Medicare Advantage

Medicare and Medi-Cal in Irvine: a look at the 3 Dual Special Needs Plans for 2027

Orange County has 111 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 21 plans are not coming back, 28 are new, and 51 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 19 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Irvine, not which plan to pick.

Irvine, Calif. — October 2026. If you have both Medicare and Medi-Cal and live in Irvine, your plan choices for 2027 come into focus this fall. Orange County, where Irvine sits, will have three Dual Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) available in 2027, one of them under a new name. The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 – December 7, 2026, and any change you make takes effect January 1, 2027.

Dual-eligible residents also have options outside that window that most people on Medicare do not have — so even if the fall deadline passes, you still have ways to adjust your coverage.

What is a D-SNP, and who qualifies in Irvine for 2027?

A Dual Special Needs Plan is a type of Medicare Advantage plan built for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid (called Medi-Cal in California). To enroll, you need Medicare Part A and Part B and you must qualify for some level of Medi-Cal help.

There are two broad groups:

• Full-benefit dual eligible: Medi-Cal covers the full package of state benefits, including help with Medicare cost-sharing.
• Partial-benefit dual eligible: Medi-Cal helps pay certain Medicare costs (for example, through a Medicare Savings Program) but does not provide full state benefits.

Different D-SNPs are designed for different dual-eligible groups. The plan itself — or the state Medi-Cal office — confirms whether a specific plan matches your category.

Which D-SNPs are offered in Orange County for 2027?

Three D-SNPs are listed in Orange County for plan year 2027, from three carriers:

• CalOptima Health OneCare — CalOptima Health OneCare Complete (HMO D-SNP)
• Centene (WellCare) — Wellcare Health Net Dual Liberty (HMO D-SNP); this plan is renamed for 2027 (it was Wellcare Dual Liberty (HMO D-SNP))
• Kaiser Permanente — Kaiser Permanente Dual Complete South P10 (HMO D-SNP)

All three include prescription drug coverage. For context, Orange County will have 111 Medicare Advantage plans total in 2027, including 41 Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) and 5 Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs) alongside these D-SNPs. The table on this page lists every plan.

Costs, provider networks, drug lists and extra benefits vary by plan. Compare specifics on the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov, by calling 1-800-MEDICARE, or by reading each plan's Evidence of Coverage.

How often can a dual-eligible person change plans?

People with Medicare who also have Medi-Cal or Extra Help generally have more chances to change plans than the fall window alone. In addition to the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7) and the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31), dual-eligible members typically get a monthly Special Enrollment Period to:

• Join an integrated D-SNP, or
• Switch to Original Medicare and pick up a stand-alone Part D plan.

The exact rules — including how often you can use the SEP and which plans count as "integrated" — can change. Confirm what applies to you by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

How do I confirm I'm eligible for a D-SNP?

There are three steps:

1. Confirm your Medicare status. Make sure you have Part A and Part B. You can check at medicare.gov or by calling the Social Security Administration. 2. Confirm your Medi-Cal status and category. In California, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and your county's Medi-Cal office determine whether you have full or partial dual eligibility. Orange County residents work through the county's social services office. 3. Match your category to the plan. Each D-SNP spells out which dual-eligible groups it accepts. The plan can verify this before you enroll; 1-800-MEDICARE can also confirm what you qualify to join.

If your Medi-Cal status changes during the year, that often triggers a Special Enrollment Period of its own.

What is changing for 2027 that dual-eligible residents should know?

Two program-level numbers are set 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).

Many dual-eligible members pay little or nothing for prescriptions through Extra Help, but these caps still frame the program. 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.

Across Orange County, 21 Medicare Advantage plans are not returning for 2027, 28 are new, and 19 have been renamed (including the Wellcare D-SNP). If you do nothing, your current plan renews — if it is being offered next year — with the changes described in its Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), which arrives by late September.