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On November 4th, CMS released the Notice of Intent to Apply (NOIA) applications calendar year 2027 for Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MAPD) plans. While often viewed as an administrative first step, the NOIA represents a plan’s formal commitment to participate in the upcoming contract year. More importantly, before the NOIA is even submitted, plans must use this moment to articulate their strategic intent by identifying which products to sustain, where to innovate and what new opportunities to pursue in the year ahead.
This is especially critical amid the Medicare Advantage Reset we are experiencing today. Medicare Advantage headwinds are broad and big, such as shifting regulatory targets, potential policy changes under a new administration, heightened audit scrutiny, increased political pressure and increased need to improve and maintain strong Stars and quality performance.
For plans, the CY2027 NOIA cannot be viewed as business as usual. It needs to be treated as a strategic checkpoint. It’s the moment to define your plan’s Medicare Advantage roadmap, reaffirm market goals and set the tone for the entire bid season.
Some key focus areas for this year’s NOIA cycle include:
- Product Realignment: The NOIA enables plans to reassess offerings, retire underperforming products and refine benefits to stay competitive while balancing market appeal with cost containment for long-term sustainability.
- Special Needs Plan (SNP) Penetration: SNP plans continue to see steady growth, as reflected in the October CMS landscape files. MAPDs that excel in care coordination and member outcomes are well positioned to capitalize on this trend and benefit from the higher rebate margins these plan types offer.
- Market Expansion or Retraction: The NOIA period allows plans to evaluate where to grow their footprint and where to scale back, ensuring data-driven decisions on market participation ahead of bid development.
- Organizational Readiness: Before committing to a strategic roadmap, plans should carefully evaluate their existing infrastructure and capabilities to ensure they can operationally support future goals. A sound strategy requires not only vision, but the processes, systems and resources to bring it to life.
As the MAPD landscape continues to evolve, the CY2027 NOIA marks more than the start of another bid cycle. MAPD plans that make the time now to realign, innovate and set a clear goal for 2027 will be well positioned when bids are submitted.
At ProspHire, we have been partnering with health plans for over a decade, navigating this critical period with clarity and confidence by helping organizations strategically plan for sustainable growth, operational readiness and long-term success in the evolving Medicare Advantage landscape. If you are prepared to chart a new path forward, embracing the Medicare Advantage Reset and exploring new models for success, not anchored to the past but positioned for the future, let’s have a conversation.
