Medicare Advantage

Elk Grove Medicare Advantage changes for 2027: plans leaving, new names, and what to do

People in Elk Grove can choose from 23 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 38 in 2026. 13 of this year's plans are gone, 7 are new to Sacramento County, and 14 that continue have changed something in their terms, and 9 plans have been renamed.

ELK GROVE, Calif. — If you have a Medicare Advantage plan in Elk Grove, the lineup you'll choose from next year looks different from the one you have now. According to the 2027 Medicare Advantage Landscape file from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), 13 plans offered in Sacramento County this year will not return, 7 new plans are joining, and 9 have been renamed. One carrier, Central Health Medicare Plan, is leaving the county entirely, and a new carrier, Blue Shield of California, is coming in.

These changes matter now because the Annual Enrollment Period runs from October 15 through December 7, and any plan you pick during that window starts January 1. Elk Grove is in Sacramento County, and Medicare Advantage plan availability is set at the county level, so the numbers below apply to everyone with a Sacramento County ZIP code.

What's leaving after 2026

Thirteen Medicare Advantage plans currently sold in Sacramento County will not be offered in 2027. Members of these plans will need to make a choice during Annual Enrollment or they will be moved back to Original Medicare on January 1. The full list of plans not returning:

• Aetna Medicare Eagle (PPO)
• Aetna Medicare Enhanced (PPO)
• Aetna Medicare Signature (PPO)
• Alignment Health Honor+ Plan (HMO)
• Alignment Health My Choice (PPO)
• Wellcare Health Net Dual Align (HMO D-SNP)
• Central Health Classic Care Plan III (HMO)
• Central Health Embrace Care Plan (HMO C-SNP)
• Central Health Embrace Choice Plan (HMO C-SNP)
• Central Health Valor Care Plan (HMO)
• Anthem Medicare Advantage (HMO-POS)
• Anthem Prime (HMO-POS)
• SCAN MyChoice (HMO)

All four Central Health Medicare Plan products are on this list, because that carrier is leaving Sacramento County. Every Central Health member in Elk Grove will need a new plan.

What's new for 2027

Seven plans are joining the Sacramento County market for 2027:

• Aetna Medicare Chronic Care (HMO C-SNP)
• Aetna Medicare Eagle (HMO)
• Alignment Health Honor Plus 060 (HMO)
• Blue Shield Advantage (HMO) — from a carrier new to the county
• Wellcare Health Net Dual Align (HMO D-SNP) — refiled under a new contract
• Imperial Flex (HMO C-SNP)
• SCAN Costco Medicare Advantage (HMO)

Blue Shield of California is entering Sacramento County for the first time, giving Elk Grove residents another carrier option. Several of the new plans are Special Needs Plans (SNPs) for people with specific chronic conditions or dual Medicare–Medi‑Cal eligibility.

Renamed plans — same plan, new label

Nine plans in the county kept their contract but changed names. If you see something that looks unfamiliar in your mail, it may just be a rename:

• Aetna Medicare Value Plus (HMO) — was Aetna Medicare Value Plus (HMO-POS)
• Alignment Health BreathEasy Plus 041 (HMO C-SNP) — was Alignment Health BreathEasy (HMO C-SNP)
• Alignment Health Clarity Plus 042 (HMO C-SNP) — was Alignment Health Clarity (HMO C-SNP)
• Alignment Health Heart & Diabetes 010 (HMO C-SNP) — was Alignment Health Heart & Diabetes (HMO C-SNP)
• Alignment Health Heart & Diabetes 048 (HMO C-SNP) — was Alignment Health Heart & Diabetes Care (HMO C-SNP)
• Alignment Health Heart & Diabetes 051 (HMO C-SNP) — was Alignment Health Heart & Diabetes Choice (HMO C-SNP)
• Alignment Health Heart & Diabetes Plus 039 (HMO C-SNP) — was Alignment Health Heart & Diabetes CalPlus (HMO C-SNP)
• Alignment Health My Choice 050 (HMO) — was Alignment Health My Choice CalCare (HMO)
• Alignment Health Smart 038 (HMO) — was Alignment Health smartHMO (HMO)

A rename by itself does not change your coverage, but a rename can happen alongside other changes, so still read your ANOC.

Plans that continue — but check the fine print

Sixteen plans are continuing in Sacramento County. CMS's files also show that 14 plans in the county differ from last year on premium, deductible, plan type or name. We're not going to guess at the direction or size of those changes — the Annual Notice of Change that your carrier mailed in late September is where the specifics live. Compare it to your current Evidence of Coverage side by side.

The table below lists Medicare Advantage plans available in Sacramento County. Use it as a starting point, not a final answer, since program-level rules also change each year.

What to do if your plan is being discontinued

If your plan appears on the "leaving" list above, Medicare gives you two enrollment windows:

1. Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7). Pick a new Medicare Advantage plan, join a stand-alone Part D drug plan with Original Medicare, or make no change and be returned to Original Medicare on January 1. 2. Special Enrollment Period through the end of February. Because your plan is non-renewing, you have extra time to switch to another Medicare Advantage plan or move to Original Medicare with a Part D plan. This SEP is only for people whose plan is not being renewed.

A few things to think through before choosing:

• Are your doctors and hospitals in the new plan's network?
• Are your prescriptions on the new plan's formulary, and at what tier?
• Do you take any specialty drugs? For 2026, Part D has a $2,100 annual out-of-pocket cap and a maximum deductible of $615. In 2027, the out-of-pocket cap is $2,400 and the maximum deductible is $700. The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year.
• If your income is above $109,000 (single filer, 2026), IRMAA surcharges may apply to Part B and Part D.

Program-level facts that apply everywhere

Some things are the same in Elk Grove as anywhere else:

• The coverage gap ("donut hole") was eliminated in 2025, so Part D has three phases now.
• The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 – March 31 and lets current MA members switch MA plans or return to Original Medicare once.
• Star Ratings on medicare.gov can help you compare quality across plans, but they are one input, not a recommendation.