Medicare Advantage

Got a non-renewal letter in Oakland? 10 Medicare Advantage plans end Dec. 31

For 2027, Oakland is looking at 32 Medicare Advantage plans: 5 new, 10 gone since 2026, and 27 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 10 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Alameda County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Fall 2026. If you opened your mail this fall and found a letter saying your Medicare Advantage plan will not be offered next year, you are not alone. In Alameda County, which includes Oakland, 10 Medicare Advantage plans listed for 2026 are not in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) landscape file for 2027. That means members of those plans have a decision to make before coverage changes on January 1, 2027 — and a longer window than most people to make it.

How to tell if your plan is one of them

Plans that will not be offered the next year are required to send a written notice, usually called a non-renewal letter or plan termination notice, by early October. If you got one, it will say — in plain language — that your plan will end on December 31, 2026, and that your Medicare coverage will not stop.

If you are not sure whether a letter you received is a non-renewal letter, look for a sentence that says the plan "will no longer be offered" in your service area for 2027. That is different from the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), which every plan sends to members whose plan is returning but with changes to premiums, copays, drug lists or networks.

The 10 plans not returning in Alameda County for 2027

The table below lists every 2026 Medicare Advantage plan in Alameda County and shows which are not continuing into 2027. In alphabetical order by carrier, the plans not returning are:

• Aetna (CVS Health) — Aetna Medicare Eagle (PPO); Aetna Medicare Enhanced (PPO); Aetna Medicare Signature (PPO)
• Align Senior Care — Advantage Care (HMO)
• Alignment Health Plan — Alignment Health Honor+ Plan (HMO)
• CCHP (Chinese Community Health Plan) — CCHP Senior Program (HMO)
• Central Health Medicare Plan — Central Health Dual Access Plan (HMO D-SNP)
• Elevance Health (Anthem) — Anthem Prime (HMO-POS); Anthem Select (HMO-POS)
• SCAN Health Plan — SCAN MyChoice (HMO)

For 2027, Alameda County has 32 Medicare Advantage plans from 10 carriers listed in the CMS landscape file.

What happens if you do nothing

If your plan is on the list above and you make no choice by December 31, 2026, your Medicare does not stop. On January 1, 2027, you are automatically returned to Original Medicare (Part A hospital and Part B medical).

A few things to know about that default:

• Original Medicare does not include prescription drug coverage. If you want Part D, you have to sign up for a stand-alone drug plan.
• Original Medicare does not have the extra benefits a Medicare Advantage plan may have included.
• You will pay the standard Part B premium and deductible. CMS usually announces the 2027 Part B figures — along with the IRMAA income brackets — in November; until then, use your 2026 amounts as a reference.

Your choices and your Special Enrollment Period

Because your plan is leaving, Medicare gives you a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) that runs from the date you were notified through February 28, 2027. During that window you can:

1. Pick a different Medicare Advantage plan for 2027 (with or without drug coverage, depending on the plan). 2. Stay with Original Medicare and add a stand-alone Part D plan so you have drug coverage from January 1 forward. 3. Add a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy to help with Original Medicare's out-of-pocket costs. A plan non-renewal generally triggers a federal guaranteed-issue right to buy certain Medigap plans without medical underwriting, but the exact rules and timing in California can be broader; the California Department of Insurance can confirm what applies to you.

You can also use the regular Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7, 2026) to choose a 2027 plan that starts January 1. Many people in your situation do that first, then rely on the SEP only as a backup.

2027 figures worth knowing before you choose

A few program-level numbers CMS has already set for 2027:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026).
• Part D maximum deductible: $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026).
• Part D national base beneficiary premium: $41.33 for 2027 — a formula input, not the price any one plan charges.

The 2027 Part B standard premium, Part B deductible and IRMAA income brackets have not been published yet; CMS typically releases them later in the fall.

Where to compare plans

The most reliable place to compare 2027 plans side by side — including which doctors are in network and whether your prescriptions are covered — is the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For Medigap questions specific to California, the California Department of Insurance (insurance.ca.gov) is the right source.