Medicare Advantage

Blue Shield of California's 2027 Medicare Advantage plans in Irvine: the full lineup

IRVINE, Calif. — Fall 2026. With the Annual Enrollment Period open from October 15 through December 7, 2026, Blue Shield of California will offer five Medicare Advantage plans in Orange County — the county Irvine sits in — for the 2027 plan year. One is new for 2027, and none of its 2026 plans are being discontinued. Every one of the five includes drug coverage, and all five are HMOs.

This article is a plain-language snapshot of what Blue Shield of California is putting on the shelf locally and how to check any of these plans against your own doctors and prescriptions before the December 7 deadline. MyMedicarePlans.org is an independent consumer site and is not Blue Shield of California or Medicare.

What Medicare Advantage plans does Blue Shield of California offer in Irvine for 2027?

For 2027, Blue Shield of California offers 5 Medicare Advantage plans in Orange County, which is the county Irvine is in. All 5 are HMOs, and all 5 include prescription drug coverage. The carrier is not offering any Special Needs Plans (D-SNP, C-SNP or I-SNP) in the county next year.

The table below lists every plan Blue Shield of California offers in Orange County for 2027. In alphabetical order, those plans are Blue Shield 65 Plus (HMO), Blue Shield 65 Plus Plan 2 (HMO), Blue Shield Advantage (HMO), Blue Shield AdvantageOptimum Plan (HMO), and Blue Shield Inspire (HMO).

What is new or not returning from Blue Shield of California in Orange County for 2027?

One plan — Blue Shield Advantage (HMO) — is new for 2027. None of Blue Shield of California's 2026 plans in the county are being discontinued, so returning members will see their plan continue into 2027.

Even when a plan returns under the same name, the details inside it can change from year to year. Those changes — premium, deductible, copays, drug list, provider network, extra benefits — are spelled out in the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) that your plan mails each fall. If you have not opened yours yet, do that first.

How does Blue Shield of California's lineup fit the rest of the Orange County market?

Blue Shield of California is one of 16 carriers offering Medicare Advantage plans in Orange County for 2027. Across all carriers, Orange County residents can choose from 111 Medicare Advantage plans next year.

That matters because Medicare Advantage availability is set at the county level, not the city level. A plan sold in Irvine is a plan sold anywhere else in Orange County — the shelf is the same whether you live in Irvine, Anaheim, Costa Mesa or Mission Viejo.

How do I check a Blue Shield of California plan against my doctors and prescriptions before December 7?

Use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov. It is the official tool for comparing plans in your ZIP code, and it lets you type in your prescriptions and your preferred pharmacy so you can see how each plan would handle them.

A good order of operations:

1. Read your ANOC. If you are already in a Blue Shield of California plan, this tells you exactly what is changing for 2027. 2. List your doctors, hospitals and regular prescriptions. Include dosages for drugs. 3. Run the Plan Finder at medicare.gov using your ZIP code, and enter your drugs and pharmacy. 4. Confirm your doctors are in-network by checking the plan's own provider directory or calling the plan. HMO plans generally require you to use in-network providers except in emergencies. 5. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, if you want to walk through options with someone.

If you decide to switch, your new coverage starts January 1, 2027. If you do nothing by December 7, 2026, your current plan simply renews under its 2027 terms.

What 2027 Medicare numbers are already set, and which ones are not?

CMS has already confirmed several Part D figures for 2027. The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026). The Part D maximum deductible rises to $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026). The Part D national base beneficiary premium is $41.33 for 2027 — that is a formula input CMS uses, not what any particular plan charges.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, have not yet been announced. CMS typically publishes them later in the fall. Be cautious of anyone quoting a specific 2027 Part B number before CMS releases it.

The coverage gap (the old "donut hole") has been gone since 2025, so Part D now has three phases: deductible, initial coverage, and catastrophic. The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan is still available if you want to spread your drug costs over the calendar year in monthly installments.

When can I make a change, and what if I miss December 7?

The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 – December 7, 2026, with coverage starting January 1, 2027. If you miss it, you still have one more window: the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 – March 31, 2027, during which someone already in a Medicare Advantage plan can switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan or go back to Original Medicare (with a Part D plan if needed). You cannot use this second window to move from Original Medicare into a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time.