Medicare Advantage

Before you renew in Lubbock: a step-by-step way to weigh 2027 Medicare Advantage plans

Lubbock County has 38 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 19 plans are not coming back, 7 are new, and 24 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 9 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Lubbock, not which plan to pick.

Lubbock, Texas — Fall 2026 is open-enrollment season, and the choices on the table for Lubbock County residents have shifted again. For 2027, Lubbock County will have 38 Medicare Advantage plans from 6 carriers, down from 50 plans and 9 carriers in 2026. Seven plans are new, 19 are not returning, and the Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, with any change you make taking effect January 1, 2027.

If you do nothing, your current plan will roll over into 2027 if it is still offered — but the details inside it may not look the same. That is why it is worth setting aside an hour this fall to compare.

How many Medicare Advantage plans are offered in Lubbock County for 2027?

Lubbock is in Lubbock County, where 38 Medicare Advantage plans from 6 carriers will be available for 2027. By plan type, that breaks down to 13 HMO, 5 HMO-POS, 19 PPO and 1 PFFS. Thirty-two of the 38 include Part D prescription drug coverage.

The 2027 carriers, in alphabetical order, are Aetna (CVS Health) with 6 plans, Centene (WellCare) with 4, Elevance Health (Anthem) with 5, Humana with 14, Provider Partners Health Plans with 1, and UnitedHealthcare with 8. The table below lists every plan by carrier so you can see the full lineup side by side.

What Special Needs Plans will be sold in Lubbock County in 2027?

Lubbock County will have 18 Special Needs Plans in 2027: 13 Dual Eligible SNPs (D-SNPs) for people with both Medicare and Medicaid, 2 Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) for specific health conditions, and 3 Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs) for people living in a nursing facility or needing that level of care.

D-SNPs are the largest group, with offerings from Aetna (CVS Health), Centene (WellCare), Elevance Health (Anthem) and UnitedHealthcare. If you qualify for one of these specialized plans, your choices are narrower than the general lineup but tailored to your situation. Eligibility rules apply, and you can confirm them through medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.

What is new or changing in Lubbock's 2027 Medicare Advantage lineup?

For 2027, Lubbock County will see 7 new plans, 19 plans that are not returning and 9 renamed plans. The carrier roster is also smaller: 6 carriers for 2027, down from 9 in 2026.

If your current plan is on the "not returning" list, your insurer will send a non-renewal notice telling you so. You then have a Special Enrollment Period to pick a new plan, in addition to the regular Annual Enrollment window. Even if your plan is coming back, the Annual Notice of Change may show different copays, a different pharmacy network, a different drug list or different extra benefits for 2027.

Where do I start comparing my Medicare Advantage options in Lubbock?

Start with the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) your current plan mails out by late September. It is the single clearest preview of what your 2027 plan will look like compared to 2026 — premium, deductible, copays, drug tiers and extra benefits all in one document.

Then work through these five checks for any plan you're weighing:

1. Doctors and hospitals. Confirm your primary care doctor, specialists and preferred hospital are in the plan's network for 2027. Call the plan or check its online directory — networks are updated yearly. 2. Prescriptions. Enter each medication, strength and dose into the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov. The tool shows which plans cover each drug, which tier it sits on and estimated yearly cost. 3. Pharmacies. Many plans have "preferred" and "standard" pharmacies with different cost sharing. Make sure your usual pharmacy — or a mail-order option — is on the preferred list if that matters to you. 4. Plan type. HMOs usually require you to stay in-network and use a primary care doctor; PPOs let you go out of network at a higher cost; HMO-POS blends the two; PFFS plans work with providers who agree to the plan's terms. Match the structure to how you actually use care. 5. Total cost, not just premium. Add the monthly premium to likely copays, the deductible and the drug costs the Plan Finder estimates. A lower premium can come with higher use-of-care costs, or the reverse.

What national Medicare numbers should I know for 2027?

Two Part D figures are already confirmed for 2027: the out-of-pocket cap for prescription drugs will be $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026), and the maximum Part D deductible a plan can charge will be $700 (up from $615 in 2026). The Part D national base beneficiary premium for 2027 is $41.33 — this is a formula input used in late enrollment penalties, not what any particular plan charges.

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets and surcharges, have not been announced yet. CMS typically publishes them later in the fall. For 2026, IRMAA surcharges begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer.

Also worth knowing: the coverage gap (the old "donut hole") was eliminated in 2025, so Part D now has three phases. And the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, an optional program, lets you spread your out-of-pocket drug costs across monthly payments instead of paying at the pharmacy counter.

What if I miss the December 7 deadline in Lubbock?

If you do nothing by December 7, 2026, your current Medicare Advantage plan simply renews for 2027 — with whatever changes the ANOC described. Nothing is cancelled, and nothing is lost.

If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you also have the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31, 2027. During that window you can switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan or go back to Original Medicare (and add a Part D plan). Outside of these windows, Special Enrollment Periods may apply if your plan leaves the area, you move or your situation changes.