Medicare Advantage

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana's 2027 Medicare plans in New Orleans: one plan is not returning

NEW ORLEANS — Fall 2026. If you have a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Medicare Advantage plan in the New Orleans area, your 2027 lineup looks a little different. The carrier is offering six Medicare Advantage plans in Orleans Parish next year, down from seven in 2026. One plan is not returning, and no new plans are being added. Everyone with a BCBS Louisiana plan should have already received an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) in the mail explaining what is different for 2027.

Here is what the roster looks like, and how to check it against your own doctors and prescriptions before the December 7, 2026 deadline.

What Medicare Advantage plans does Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana offer in New Orleans for 2027?

New Orleans is in Orleans Parish, where Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is offering 6 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Four are HMO-POS plans and two are PPO plans. All six include Part D prescription drug coverage.

The table below lists every one of the carrier's 2027 plans in the parish. In alphabetical order, they are Blue adVantage Classic (HMO-POS), Blue adVantage Dual Plus (HMO-POS D-SNP), Blue adVantage Liberty (PPO), Blue adVantage Platinum (HMO-POS), Blue adVantage Premier (PPO), and Blue adVantage Reliance (HMO-POS).

We cannot publish premiums, copays, deductibles, networks or star ratings here. For those details, use the official Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov, call 1-800-MEDICARE, or read the plan's Evidence of Coverage.

Which Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana plan is not returning in Orleans Parish for 2027?

Compared with the 2026 lineup of seven plans, one Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana plan is not being offered in Orleans Parish in 2027, and no new plans are being added. If you look through the 2027 roster above and your current plan name is not there, your plan is the one that is leaving.

If your plan is not returning, you will not be automatically moved into another BCBS Louisiana plan. You can pick any Medicare Advantage plan available in the parish during the Annual Enrollment Period, or return to Original Medicare and add a stand-alone Part D plan. You also get a Special Enrollment Period that runs into early 2027 if your plan is non-renewing — the notice you received from the carrier will spell out your options.

Even if your plan is returning, read the ANOC. Copays, drug tiers, provider networks and extra benefits can change from one year to the next.

Does Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana offer a Special Needs Plan in New Orleans for 2027?

Yes. Of the 6 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana plans in Orleans Parish for 2027, 1 is a Special Needs Plan — specifically a Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan, or D-SNP (Blue adVantage Dual Plus). D-SNPs are built for people who have both Medicare and full Medicaid. The carrier is not offering a Chronic Condition SNP (C-SNP) or an Institutional SNP (I-SNP) in the parish for 2027.

To enroll in a D-SNP, you have to qualify for Medicaid in Louisiana. If you are not sure whether you qualify, you can check with Louisiana Medicaid or ask 1-800-MEDICARE.

How do I check a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana plan against my doctors and drugs before December 7?

Go to medicare.gov/plan-compare, enter your ZIP code, and add your prescriptions and preferred pharmacy. The Plan Finder will show you each 2027 plan available in Orleans Parish, including the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana plans listed above, with the full cost and coverage detail attached.

A few things worth doing before you decide:

• Check your doctors. Call each provider's office and ask if they are in-network with the specific 2027 BCBS Louisiana plan you are considering. Networks can change on January 1.
• Check your drugs. Plan Finder will show each drug's tier and estimated yearly cost on that plan. Formularies also change year to year.
• Check the plan type. An HMO-POS usually asks you to use network providers, while a PPO gives more out-of-network flexibility (at a different cost). Pick what matches how you actually use care.
• Read the ANOC. If you already have a BCBS Louisiana plan, the ANOC lists every change for 2027 side by side with 2026.

If you prefer the phone, 1-800-MEDICARE is available 24/7 and can walk through plans with you.

What is changing in Medicare for 2027 that affects drug plans?

Two confirmed Part D figures are moving for 2027. The out-of-pocket cap on covered Part D drugs rises to $2,400 in 2027, up from $2,100 in 2026. The maximum Part D deductible a plan can charge rises to $700 in 2027, from $615 in 2026. CMS has also set the Part D national base beneficiary premium at $41.33 for 2027, but that is a formula input — not the premium any particular plan charges.

The coverage gap (the old "donut hole") is gone — Part D has had three phases since 2025. If paying for drugs in a single month is a strain, the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread covered drug costs across the calendar year at no extra charge.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, have not been announced yet. CMS typically publishes them later in the fall, usually in November.

When is the deadline to change my Medicare plan for 2027?

The Annual Enrollment Period for 2027 coverage runs October 15 through December 7, 2026. Any change you make in that window takes effect January 1, 2027. If you do nothing, and your plan is being offered again next year, you stay on it with the changes described in your ANOC.

There is a second window — the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, January 1 through March 31, 2027 — when people already in a Medicare Advantage plan can switch once to another MA plan or go back to Original Medicare.

Remember, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is one of 9 carriers offering Medicare Advantage plans in Orleans Parish for 2027 (67 plans in total across all carriers). This article is only about BCBS Louisiana's lineup; MyMedicarePlans.org is an independent consumer site and is not affiliated with the carrier or with Medicare.