6,142 (CMS landscape).
Many Medicare Advantage plans charge a daily copay for the first days of a hospital stay. Those copays count toward the yearly maximum, but they come out of your pocket first.
Every stand-alone Part D plan offered in Colorado in both years raised its premium for 2027, two plans are gone, and the deductible limit rose to $700. Here is how to compare by your own drugs and pharmacy before December 7.
Colorado has 8 stand-alone Part D plans for 2027, down from 10 in 2026. SilverScript Choice and HealthSpring Extra Rx are not in the 2027 CMS file.
All 8 of the 8 plans offered in both years raised their monthly premium. The average increase is $44.32 a month.
Open enrollment on Connect for Health Colorado runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027, and insurers have asked for an average 11% increase. Here is what changed and how to shop.
Open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027 on Connect for Health Colorado, the state marketplace. Colorado does not use HealthCare.gov.
Enroll by December 15 for coverage that starts January 1. Enroll December 16 through January 15 and coverage starts February 1.
If you have Medicare and Health First Colorado, or your income is close to qualifying, you may be leaving help on the table. How Medicare Savings Programs, Extra Help and dual plans work in Adams County.
A Medicare Savings Program can pay your Part B premium ($202.90 a month in 2026). The QMB program can also cover Medicare deductibles and coinsurance.
In 2026, Colorado uses the federal income limits: $1,350 a month single or $1,824 married for QMB, and up to $1,816 or $2,455 for QI (NCOA 2026 chart).
Retiring before Medicare at 65 means finding your own health coverage for the bridge years. Here is how COBRA, a spouse's plan, Connect for Health Colorado and HSAs compare.
Medicare usually starts at 65, so an early retiree needs another plan for every month before then.
COBRA lets you keep your employer plan, usually for 18 months after leaving a job, but you can be charged up to 102% of the plan's full cost.
Since July 1, 2026, Medicare GLP-1 Bridge lets eligible people with Part D get Wegovy, Zepbound KwikPen or Foundayo for weight management for a $50 monthly copay. Here is who qualifies and how to start.
Medicare GLP-1 Bridge is a temporary CMS program that runs from July 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027, outside the normal Part D benefit.
It covers Foundayo (tablet), Wegovy (injection or tablet) and Zepbound KwikPen only, for a $50 copay for a one-month supply.
Your Medicare plan mailed a 2027 Annual Notice of Change by September 30. In Adams County most renewing plans raised their out-of-pocket maximum. Here is how to read the letter and what to do before December 7.
The Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) is the letter your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan mails by September 30. It lists every change that starts January 1, 2027.
In Adams County, 21 of the 32 Medicare Advantage plan IDs offered in both 2026 and 2027 raised their in-network out-of-pocket maximum. Only 1 lowered it (CMS landscape files).
Retiring after 65 in Colorado gives you a special window to start Medicare without penalties, but the clock starts when your job or work coverage ends. Here is the timeline, the penalties and the mistakes to avoid.
If you had health coverage from your own or your spouse's current job, you get a Special Enrollment Period of 8 months to start Part B after the job or the coverage ends, whichever comes first.
COBRA does not count as job-based coverage for Part B and does not extend that 8-month window (Medicare.gov).
Published October 2, 2026 · Colorado
Showing 9 of 12 articles · Page 1 of 2
FAQ
Common questions
Who writes the Headwaters Health and Wealth blog?
Articles are written by the Headwaters Health and Wealth Data Desk and reviewed by Lisa Asmussen, the agency's Medicare broker and a licensed insurance agent in Brighton, Colorado.
Where do the numbers in these articles come from?
From official sources: the CMS Medicare plan landscape files for 2027 plan data, CMS and Medicare.gov for 2026 Medicare costs, Connect for Health Colorado and the IRS for marketplace rules, and Colorado state agencies. Every article lists its sources with links.
Can someone go over my own plan with me?
Yes. Send Lisa a message through the contact page or call (303) 887-8584. She offers no-cost Medicare reviews in Brighton, by phone or virtually.
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Content reviewed by Lisa Asmussen, Medicare Broker and Licensed Insurance Agent at Headwaters Health and Wealth in Brighton, Colorado, certified to sell Medicare plans since 2018 (8 years).
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