Medicare Advantage

Anthem's 2027 Medicare Advantage lineup in Long Beach: how to vet it before Dec. 7

Long Beach, Calif. — With the Annual Enrollment Period open from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2026, Anthem's 2027 Medicare Advantage lineup in Los Angeles County is set. The carrier will offer 13 plans next year, and the days between now and Dec. 7 are when you can line those plans up against your own doctors, hospitals and prescriptions before coverage starts Jan. 1, 2027.

MyMedicarePlans.org is an independent news and education site. We are not Anthem, and we are not Medicare. This article walks through what Anthem has on the shelf in the county, how to read it, and where to confirm the details that matter to you.

What Medicare Advantage plans does Anthem offer in Long Beach for 2027?

Long Beach is in Los Angeles County, where Anthem (grouped by CMS as Elevance Health) is offering 13 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. By plan type, that breaks down to 2 HMO plans and 11 HMO-POS plans. All 13 include Part D prescription drug coverage.

Seven of the 13 are Special Needs Plans, which only accept members who meet certain eligibility rules: 1 Dual Eligible SNP (for people with both Medicare and Medi-Cal), 5 Chronic Condition SNPs (for people with specific conditions such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease or certain lung conditions), and 1 Institutional SNP (for people who live in or need the level of care provided in a long-term care setting).

The full roster is in the table below. In alphabetical order, Anthem's 2027 plans in the county are Anthem Full Dual Advantage Aligned, Anthem I CareMore Chronic Care, Anthem I CareMore Chronic Care 2, Anthem I CareMore Home Care, Anthem I CareMore Kidney Care, Anthem I CareMore Lung Care, Anthem I CareMore Lung Care 2, Anthem I CareMore Medicare Advantage, Anthem I CareMore Medicare Advantage 2, Anthem I CareMore Premium Savings, Anthem Medicare Advantage, Anthem Prime, and Anthem Select.

What is new or not returning from Anthem in Los Angeles County for 2027?

For 2027, Anthem is not adding any new plans in the county and is not retiring any. That is a quiet year on the roster.

Quiet does not mean unchanged. Every returning plan can adjust its premium, deductible, copays, provider network, pharmacy network and drug list from one year to the next. Those changes are spelled out in the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) that your plan mails or emails each fall. If you are already in an Anthem plan, read the ANOC before Dec. 7 — the plan you had in 2026 is not necessarily the same plan in 2027.

How do Anthem's HMO and HMO-POS plans differ?

In Los Angeles County, Anthem's 2027 Medicare Advantage plans come in two flavors: HMO and HMO-POS. Both ask you to pick a plan from a defined network of doctors and hospitals.

An HMO generally requires you to use in-network providers (emergencies aside) and often asks you to pick a primary care doctor and get referrals. An HMO-POS — "point of service" — works the same way but adds limited out-of-network coverage for certain services, usually at a higher cost. The specifics vary by plan, and the Evidence of Coverage is the document that spells out exactly what each plan allows.

What are Anthem's Special Needs Plans in Los Angeles County?

Special Needs Plans (SNPs) are a type of Medicare Advantage plan limited to people who meet specific criteria. Of Anthem's 13 plans in the county for 2027, 7 are SNPs.

• D-SNP (Dual Eligible): for people enrolled in both Medicare and Medi-Cal. Anthem has 1 D-SNP in the county.
• C-SNP (Chronic Condition): for people with a qualifying chronic condition such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease or certain cardiovascular or lung conditions. Anthem has 5 C-SNPs in the county.
• I-SNP (Institutional): for people who live in a long-term care facility or need that level of care at home. Anthem has 1 I-SNP in the county.

Enrollment in any SNP requires verification that you qualify. If you are not sure which (if any) SNP fits your situation, 1-800-MEDICARE and medicare.gov can walk through eligibility with you.

How do I check an Anthem plan against my doctors and prescriptions before Dec. 7?

The most reliable way is the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov. You can enter your ZIP code, add your prescriptions and preferred pharmacy, and see every plan available in Los Angeles County — Anthem's and the 19 other carriers'. All carriers together offer 124 Medicare Advantage plans in the county for 2027.

A short checklist to work through before Dec. 7, 2026:

1. Read your current plan's Annual Notice of Change for 2027 if you already have one. 2. On medicare.gov's Plan Finder, enter your drugs exactly as prescribed, including dose. 3. Check each plan you are considering against its online provider directory for your doctors and the hospital you prefer. 4. Call the plan directly to confirm a provider is still in-network for 2027 — directories can lag. 5. If you take expensive drugs, note that the 2027 Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026) and the 2027 Part D maximum deductible is $700 (up from $615 in 2026).

If you do nothing by Dec. 7, your current plan simply renews for 2027 if it is still offered, with whatever changes the ANOC describes.

What are the key dates and 2027 figures to know?

The Annual Enrollment Period runs Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026, with any changes taking effect Jan. 1, 2027. After that, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs Jan. 1 – March 31, 2027, which gives Medicare Advantage members one chance to switch to another Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare.

Confirmed 2027 program figures from CMS: the Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,400, the Part D maximum deductible is $700, and the Part D national base beneficiary premium is $41.33 (a formula input, not what any specific 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 in the fall, usually in November.