Plan year 2026 · coverage ends Dec. 31, 2026CMS crosswalk of Oct. 1, 2026
Aetna Medicare Signature Care is not offered under this ID in 2027
H5521Contract500Plan
PPO · served 10 counties in South Carolina in 2026
Run by Aetna Life Insurance Company (contract H5521), sold as Aetna Medicare, owned by CVS Health Corporation
CMS crosswalk: members move into H5521-319 in 7 of its 10 counties; in the others the plan ends
Aetna Medicare Signature Care (H5521-500) is not offered under this ID in 2027. The CMS plan crosswalk of October 1, 2026 moves its members into Aetna Medicare Signature (H5521-319), in the 7 counties where that plan is sold (158 members in September 2026). In its other 3 counties (262 members) there is no plan to move into: coverage ends December 31, 2026, and members there need to choose a new plan (counties with fewer than 11 members are not counted).
What changes for its members in Aetna Medicare Signature?
| What you pay or get | 2026 | 2027 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan name | Aetna Medicare Signature Care | Aetna Medicare Signature | renamed |
| In-network out-of-pocket limit | $9,250 | $9,850 | ▲up $600 |
| Drug deductible | $615 | $500 | ▼down $115 |
| Specialist visit | $10 copay | $0 copay | ▼down $10 |
| Hospital stay, in network | $388 a day for days 1–7, then $0 a day for days 8–90 | $408 a day for days 1–6, then $0 a day for days 7–90 | ▲up $100for a 5-day stay |
| Skilled nursing facility, in network | $0 a day for days 1–20, then $218 a day for days 21–100 | $0 a day for days 1–20, then $221 a day for days 21–100 | ▲up $30for a 30-day stay |
| Ground ambulance, in network | $290 copay | $315 copay | ▲up $25 |
| Comprehensive dental, yearly limit | not offered | $1,250 a year | ▲added |
| Hearing aids, yearly limit for both ears | $500 a year | $1,250 a year | ▲up $750 |
| Over-the-counter items, yearly | $60 a year | $80 a year | ▲up $20 |
| Counties served | 10 | 7 | ▼down 3 |
| Drug tier 1, preferred generic | $2 | $5 | ▲up $3 |
| Drug tier 3, preferred brand | 24% of the cost | 17% of the cost | ▼down 7 points |
| Drug tier 4, non-preferred drug | 25% of the cost | 28% of the cost | ▲up 3 points |
| Drug tier 5, specialty tier | 25% of the cost | 28% of the cost | ▲up 3 points |
| 7 lines do not change | |||
| Monthly premium | $0 | $0 | no change |
| Part B premium reduction, monthly | none | none | no change |
| Primary care visit | $0 copay | $0 copay | no change |
| Emergency room | $115 copay | $115 copay | no change |
| Medical deductible, in network | none | none | no change |
| Eyewear, yearly limit | $100 a year | $100 a year | no change |
| Drug tier 2, generic | $12 | $12 | no change |
Source: CMS plan crosswalk from 2026 to 2027 (Oct. 1, 2026); CMS Medicare Advantage and Part D landscape files for 2027 (Sept. 22, 2026, revised Sept. 30) and 2026 (Sept. 2, 2026 revision); CMS plan benefit package files, 2027 and 2026. Your plan's Annual Notice of Change is the letter that confirms your 2027 plan; confirm on Medicare Plan Finder.
What can members do, and by when?
If you live in Anderson (SC), Greenville (SC), Laurens (SC), Oconee (SC), Pickens (SC), Spartanburg (SC), York (SC)
- If you do nothing
- You are moved into Aetna Medicare Signature on January 1, 2027.
- October 15 to December 7, 2026
- Open enrollment: choose another Medicare Advantage plan, or Original Medicare with a drug plan, instead.
If you live in Cherokee (SC), Lexington (SC), Richland (SC)
- Your coverage
- Ends December 31, 2026: Aetna Medicare Signature is not sold where you live.
- October 15 to December 7, 2026
- Open enrollment: join another Medicare Advantage plan, or Original Medicare with a drug plan. Coverage starts January 1, 2027.
- December 8, 2026 to the end of February 2027
- A special enrollment period because the plan is leaving: you can still join a plan, but coverage starts the first day of the month after you join, so choose by December 31 to have no gap.
- If you do nothing
- You are enrolled in Original Medicare when the plan ends, without a drug plan unless you join one (with Extra Help or full Medicaid, Medicare enrolls you in one).
- Without a drug plan
- Going 63 days or more in a row without drug coverage can mean a late enrollment penalty if you join a drug plan later; joining by the end of February keeps a January and February gap under 63 days, waiting longer does not.
Source: Medicare.gov, “Special enrollment periods” and “Joining a plan” (read Oct. 7, 2026).
Where did its members live?
Where its members lived in September 2026; each county and state page lists the 2027 plans sold there.
| County | Members, Sept. 2026 | For 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Lexington, SC | 131 | plan ends here |
| Richland, SC | 131 | plan ends here |
| Greenville, SC | 54 | moves into H5521-319 |
| York, SC | 36 | moves into H5521-319 |
| Anderson, SC | 22 | moves into H5521-319 |
| Pickens, SC | 19 | moves into H5521-319 |
| Oconee, SC | 14 | moves into H5521-319 |
| Spartanburg, SC | 13 | moves into H5521-319 |
| Cherokee, SC | fewer than 11 | plan ends here |
| Laurens, SC | fewer than 11 | moves into H5521-319 |
Source: CMS monthly enrollment by plan and by county, September 2026 (CMS hides counts under 11).
What else should you check?
- 2027 plans in Lexington, SCThe plans you can join instead
- Aetna Medicare plans for 2027Plans the same company still offers
- Every plan not offered in 2027764 Medicare Advantage and drug plans