Best Medicare Advantage Plans in Stearns County, MN for 2027
Every general-audience Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage sold in Stearns County, ranked by what it could cost you in a bad year: 12 months of premiums, less any Part B giveback, plus the in-network out-of-pocket maximum.
Stearns County plans, ranked
| # | Plan | Premium / month | In-network max out-of-pocket | Worst-case year | Stars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medica Advantage Essential (PPO)Medica · PPO11 of 69 counties · drug deductible $700Preventive dental | $20 | $7,150 | $7,390 | 4★ |
| 2 | HealthPartners Journey Pace (PPO)HealthPartners · PPO8 of 69 counties · drug deductible $700Dental · eyewear $150/yr | $40 | $7,150 | $7,630 | 4.5★ |
| 3 | Medica Advantage Select (PPO)Medica · PPO11 of 69 counties · drug deductible $420Dental up to $800/yr | $122 | $7,150 | $8,614 | 4★ |
| 4 | Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Select (PPO)Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota · PPO24 of 69 counties · drug deductible $700Dental up to $1,000/yr | $165 | $6,900 | $8,880 | 4★ |
| 5 | HealthPartners Journey Smart (PPO)HealthPartners · PPO8 of 69 counties · drug deductible $700Part B giveback $38/mo · Dental | $0−$38 Part B giveback | $9,850 | $9,394 | 4.5★ |
| 6 | Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Essential (PPO)Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota · PPO24 of 69 counties · drug deductible $700Dental up to $1,000/yr | $10 | $9,850 | $9,970 | 4★ |
Worst-case year = 12 × (monthly plan premium − any Part B giveback) + in-network maximum out-of-pocket. The giveback is money back on the Part B premium ($202.90 a month in 2026), which is otherwise the same for everyone, so a large one can push the worst-case year below $0; drug costs are capped separately at $2,400 in 2027. Other extras are the yearly maximums each plan filed with CMS and don’t change the order. Methodology
What changed since 2026
- Plans with drug coverage: 13 in 2026, 8 in 2027.
- $0-premium plans: 6 in 2026, 3 in 2027.
- Median in-network out-of-pocket maximum: $5,500 in 2026, $7,150 in 2027.
- 16,748 people here were in a general-audience Advantage plan in October 2026; 12,832 of them are in a plan that ends or leaves the county for 2027 and must choose again.
From our 2026 vs. 2027 Medicare Advantage study (CMS landscape, enrollment and crosswalk files).
Before you enroll, check that your doctors are in the plan’s network and how it covers your drugs in the Medicare Plan Finder. Weighing Advantage against Original Medicare with a Medigap plan? Run the county calculator.
Also sold here without drug coverage: Medica Advantage Salute (PPO), Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Freedom Blue (PPO).
Questions
How many Medicare Advantage plans are in Stearns County for 2027?
6 general-audience plans with drug coverage, 1 of them with a $0 monthly premium, compared with 13 plans and 6 $0-premium plans in 2026. Special Needs Plans aren't counted.
Which plan has the lowest worst-case cost in Stearns County?
Medica Advantage Essential (PPO) from Medica: $20 a month with an in-network out-of-pocket maximum of $7,150, so at most about $7,390 for the year in premiums and in-network costs.
Do any Stearns County plans have a Part B giveback?
1 do. The largest is $38 a month off your Part B premium, from HealthPartners Journey Smart (PPO).
How many Stearns County plans have 4 or more stars?
6 of 6, based on CMS's 2027 ratings of the contract behind each plan.
Sources
- CMS, CY 2027 Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plan Landscape (CY2027_Landscape_202609.csv), from cms.gov; extra benefits (Part B giveback, dental, eyewear, hearing aids, over-the-counter allowance) from the CMS CY 2027 Plan Benefit Package files, cms.gov, yearly amounts as each plan filed them; star ratings from the CMS 2027 Star Ratings Data Tables (October 8, 2026), cms.gov. Ratings are per contract, so plans under the same contract share one rating. General-audience plans only: Special Needs Plans, Cost plans and employer group plans are not ranked.
- County population: 2020 Census, via the USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (2023).
Educational information, not a recommendation to join any plan. We are not an insurance agent or broker, and we are not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program. · Advertiser disclosure
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