Medicare Advantage

Santa Ana's 2027 Dual Special Needs Plans: three D-SNPs and the monthly switch window

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. If you have both Medicare and Medi-Cal (California's Medicaid program), the plan choices for 2027 are coming into focus. In Orange County, where Santa Ana sits, three Dual Special Needs Plans — known as D-SNPs — will be available for the plan year that begins January 1, 2027. The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, but people with full Medicaid or Extra Help have more chances to change plans than that one window.

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

A Dual Special Needs Plan is a type of Medicare Advantage plan built for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. In California, Medicaid is called Medi-Cal, and the California Department of Health Care Services decides what level of help you qualify for.

There are two broad groups of "dual eligible" people:

• Full dual eligible: You get the full set of Medi-Cal benefits in addition to Medicare. Medi-Cal usually covers your Medicare Part A and Part B premiums, deductibles and most cost-sharing.
• Partial dual eligible: You qualify for one of the Medicare Savings Programs (like QMB, SLMB or QI) that helps pay Medicare premiums and sometimes cost-sharing, but you do not get full Medi-Cal benefits.

Each D-SNP sets its own eligibility category (for example, some are limited to people with full Medi-Cal). Before enrolling, you'll be asked to confirm your Medi-Cal status.

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

Three D-SNPs are available in Orange County — the county Santa Ana is in — for the 2027 plan year, out of 111 Medicare Advantage plans overall. The county also has 41 Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) and 5 Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs), but those are for different groups of people.

The three D-SNPs for 2027, listed alphabetically by carrier:

• CalOptima Health OneCare — CalOptima Health OneCare Complete (HMO D-SNP), with drug coverage
• Centene (WellCare) — Wellcare Health Net Dual Liberty (HMO D-SNP), with drug coverage (renamed from Wellcare Dual Liberty for 2027)
• Kaiser Permanente — Kaiser Permanente Dual Complete South P10 (HMO D-SNP), with drug coverage

The table below lists every plan available in the county. For costs, provider networks, drug lists and benefits, use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov, call 1-800-MEDICARE, or read each plan's Evidence of Coverage.

How often can a dual-eligible person change plans?

People with full Medicaid or Extra Help have more chances to change plans than the fall Annual Enrollment window. Under current rules, dual-eligible members generally get a monthly Special Enrollment Period to:

• Enroll in an integrated D-SNP that works together with their Medi-Cal plan, or
• Switch back to Original Medicare and pick a stand-alone Part D drug plan.

Other kinds of changes (for example, switching from one non-integrated Medicare Advantage plan to another) may have different timing. CMS has adjusted these rules in recent years, so the safest step is to call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) and confirm which Special Enrollment Period you qualify for before you make a change.

Everyone with Medicare also has the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7, 2026, for coverage starting January 1, 2027) and the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31).

How do I confirm my Medi-Cal and Medicare eligibility?

Two agencies, two documents:

• Medi-Cal (the Medicaid side): Contact the Orange County Social Services Agency or the California Department of Health Care Services. Your Medi-Cal notice of action, your Benefits Identification Card (BIC) and your most recent Medi-Cal renewal letter show your eligibility category.
• Medicare: Your red, white and blue Medicare card shows your Part A and Part B effective dates. You can also sign in at medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE.

If you lost Medi-Cal during the recent renewal process, you may be able to get it back and keep your D-SNP; the plan is required to give you a short grace period while your status is sorted out. Ask the plan directly how long that period is.

What is changing about Medicare costs for 2027?

A few 2027 numbers are already set by CMS:

• 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 — this is a formula input, not what any specific plan charges.

For most dual-eligible members, Medi-Cal and the Extra Help program cover most or all Part D costs, so these caps may matter less to you than to someone on Medicare alone. The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, have not been announced yet; CMS usually publishes them in November.

Across Orange County, 21 Medicare Advantage plans are not returning for 2027, 28 are new, and 19 have been renamed. If you keep your current plan, read the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) your plan mailed in September — it spells out what is different for next year.