If you already have Medicare and live in Murfreesboro or Rutherford County, fall brings an important question:
Should you keep your current Medicare coverage for 2027—or is it time to consider something different?
Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period runs from October 15 through December 7 each year. During this time, Medicare beneficiaries can make certain changes to their Medicare Advantage and prescription drug coverage. Changes made during Annual Enrollment generally take effect January 1 of the following year.
But Annual Enrollment doesn’t mean you need a new plan.
In fact, at Acuity Health Advisors, we tell our clients every year that sometimes the best decision is to do nothing at all.
The important thing is knowing whether your current coverage still works well for you.
Here’s what Murfreesboro-area Medicare beneficiaries should consider when reviewing their coverage for 2027.
Start With Your 2027 Annual Notice of Change
If you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage or Medicare prescription drug plan, your plan sends an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) each fall.
Don’t toss this one in the Medicare-paperwork pile!
Your ANOC explains changes to your plan’s costs and coverage for the coming year. Medicare recommends reviewing this information and comparing it with your current healthcare needs before deciding whether to make a change.
As you read it, pay particular attention to changes involving:
- Monthly premiums
- Deductibles
- Doctor and specialist copays
- Hospital costs
- Maximum out-of-pocket limits
- Prescription drug coverage and costs
- Pharmacy networks
- Other plan benefits
Then ask yourself a more important question:
Do these changes matter to me?
A benefit change that is significant for one person might make almost no difference to someone else.
That’s why we believe a Medicare review should be personal.
1. Check Your Doctors and Specialists
For people enrolled in Medicare Advantage, provider networks can be an important consideration.
That is particularly relevant here in Murfreesboro, where residents may receive care from physicians and facilities associated with several healthcare systems in Rutherford County and the greater Nashville area.
If keeping a particular primary care physician, cardiologist, orthopedist or other specialist is important to you, don’t assume that because the provider participated with your plan in 2026, everything will remain the same for 2027.
Provider networks can change.
Medicare recommends checking whether the doctors and pharmacies you want are included when comparing Medicare health plans.
If you’re considering changing plans, verify your important providers before enrolling.
And if you see doctors outside Rutherford County—perhaps in Nashville, Franklin or another surrounding community—remember to check those providers, too.
2. Review Every Prescription You Take
For many of our clients, prescriptions are one of the most important parts of an annual Medicare review.
Each Medicare drug plan has a formulary, or list of covered medications. Plans may also place drugs on different tiers or apply certain coverage requirements.
Meanwhile, your medications may have changed since the last time you reviewed your plan.
Before comparing 2027 coverage, make an updated list containing:
- The exact name of each medication
- Dosage
- How often you take it
- Whether you use a generic or brand-name medication
- Your preferred pharmacy
Then compare estimated costs under the plans you’re considering.
This is one reason we don’t recommend choosing Medicare coverage based solely on the monthly premium or extra benefits advertised on television.
A plan can look great until you discover that it doesn’t work well with your prescriptions.
3. Check Your Pharmacy
Here’s something Medicare beneficiaries sometimes overlook:
The pharmacy you use can affect what you pay for prescriptions.
Medicare notes that some plans have preferred in-network pharmacies where beneficiaries may have lower out-of-pocket costs.
So when reviewing your coverage, don’t just ask:
“Is Walgreens, CVS, Publix, Kroger or my local pharmacy in the network?”
Also ask:
“Is it a preferred pharmacy under this plan?”
If you’re willing to use a different pharmacy, compare those costs as well.
Sometimes changing where you fill a prescription can make a meaningful difference without changing the medication itself.
4. Look Beyond the $0 Premium
Murfreesboro residents will see plenty of Medicare advertising during Annual Enrollment—especially advertisements emphasizing $0 premiums or additional benefits.
Those features may be important, but they shouldn’t be the entire basis of your decision.
A $0-premium Medicare Advantage plan can still have healthcare costs when you use services.
When reviewing your 2027 options, consider:
Primary care and specialist visits
What will you pay when you see your doctors?
Hospital care
How does the plan structure inpatient hospital costs?
Outpatient services and testing
What could you pay for imaging, diagnostic tests, outpatient surgery or other services?
Prescription medications
What are your estimated annual drug costs?
Maximum out-of-pocket limit
If you have an unexpectedly expensive healthcare year, what is your potential exposure for covered Part A and Part B services under the plan?
The plan with the lowest premium isn’t automatically the plan with the lowest total cost—or the best fit for your healthcare needs.
5. Think About What Changed in YOUR Life
Sometimes people spend so much time looking for changes to their Medicare plan that they forget to look at what’s changed in their own lives.
Ask yourself:
Have I started seeing a new doctor?
Am I taking new medications?
Was I diagnosed with a new health condition?
Do I anticipate surgery or treatment next year?
Am I traveling more than I used to?
Did I move?
Have my financial priorities changed?
Even if your Medicare plan barely changes for 2027, changes in your own circumstances can make a review worthwhile.
Do You Have to Change Medicare Plans During Annual Enrollment?
No.
This is worth emphasizing because Medicare advertising can make Annual Enrollment feel like an annual requirement to shop for a new plan.
It isn’t.
If your current plan is continuing for 2027, you’ve reviewed the upcoming changes, and the coverage still meets your needs, keeping your current plan may be the right choice.
At Acuity Health Advisors, we’re not interested in changing someone’s Medicare plan simply for the sake of making a change.
Sometimes our annual conversation with a client ends with:
“Everything still looks good. Let’s leave it alone.”
That’s a perfectly good outcome.
On the other hand, if your doctors, medications, costs, plan benefits or healthcare needs have changed, it may make sense to compare other options.
The purpose of an annual review is to help you make an informed decision—not to automatically make a different one.
Why Your Rutherford County Location Matters
Medicare is a federal program, but the Medicare insurance options available to beneficiaries aren’t identical everywhere.
Medicare Advantage plans have defined service areas, and plan availability can vary by county.
That means a Medicare Advantage plan available to someone in Rutherford County may be different from what’s available to a friend or relative living elsewhere.
It’s one reason we’d be cautious about choosing a plan simply because:
“My sister loves hers.”
or
“My friend told me this is the best plan.”
It may be great for them.
The more important question is whether the coverage available where you live works with your doctors, prescriptions, healthcare needs and budget.
For someone living in Murfreesboro, Smyrna, La Vergne, Eagleville or elsewhere in Rutherford County, your review should focus on the options available at your address and the healthcare providers that matter to you.
When Is Medicare Annual Enrollment for 2027?
For coverage beginning in 2027, Medicare Annual Enrollment runs:
October 15 – December 7, 2026
During this period, Medicare beneficiaries can make certain changes involving Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug coverage. Changes generally become effective January 1, 2027.
You don’t have to wait until October 15 to prepare.
September is a great time to:
- Watch for your Annual Notice of Change
- Update your medication list
- Make a list of important doctors and specialists
- Write down questions about your current coverage
- Think about healthcare changes you’ve experienced this year
Then you’ll be ready to review your coverage once 2027 plan information is available.
Where Can I Get Help With Medicare in Murfreesboro?
You have several options if you need help understanding Medicare.
If you’d like help comparing Medicare insurance plans from an agent, you can work with a licensed Medicare insurance agent or broker, usually at no cost to you.
For people who prefer having a local Medicare agent in Murfreesboro, that’s exactly where Acuity comes in.
Local Medicare Help From Acuity Health Advisors
Acuity Health Advisors is a locally owned, independent Medicare and health insurance agency located right here in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
We’re not a national call center.
We’re part of the Rutherford County community, and we’ve helped hundreds of Middle Tennessee residents navigate Medicare.
Our agency offers:
- Independent Medicare advisors
- Access to multiple major insurance companies
- 150+ five-star Google reviews
- A local Murfreesboro office
- Experienced Medicare guidance
- Ongoing support after enrollment
- No additional cost to you for our help
When we help someone review Medicare coverage, we look at the individual—not just the plan.
That means considering your doctors, prescriptions, preferred pharmacies, healthcare needs, budget and the things that matter most to you.
And if your current coverage still makes sense?
We’re happy to tell you that, too.
Need Help Reviewing Your Medicare Plan for 2027?
If you live in Murfreesboro, Smyrna, La Vergne, Eagleville or elsewhere in Rutherford County, we’re here to help.
Whether you’re wondering if your current Medicare coverage is still a good fit or you’d like to compare other options available to you for 2027, you can talk with a local Medicare advisor at Acuity Health Advisors.
📞 Call Acuity Health Advisors at 615-919-1009
Our office is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
We can help by phone, virtually, or in person at our local office.
Already have Medicare? Visit our Medicare Annual Enrollment Help page to learn more about reviewing your coverage for 2027.
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 8 organizations which offer 74 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.