Medicare Advantage

Medicare and Medi-Cal in Bakersfield: a guide to the 5 D-SNPs on offer for 2027

For 2027, Bakersfield is looking at 42 Medicare Advantage plans: 11 new, 8 gone since 2026, and 14 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 4 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Kern County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

Bakersfield, Calif. — Fall 2026 is decision season for people who have both Medicare and Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program. For 2027, Kern County residents will have five Dual Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) to choose from, built specifically for people who qualify for both programs. The Annual Enrollment Period runs from October 15 through December 7, 2026, and any plan change made in that window starts on January 1, 2027.

What a D-SNP is, in plain terms

A Dual Special Needs Plan is a type of Medicare Advantage plan. It is designed for people who have Medicare (because of age or disability) and who also qualify for Medicaid — called Medi-Cal in California. All D-SNPs include prescription drug coverage, and they coordinate benefits across both programs so that one plan handles most of your care.

D-SNPs are different from the other Special Needs Plans you may see on the Medicare Plan Finder. Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) are for people with specific health conditions like diabetes or chronic heart failure. Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs) are for people living in a nursing facility. For 2027, Kern County has 5 D-SNPs and 16 C-SNPs; there are no I-SNPs.

The D-SNPs offered in Kern County for 2027

Five carriers are offering a D-SNP in the county for 2027. In alphabetical order by carrier, the plans are:

• Wellcare Health Net Dual Liberty (HMO D-SNP) — Centene (WellCare). This plan was renamed for 2027 (it was previously Wellcare Dual Liberty).
• Anthem Full Dual Advantage Aligned (HMO D-SNP) — Elevance Health (Anthem).
• Humana Gold Plus SNP-DE H5619-038 (HMO D-SNP) — Humana.
• Kaiser Permanente Dual Complete South P7 (HMO D-SNP) — Kaiser Permanente.
• Kern Family Health Care Medicare (HMO D-SNP) — Kern Family Health Care Medicare.

The table on this page lists every Medicare Advantage plan in the county, with the type and whether it includes drug coverage. For costs, provider networks, drug lists and extra benefits, use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov, call 1-800-MEDICARE, or ask the plan for its Evidence of Coverage.

Who qualifies: full vs. partial dual eligibility

"Dual eligible" is an umbrella term. It covers people whose Medicaid pays for a full set of long-term services (full-benefit dual eligible) and people who get help only with Medicare's premiums or cost-sharing through a Medicare Savings Program (partial dual eligible). The common Medicare Savings Programs are QMB, SLMB and QI.

Your category matters because each D-SNP is approved for specific dual-eligible groups. Some D-SNPs accept only full-benefit members; others accept partial duals too. The plan will check your Medi-Cal status before enrolling you, and California's Medicaid agency — the Department of Health Care Services — is the official source for that status.

To confirm what you qualify for:

• Contact your Kern County social services office or Medi-Cal directly.
• Sign in at medicare.gov to see your current Medicare coverage.
• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

How often you can change plans

Most Medicare members can only change plans during the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7) or the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31). People with Medicaid or Extra Help have more flexibility.

Under current rules, dual-eligible members generally get a monthly Special Enrollment Period to join an integrated D-SNP that aligns their Medicare and Medi-Cal coverage, or to leave Medicare Advantage and return to Original Medicare with a stand-alone Part D drug plan. The specific rules have changed in recent years, so before you act, confirm what applies to your situation by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.

If you do nothing during the fall window, your current plan simply renews for 2027 — assuming it is still offered. Any changes to premiums, copays, drug lists or provider networks will be in the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) your plan mails in late September.

Program figures to know for 2027

A few program-wide numbers are already set for 2027:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (it is $2,100 in 2026).
• The Part D maximum deductible rises to $700 in 2027 (it is $615 in 2026).
• The Part D national base beneficiary premium is $41.33 for 2027 — this is a formula input, not what a specific plan charges.

For many dual-eligible members, Extra Help (also called the Low-Income Subsidy) covers most or all of Part D costs, so these caps may not be what you personally pay. The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the IRMAA income brackets, have not yet been announced; CMS typically publishes them later in the fall.

How to confirm your eligibility and compare

A simple checklist for Bakersfield readers this fall:

1. Confirm your Medi-Cal status with the Kern County Department of Human Services or Medi-Cal. 2. Read the Annual Notice of Change from your current plan. 3. Compare D-SNPs on the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov using your ZIP code and your medication list. 4. Call 1-800-MEDICARE to walk through your options with a counselor.