Medicare Advantage

Got an ANOC in Oakland? Here's your next move

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.

Medicare AdvantageOakland, CA

OAKLAND, Calif. — Medicare Advantage members in Oakland will see a noticeably different lineup for the 2027 plan year. According to CMS's 2027 Medicare Advantage Landscape Source File, 10 plans offered in Alameda County this year will not return, five new plans are entering, and 10 plans are being renamed. Two carriers — Central Health Medicare Plan and Elevance Health (Anthem) — will not offer Medicare Advantage plans in the county next year.

If you get an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) in the mail this fall, that letter is doing important work. Here's how to read what's happening around Oakland and what steps to take before the deadlines.

What "leaving," "new" and "renamed" actually mean

Every year CMS publishes a file showing which Medicare Advantage plans will be offered in each county. Oakland is in Alameda County, where the 2027 file shows meaningful movement.

• Leaving after 2026: Aetna Medicare Eagle (PPO), Aetna Medicare Enhanced (PPO), Aetna Medicare Signature (PPO), Advantage Care (HMO) from Align Senior Care, Alignment Health Honor+ Plan (HMO), CCHP Senior Program (HMO), Central Health Dual Access Plan (HMO D-SNP), Anthem Prime (HMO-POS), Anthem Select (HMO-POS), and SCAN MyChoice (HMO).
• New for 2027: Aetna Medicare Chronic Care (HMO C-SNP), Aetna Medicare Eagle (HMO), Alignment Health Honor Plus 060 (HMO), Imperial Flex (HMO C-SNP), and SCAN Costco Medicare Advantage (HMO).
• Renamed: 10 plans are keeping their carrier and much of their structure but changing their name on paperwork. Examples include Sutter Senior Advantage, a SCAN Medicare Plan (HMO), which was SCAN Compass (HMO), and several Alignment Health plans that now include a numeric suffix. The table below lists every plan.

A rename by itself doesn't force you to do anything, but it can be easy to miss in a busy mailbox.

What to do if your plan is being discontinued

If your current plan is on the "leaving" list, your coverage does not simply disappear on January 1. Here's the sequence:

1. Read the ANOC and non-renewal letter. Carriers are required to send these by late September, and they will name your plan and explain that it is being discontinued. 2. Use your Special Enrollment Period. When a plan is not renewed, CMS grants an SEP that runs from December 8 through the last day of February 2027. You can use it to pick another Medicare Advantage plan or switch back to Original Medicare (and add a stand-alone Part D drug plan). 3. Don't wait for auto-enrollment. Some carriers will "crosswalk" members to a similar plan. That new plan may not include the same doctors or pharmacies, so treat any auto-assignment as a starting point, not a final answer.

What to do if your plan is "changing"

Beyond the leaving, new and renamed groups, 17 plans in Alameda County show a change on premium, deductible, plan type or name in the 2027 CMS file. The file tells us a change exists — it doesn't tell us in plain language what changed or by how much. Your ANOC does. Look for it in the mail (or your carrier's online portal) and compare the 2026 and 2027 columns side by side, especially for:

• Monthly premium
• Annual deductible
• Doctor, hospital and pharmacy networks
• Prescription drug tiers, if you take regular medications

What is not changing at the program level

Whichever plan you land on, a few 2026 Medicare rules are worth knowing:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 for 2026. Once your drug spending hits that number, you pay $0 for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615.
• The old coverage gap, or "donut hole," is gone as of 2025. Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs over the calendar year in monthly installments if you choose to opt in.
• IRMAA surcharges (higher Part B and Part D premiums for higher earners) start above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Key dates for Oakland members

• October 15 – December 7: Annual Enrollment Period. Anyone with Medicare can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.
• January 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment. If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance to switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare with a Part D plan.
• Through the end of February 2027: Special Enrollment Period for members whose plan was not renewed.

Alameda County will have 37 Medicare Advantage plans from 12 carriers in the current plan year, so there are options — but the right fit depends on your doctors, your medications and your budget.