Medicare Advantage

If your Medicare Advantage plan sent a non-renewal letter in Santa Ana, here is your playbook

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 Santa Ana, not which plan to pick.

Santa Ana, Calif. — Fall 2026. Letters are landing in mailboxes across Santa Ana right now from Medicare Advantage carriers whose plans will not be offered in 2027. In Orange County — the county Santa Ana sits in — 21 Medicare Advantage plans in the current 2026 lineup are not returning next year, according to CMS Landscape Source Files. If you are in one of those plans, you have more time to choose than most people, and a few extra protections. Here is how to tell, what happens if you do nothing, and what you can do between now and the end of February 2027.

How do I know if my Medicare Advantage plan is leaving Santa Ana in 2027?

Your plan is required to mail you a non-renewal notice — sometimes called a "plan non-renewal" or "plan termination" letter — before the Annual Enrollment Period begins on October 15, 2026. The letter says, in plain language, that your plan will not be offered in 2027 and that your coverage ends December 31, 2026.

That notice is different from the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) that continuing plans send each September to describe next year's benefits. If what you got says your plan is ending, not just changing, you are in the group this article is written for.

The 21 Orange County plans not returning for 2027 are listed in the table below. In alphabetical order by carrier, they are: Aetna Medicare Eagle (PPO), Aetna Medicare Enhanced (PPO) and Aetna Medicare Signature (PPO) from Aetna (CVS Health); Alignment Health Advantage PPO (PPO), Alignment Health Honor+ Plan (HMO), Alignment Health My Choice Select (HMO) and Alignment Health the ONE (HMO) from Alignment Health Plan; Astiva Health Premier Plan (HMO) from Astiva Health; Wellcare Giveback (HMO) from Centene (WellCare); Central Health Classic Care Plan I (HMO), Central Health Dual Access Plan (HMO D-SNP), Central Health Embrace Care Plan (HMO C-SNP), Central Health Embrace Choice Plan (HMO C-SNP), Central Health Medicare Plan (HMO), Central Health Part B Savings Plan (HMO) and Central Health Valor Care Plan (HMO) from Central Health Medicare Plan; Champion Select (HMO-POS C-SNP) from Champion Heath Plan; Kaiser Permanente Dual Complete South P1 (HMO D-SNP) from Kaiser Permanente; Providence Medicare Sycamore + Rx (HMO) from Providence Medicare Advantage Plans; and SCAN Affirm partnered with Included LGBTQ+ Health (HMO) and SCAN MyChoice (HMO) from SCAN Health Plan.

If your plan is not on that list, it is renewing — read your ANOC carefully, because benefits, networks and drug lists can change year to year.

What happens on January 1, 2027 if I do nothing?

If your plan is on the non-renewal list and you take no action by December 31, 2026, you are automatically returned to Original Medicare — Part A (hospital) and Part B (medical) — on January 1, 2027.

Original Medicare covers a lot, but a few things are worth knowing before you default into it:

• There is no built-in Part D prescription drug coverage. If you need drug coverage, you generally need to enroll in a standalone Part D plan or a Medicare Advantage plan that includes drugs.
• There is no annual out-of-pocket cap on Part A and Part B cost sharing the way there is in a Medicare Advantage plan.
• You can see any provider in the U.S. that accepts Medicare — no network, no referrals.

Original Medicare on its own may be exactly what you want, or it may be a stopgap while you choose a new plan. Either way, it is the default, not a punishment — but it is a choice worth making on purpose.

What is the Special Enrollment Period for a non-renewed plan?

Because your plan is leaving, Medicare gives you a loss-of-coverage Special Enrollment Period that runs from December 8, 2026 through the end of February 2027. During that window you can:

• Join a different Medicare Advantage plan (with or without drug coverage) offered in Orange County for 2027, or
• Stay with Original Medicare and add a standalone Part D prescription drug plan.

That is a longer runway than the regular Annual Enrollment Period, which closes December 7, 2026. A new Medicare Advantage or Part D plan chosen during the SEP generally starts the first day of the month after you enroll.

For 2027, Orange County will have 111 Medicare Advantage plans offered by 16 carriers, per the CMS Landscape Source File. The table below shows the current (2026) lineup; the 2027 Plan Finder at medicare.gov is the place to compare 2027 benefits, networks and drug lists for your exact ZIP code and medications.

Can I buy a Medigap plan if my Medicare Advantage plan is leaving?

If you move to Original Medicare because your Medicare Advantage plan is non-renewing, federal rules give you a Medigap guaranteed-issue right — meaning certain Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policies must be sold to you regardless of your health history, and within a limited window.

California has additional state rules about which Medigap plans are available and when you can switch, including a birthday rule. Because those details are state-specific, check with the California Department of Insurance or call 1-800-MEDICARE before you assume what you can and cannot buy. If you want both Medigap and drug coverage, remember you will also need a standalone Part D plan.

What should Santa Ana residents do between now and December 7, 2026?

The Annual Enrollment Period for 2027 coverage runs October 15 – December 7, 2026. Even with a longer SEP, most people with a non-renewing plan benefit from choosing during AEP so coverage starts cleanly on January 1, 2027.

A short checklist:

1. Find your non-renewal letter and keep it — some insurers and pharmacies may ask to see it. 2. Make a list of your doctors, hospitals and prescriptions. 3. Use the Plan Finder at medicare.gov to compare 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D plans against that list, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), available 24/7. 4. Decide whether you want Medicare Advantage, or Original Medicare plus Part D (and possibly Medigap). 5. Enroll by December 7, 2026 if you can; otherwise, use your SEP through the end of February 2027.

A few 2027 program figures are already set: the Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 (from $2,100 in 2026), and the Part D maximum deductible is $700 (up from $615 in 2026). The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, will be announced by CMS later this fall.