Medicare Advantage

Before Dec. 7: What Dallas Medicare Advantage Members Face

People in Dallas can choose from 75 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 93 this year. 29 of this year's plans are gone, 20 are new to Dallas County, and 22 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 9 of them under a new name.

Medicare AdvantageDallas, TX

DALLAS — If you have a Medicare Advantage plan in Dallas, your mailbox is about to get busy. The federal government's 2027 plan files show a real shakeup in Dallas County: 29 Medicare Advantage plans are leaving after 2026, 20 new plans are joining, and 9 keep the same basic setup but get a new name. Another 22 plans are staying but changing something on premium, deductible, plan type or name.

That means members here have more reason than usual to open the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) that arrives from their carrier each fall — and to know the deadlines before the Annual Enrollment Period ends on Dec. 7.

What's happening in Dallas County for 2027

Dallas is in Dallas County, where Medicare Advantage availability is set. For 2026, the county has 93 Medicare Advantage plans from 12 carriers. For 2027, the county has 75 Medicare Advantage plans from 12 carriers, and the mix of who offers what is shifting.

One carrier, American Health Advantage of Texas, will not offer plans in Dallas County next year. One new carrier, Texas Independence Health Plan, is entering the county. Most of the big names — Aetna, Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Centene (WellCare), Elevance Health, Humana and UnitedHealthcare — are still in the market, but many are trimming, adding or renaming specific plans.

The table below lists every plan available in Dallas County so you can see the full lineup in one place.

Plans leaving after 2026

Twenty-nine plans are ending in Dallas County after Dec. 31, 2026. If your plan is on this list, your carrier will send you a non-renewal notice, and you will need to make a new choice.

Plans leaving include Aetna Medicare Enhanced (PPO); American Health Advantage of Texas (HMO I-SNP); BSW SeniorCare Advantage Essentials (HMO-POS); several Blue Cross Blue Shield plans — Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Choice Plus (PPO), Choice Premier (PPO), Classic (PPO), Dental Premier (PPO), Dental Value (HMO), Dual Care Plus (HMO D-SNP), Health Choice (PPO), Optimum (PPO), Protect (PPO), Saver (HMO), Value (HMO), and HealthSpring True Choice Savings (PPO); Wellcare Giveback (HMO); three Wellpoint plans from Elevance Health — Dual Advantage (HMO D-SNP), Dual Advantage 2 (HMO D-SNP) and Full Dual Advantage (HMO D-SNP); Humana Gold Choice H8145-084 (PFFS), Humana USAA Honor Giveback (PPO), Humana Value Choice H5216-352 (PPO) and Humana Value Choice H7617-043 (PPO); and from UnitedHealthcare, AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC TX-0005 (PPO), AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx TX-MA06 (PPO), UHC Complete Care Support TX-1A (Regional PPO C-SNP), UHC Dual Complete TX-D004 (HMO-POS D-SNP), UHC Dual Complete TX-S003 (HMO-POS D-SNP) and UHC Dual Complete TX-V007 (HMO-POS D-SNP).

Being "on the leaving list" doesn't mean the carrier is gone — in most cases the same insurer still sells other plans in the county. It does mean your specific plan won't be there in January.

New plans arriving for 2027

Twenty plans are new to Dallas County for 2027. Aetna is adding Aetna Medicare Enhanced Extra (PPO), Aetna Medicare QMB Only Care (HMO D-SNP) and Aetna Medicare Signature (HMO). Blue Cross Blue Shield is adding HealthSpring TotalCare Plus (HMO D-SNP). Elevance Health is adding six Wellpoint plans: Chronic Care Advantage Select (HMO C-SNP), Chronic Care Select (HMO-POS C-SNP), Dual Advantage Plus Select (HMO D-SNP), Dual Advantage Select (HMO D-SNP), Full Dual Advantage Select (HMO D-SNP) and Medicare Advantage Select (HMO-POS).

Humana is adding Humana DaVita Kidney Care (PPO C-SNP), Humana Gold Plus - Diabetes and Heart (HMO C-SNP), Humana Together in Health (PPO I-SNP) and Humana Value Choice (PPO). Texas Independence Health Plan enters the county with Texas Independence Community Plan (HMO I-SNP) and Texas Independence Health Plan, Inc. (HMO I-SNP). UnitedHealthcare is adding UHC Dual Advantage TX-V11 (HMO-POS D-SNP), UHC Dual Complete TX-Q6 (HMO-POS D-SNP) and UHC Dual Complete TX-Y1 (HMO-POS D-SNP).

Renamed plans — same plan, new label

Nine plans are keeping their basic identity but changing names. If you see an unfamiliar plan name on your mail this fall, check whether it is a rename before assuming it's a different product.

The renames include: Aetna Medicare Chronic Care Total (HMO C-SNP), formerly Aetna Medicare Prime Chronic Total; Aetna Medicare Full Dual Care (HMO D-SNP), formerly Aetna Medicare Dual Care; Aetna Medicare Full Dual Extra Care (HMO D-SNP), formerly Aetna Medicare Full Dual Care; Aetna Medicare QMB Only Extra Care (HMO D-SNP), formerly Aetna Medicare Partial Dual Care; Wellcare Superior HealthPlan Dual Access (HMO D-SNP), formerly Wellcare Dual Access; Wellcare Superior HealthPlan Dual Reserve (HMO D-SNP), formerly Wellcare Dual Reserve; Humana Essentials Plus Giveback (PPO), formerly Humana Essentials Plus Giveback H7617-035; Humana Total Complete (HMO), formerly Humana Total Complete H4461-051; and AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC TX-61 (Regional PPO), formerly UHC Medicare Advantage TX-0030.

Even when a plan is only renamed, read the ANOC — costs and rules can still change year to year.

"Changing" plans — read the ANOC

Another 22 plans in Dallas County are continuing but changing on at least one of premium, deductible, plan type or name. CMS records the change, but the details are in the ANOC your plan mails out by late September. That letter — not this article — is where you'll see the exact numbers for your plan.

For everyone else, 55 plans in Dallas County are continuing without those changes noted in the federal file.

What you should do — and when

Here is a simple order of operations for Dallas members this fall:

1. Open the ANOC and the Evidence of Coverage. If your plan is being non-renewed, the letter will say so. If it is continuing, the ANOC lists any changes for 2027. 2. Check your doctors and drugs. Even a continuing plan can adjust its network or drug list. Log into your plan's member site or call the number on your card. 3. Compare on medicare.gov. The Plan Finder shows every plan available in Dallas County, side by side. 4. Act during the right window. The Annual Enrollment Period runs Oct. 15 – Dec. 7 for a Jan. 1 start. If you're already in Medicare Advantage, you also get a Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from Jan. 1 – March 31 to switch once. 5. Use your SEP if your plan is leaving. When a Medicare Advantage plan is not renewed, members