Alaskans get nine Medicare drug plans for 2027, priced $5.30 to $191.50 a month

Alaskans shopping for Medicare prescription coverage in 2027 have nine stand-alone plans to choose from, with monthly premiums ranging from $5.30 to $191.50 and annual drug deductibles from $300 to $700. Open enrollment runs Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, and coverage chosen then begins Jan. 1.

The lowest premium is not necessarily the lowest cost. What a person pays over a year depends on which drugs they take, which pharmacies they use and how each plan prices those drugs.

Here are the nine plans, compiled by Alaska News from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 2027 landscape data, with each plan's contract rating from the 2027 CMS star ratings released Oct. 8:

Wellcare Value Script: $5.30 a month, $700 deductible, 3 stars

Humana Basic Rx Plan: $6.30 a month, $700 deductible, 4.5 stars

Wellcare Classic: $7.30 a month, $700 deductible, 3 stars

HealthSpring Assurance Rx: $9.30 a month, $700 deductible, 2.5 stars

Humana Value Rx Plan: $83.80 a month, $687 deductible, 4.5 stars

Humana Premier Rx Plan: $101.20 a month, $350 deductible, 4.5 stars

AARP Medicare Rx Saver from UHC: $108.40 a month, $700 deductible, 3 stars

SilverScript Choice: $132.90 a month, $700 deductible, 2.5 stars

AARP Medicare Rx Preferred from UHC: $191.50 a month, $300 deductible, 3 stars

All nine plans are available statewide. The premiums are before any subsidy, late-enrollment penalty or income-related adjustment, and a deductible may not apply to every drug tier.

The star ratings apply to an insurance contract as a whole, not to individual Alaska plans or pharmacies. They weigh customer service, complaints, medication safety and how well members stick to prescribed treatment, using as many as 13 measures for drug plans. Three Humana plans share a 4.5-star rating though their premiums and deductibles differ sharply, and two UnitedHealthcare plans share a 3-star rating while their premiums differ by more than $80 a month.

The CMS file lists no general-enrollment Medicare Advantage plans in Alaska, so these stand-alone plans are the main published drug-plan comparison for residents on Original Medicare. Employer, union and other specialized coverage can follow different rules.

Medicare advises people to enter their medications and preferred pharmacies into Medicare Plan Finder. Formularies differ by plan, pharmacies may be preferred or out of network, and the same medication can land on a different cost tier depending on the plan. Mail-order availability can matter where pharmacy access is limited.

People who qualify for the federal Extra Help program can pay lower premiums and prescription costs, and Medicare says Alaska has higher income limits than most states. Alaska's Medicare Information Office offers free, noncommercial counseling to help residents compare plans.