Plan year 2027 · Medicare AdvantageCMS files of Sept. 22 and Oct. 1, 2026
Health New England Medicare Value, 2027
H8578Contract012Plan
HMO · 3 counties in Massachusetts
Run by Health New England, Inc. (contract H8578), sold as Health New England Medicare Advantage Plans, owned by Baystate Health, Inc.
Health New England Medicare Value (H8578-012) costs $15 a month in 2027, up $15 from 2026, with an in-network out-of-pocket limit of $9,000 ($6,750 in 2026). It leaves Berkshire, MA, a county it served in 2026, where 1,039 of its members lived; they choose another plan for 2027 (the counties are listed below).
What changes from 2026 to 2027?
| What you pay or get | 2026 | 2027 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly premium | $0 | $15 | ▲up $15 |
| In-network out-of-pocket limit | $6,750 | $9,000 | ▲up $2,250 |
| Emergency room | $130 copay | $115 copay | ▼down $15 |
| Skilled nursing facility, in network | $10 a day for days 1–20, then $200 a day for days 21–50, then $0 a day for days 51–100 | $0 a day for days 1–20, then $221 a day for days 21–100 | changed |
| Eyewear, yearly limit | $300 a year | $125 a year | ▼down $175 |
| Over-the-counter items, yearly | $260 a year | $180 a year | ▼down $80 |
| Counties served | 4 | 3 | ▼down 1 |
| Drug tier 3, preferred brand | $47 | 15% of the cost | changed |
| Drug tier 4, non-preferred drug | 33% of the cost | 30% of the cost | ▼down 3 points |
| Drug tier 5, specialty tier | 27% of the cost | 28% of the cost | ▲up 1 point |
| 11 lines do not change | |||
| Drug deductible | $490 | $490 | no change |
| Part B premium reduction, monthly | none | none | no change |
| Primary care visit | $20 copay | $20 copay | no change |
| Specialist visit | $50 copay | $50 copay | no change |
| Medical deductible, in network | none | none | no change |
| Hospital stay, in network | $375 a day for days 1–7, then $0 a day for days 8–90 | $375 a day for days 1–7, then $0 a day for days 8–90 | no change |
| Ground ambulance, in network | $350 copay | $350 copay | no change |
| Comprehensive dental, yearly limit | not offered | not offered | no change |
| Hearing aids, yearly limit for both ears | not offered | not offered | no change |
| Drug tier 1, preferred generic | $5 | $5 | no change |
| Drug tier 2, generic | $20 | $20 | no change |
Source: 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; CMS plan crosswalk from 2026 to 2027 (Oct. 1, 2026). Plan details can change during the year; confirm on Medicare Plan Finder.
What will prescriptions cost?
| Tier | What the tier holds | 2026, standard pharmacy | 2027, standard pharmacy | 2027, preferred pharmacy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Preferred Generic | $5 | $5 | $0 |
| Tier 2 | Generic | $20 | $20 | $10 |
| Tier 3 | Preferred Brand | $47 | 15% of the cost | 15% of the cost |
| Tier 4 | Non-Preferred Drug | 33% of the cost | 30% of the cost | 30% of the cost |
| Tier 5 | Specialty Tier | 27% of the cost | 28% of the cost | 28% of the cost |
Source: CMS plan benefit package files, 2027 and 2026. Insulin is capped at $35 a month by law. A drug's tier is set by the plan's formulary.
How does it compare with plans sold where it is?
In the counties it serves, 37 plans open to everyone are sold for 2027, this one included. Against the others, 33 plans have a lower out-of-pocket limit, 3 a higher one. On the premium, 16 plans have a lower premium, 20 a higher one.
Out-of-pocket limits of the 37 plans open to everyone
Source: CMS Medicare Advantage and Part D landscape files for 2027 (Sept. 22, 2026, revised Sept. 30) and 2026 (Sept. 2, 2026 revision).
Where is it sold, and what does it cost there?
It stops serving 1 county it served in 2026 (listed in the next section).
The premium and the out-of-pocket limit are the same in all 3 counties: $15 a month and $9,000.
Massachusetts
Source: CMS Medicare Advantage and Part D landscape files for 2027 (Sept. 22, 2026, revised Sept. 30) and 2026 (Sept. 2, 2026 revision).
What if you live in a county it leaves?
Its 2026 members in the county listed below cannot stay in it for 2027; each county page lists the 2027 plans sold there.
- Your coverage
- This plan ends for you on December 31, 2026, because it is no longer 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.
- If you choose Original Medicare
- You have a guaranteed right to buy Medigap Plan A, B, C, D, F, G, K or L sold in your state by any insurance company; if you were new to Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, Plans D and G take the place of C and F. Apply from 60 days before to 63 days after the plan ends; the policy starts once your Medicare Advantage coverage ends. Other Medigap plans are not covered by this right.
| County | Members, Sept. 2026 |
|---|---|
| Berkshire, MA | 1,039 |
Source: CMS plan crosswalk from 2026 to 2027 (Oct. 1, 2026); CMS monthly enrollment by plan and by county, September 2026 (CMS hides counts under 11); Medicare.gov, “Special enrollment periods” and “When can I buy Medigap?” (read Oct. 7, 2026).
Who runs this plan?
- Plan ID
- H8578-012
- Legal name of the contract
- Health New England, Inc.
- Sold as
- Health New England Medicare Advantage Plans
- Parent company
- Baystate Health, Inc.
- Plan type
- HMO
- 2026 star rating of the contract
- 3 of 5 overall; health plan 3 of 5, drug plan 3.5 of 5
- Members, September 2026
- 5,280
- Plan website, as filed with CMS
- www.healthnewengland.org/medicare
Source: CMS Medicare Advantage and Part D landscape files for 2027 (Sept. 22, 2026, revised Sept. 30) and 2026 (Sept. 2, 2026 revision); CMS 2026 Star Ratings (October 2025); CMS monthly enrollment by plan and by county, September 2026 (CMS hides counts under 11). CMS publishes the 2027 Star Ratings in October 2026.
What else should you check?
- Other 2027 plans in Hampden, MAWhere most of its members live; premiums and limits side by side
- Every Health New England Medicare Advantage Plans plan for 2027Its contracts, counties and plans that end
- The other 6 plans of contract H8578Same company, same contract
- Is your prescription covered?Coverage share and tier for 2,259 drugs
Data, not advice. These are the plan's filed amounts, not a quote for you; confirm on Medicare Plan Finder or call the plan before you enroll.