Which Medicare Advantage plans from Boise's two hospital systems change in 2027?
Saint Alphonsus Health Plan and St. Luke's Health Plan, each tied to a Boise hospital system, are both changing their Medicare Advantage offering for 2027. Each plan explains how on its own website.
| Plan | What it says for 2027 |
|---|---|
| Saint Alphonsus Health Plan (HMO and PPO) | Will not offer Medicare Advantage plans in 2027. Coverage through the plan ends December 31, 2026. |
| St. Luke's Advantage Rx (HMO) | New Medicare Advantage plan for 2027, for residents of Ada, Blaine, Canyon, Elmore, Jerome, Twin Falls and Valley counties. It combines medical and prescription drug coverage. |
St. Luke's Health Plan says the plan's network includes St. Luke's doctors and practitioners as well as many independent physicians and clinics. Check each doctor you use in the plan's 2027 directory before you join, because a doctor can be near a hospital and still not be in a plan's network.
Saint Alphonsus Health Plan says it offered its plan in select Idaho counties and that members get an official notice by mail with a list of other plans. We did not find a public count of how many people are affected.
What are the dates and rights if my Saint Alphonsus plan is ending?
Saint Alphonsus Health Plan says your coverage ends December 31, 2026, and it gives you more time than the usual deadline to pick another plan.
- October 15 to December 7, 2026Medicare annual enrollment. A plan you pick by December 7 starts January 1, 2027.
- December 31, 2026Your Saint Alphonsus Health Plan coverage ends. With no new plan you have Original Medicare only.
- Until February 28, 2027A special opportunity to join a new Medicare health or drug plan. A plan joined after December 31 starts the month after you join.
- 63 days after your coverage endsA special right to buy a Medigap policy.
Source: Saint Alphonsus Health Plan, important notice about 2027 coverage
If your plan included drug coverage and you do not join a plan with drug coverage, or a stand alone drug plan with Original Medicare, by February 28, 2027, you will have no drug coverage in 2027. You may also owe a lifetime Part D late enrollment penalty if you join a drug plan later.
If you now pay a reduced Part B premium because of your plan, you lose that benefit on January 1. The full Part B premium comes out of your Social Security check unless your new plan offers the same benefit.
Which insurers sell Idaho marketplace plans for 2027, and which does St. Luke's list?
Idaho runs its own marketplace, Your Health Idaho. The Idaho Department of Insurance says seven insurers will sell individual plans for 2027, and open enrollment runs from October 15 to December 15, 2026.
| Insurer | St. Luke's in network list |
|---|---|
| Blue Cross of Idaho | Listed by product. The HMO and PPO exclude connected care, and the qualified health plans include Hometown South |
| Moda Health Plan | Listed for Connexus, Synergy, Affinity and OHSU PPO |
| Molina Healthcare | Not on the list |
| Mountain Health CO-OP | Listed, but it excludes Engage and Access products unless you live in Eastern or Northern Idaho |
| Regence BlueShield of Idaho | Listed for PPO and Traditional |
| SelectHealth | Listed (SLHP and BrightPath) |
| St. Luke's Health Plan | Listed |
| PacificSource, leaving the Idaho marketplace after 2026 | Listed, but it is not on the Department of Insurance's 2027 list |
A company on the list can still have products that are left out, so match the product name on your plan card. St. Luke's says to verify with your insurer that it is in network and that the planned services are covered. Saint Alphonsus does not name plans in its insurance FAQ, so ask its patient financial services before you pick a plan if you want that hospital included.
The Department of Insurance says average 2027 premiums rise 12% in both the individual and small group markets before subsidies, and that the state's reinsurance waiver lowers 2027 premiums by 16%. More than 143 medical plans and 22 dental plans are sold on Your Health Idaho. Healthinsurance.org reports that PacificSource members must choose a new plan for 2027.
How many people use Your Health Idaho?
For 2026 coverage, Your Health Idaho reported 120,426 medical plan enrollments, and new enrollment fell 22% from the year before.
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Medical plan enrollments | 120,426 |
| Dental plan enrollments | 23,818 |
| Total enrollment compared with the year before | Up 3% |
| New enrollment compared with the year before | Down 22% |
| Enrolled in or changed to a bronze plan | 59% |
Healthinsurance.org reports that 76% of people who enrolled through Your Health Idaho for 2026 were eligible for premium subsidies, which paid an average of $402 a month and left an average of about $108 a month for those who received them.
Idaho is not in the CMS county level file because it runs its own marketplace, so there are no Ada County figures from CMS. Census estimates put Boise at 238,429 residents and Ada County at 546,141.
How do Boise and Ada County compare on age, language and coverage?
| Measure | Boise | Ada County |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 238,429 | 546,141 |
| Age 65 or older | 16.2% | 18.1% |
| Age 5 or older who speak a language other than English at home | 11.1% | 9.3% |
| No health insurance, under age 65 | 8.3% | 8.1% |
About one in six Boise residents is 65 or older, so Medicare plan changes touch many households. If English is not your first language, ask each plan for materials and an interpreter in your language before you choose.
What can I do before the deadlines?
Compare plans during Medicare's annual enrollment period, October 15 to December 7, 2026. A change you make by December 7 starts January 1.
- Look up your doctors and your hospital in the 2027 directory of the exact plan, not only the company.
- Call 1-800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227) or use Medicare.gov and say your plan is not being offered next year. Saint Alphonsus Health Plan's notice suggests this.
- Ask SHIBA (Senior Health Insurance Benefits Advisors), Idaho's free Medicare counseling program, to compare your choices with you.
- If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1, you can make one change from January 1 to March 31, 2027.
Original Medicare with a Medigap plan and a separate Part D drug plan is another route. Saint Alphonsus Health Plan says you have a special right to buy a Medigap policy for 63 days after your coverage ends.
How can a Boise agent help with a plan that is ending?
An agent can look up your doctors and your prescriptions in each 2027 plan you are considering, show you what happens to your Part B premium benefit and your drug coverage, and help you act before the dates above. Have your Medicare card, your plan letter, your doctors' names and your prescriptions ready.
Health Insurance Solutions agents are licensed in 22 states and help by phone and online. Marketplace plans cost the same with or without an agent, so the comparison does not add to your premium.
Insurers and hospitals mentioned
Explore the organizations or brands discussed in this article. A mention does not mean every plan or location is covered.
- Insurer · IdahoBlue Cross of Idaho
- Insurer · IdahoModa Health Plan
- Insurer · IdahoMolina Healthcare
- Insurer · IdahoMountain Health CO-OP
- Insurer · IdahoRegence Blue Shield of Idaho
- Insurer · IdahoSelect Health
- Insurer · IdahoSt. Luke's Health Plan
- Medicare Advantage · IdahoBlue Cross of Idaho
- Medicare Advantage · IdahoSt. Luke's Health Plan
- Small-group insurer · IdahoRegence Blue Shield of Idaho
- Medicare Supplement · IdahoRegence BlueShield of Idaho
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