Medicare Advantage

Got a non-renewal letter? Here's your Lubbock playbook

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 — If you have a Medicare Advantage plan in Lubbock, this fall's mail is worth opening carefully. In Lubbock County, 19 Medicare Advantage plans are set to leave after 2026, 7 new plans are arriving for 2027, and 9 have been renamed. Three carriers — American Health Advantage of Texas, Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, and Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC) — will not offer Medicare Advantage plans in the county next year, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files comparing 2026 and 2027.

That is a bigger reshuffle than most years, and it lands right as the Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7) opens. Here is a plain-language guide to what is changing and what to do about it.

What is actually changing in Lubbock County for 2027

Lubbock is in Lubbock County, where Medicare Advantage plan availability is set by CMS. Comparing the 2026 and 2027 Landscape files, the county shows:

• 19 plans leaving after 2026
• 7 new plans for 2027
• 9 renamed plans (same plan, new name)
• 15 continuing plans that are changing on premium, deductible, plan type or name
• 22 plans continuing with no such change in the CMS file

The full plan-by-plan table is below on this page.

Which plans are leaving after 2026

If you are enrolled in one of these plans, it will not be available in Lubbock County in 2027. The plans leaving, in alphabetical order by carrier, are:

• American Health Advantage of Texas (HMO I-SNP)
• BSW SeniorCare Advantage (PPO)
• Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Dental Value (HMO)
• Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Dual Care Plus (HMO D-SNP)
• Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Preferred (PPO)
• Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Secure (HMO)
• Wellcare Assist (HMO)
• Wellcare Dual Access (HMO D-SNP)
• Wellcare Dual Liberty (HMO D-SNP)
• Wellcare Giveback (HMO)
• Wellcare Simple Open (PPO)
• Wellpoint Dual Advantage (HMO D-SNP)
• Wellpoint Dual Advantage 2 (HMO D-SNP)
• Wellpoint Full Dual Advantage (HMO D-SNP)
• Wellpoint Full Dual Advantage Aligned (HMO D-SNP)
• Humana Gold Choice H8145-084 (PFFS)
• Humana Gold Plus H0783-004 (HMO)
• Humana USAA Honor Giveback (PPO)
• UHC Complete Care Support TX-1A (Regional PPO C-SNP)

Three carriers — American Health Advantage of Texas, Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, and Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC) — will not offer Medicare Advantage plans in Lubbock County next year. If you are in one of their plans, you will need to choose something else or you will return to Original Medicare.

Which plans are new for 2027

Seven Medicare Advantage plans are being added in Lubbock County for 2027:

• Aetna Medicare QMB Only Care (HMO D-SNP)
• Wellcare Superior HealthPlan Dual Reserve Value (HMO D-SNP)
• Wellpoint Dual Advantage (HMO D-SNP)
• Wellpoint Dual Advantage Plus (HMO D-SNP)
• Wellpoint Full Dual Advantage Aligned (HMO D-SNP)
• Humana Gold Plus H4461-084 (HMO)
• Humana Together in Health (PPO I-SNP)

Several of these are Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs), which are designed for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid.

Renamed plans — same coverage, new name

Nine plans in Lubbock County kept their contract but changed their name for 2027. If you see an unfamiliar name on your paperwork, check this list before assuming your plan disappeared:

• Aetna Medicare Full Dual Care (HMO D-SNP) — was Aetna Medicare Dual Care (HMO D-SNP)
• Aetna Medicare Full Dual Extra Care (HMO D-SNP) — was Aetna Medicare Full Dual Care (HMO D-SNP)
• Aetna Medicare QMB Only Extra Care (HMO D-SNP) — was Aetna Medicare Partial Dual Care (HMO D-SNP)
• Wellcare Superior HealthPlan Dual Liberty Sync (HMO D-SNP) — was Wellcare Dual Liberty Sync (HMO D-SNP)
• Humana Essentials Plus Giveback (PPO) — was Humana Essentials Plus Giveback H7617-035 (PPO)
• HumanaChoice Giveback H5216-358 (PPO) — was Humana Essentials Plus Giveback H5216-358 (PPO)
• AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC TX-61 (Regional PPO) — was UHC Medicare Advantage TX-0030 (Regional PPO)
• UHC Dual Advantage TX-V10 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — was UHC Dual Complete TX-V010 (HMO-POS D-SNP)
• UHC Dual Complete TX-Q8 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — was UHC Dual Complete TX-D007 (HMO-POS D-SNP)

Renamed plans still count as continuing coverage — you do not have to switch just because the name changed.

What to do if your plan is leaving

If your plan is on the leaving list, your carrier is required to send you a non-renewal notice. Here is a simple step-by-step:

1. Read the letter. It confirms your plan is ending and explains your options. 2. Use the Special Enrollment Period. When a plan is not renewed, CMS gives you a two-month SEP that runs through the end of February. You can pick a new Medicare Advantage or stand-alone Part D plan, or return to Original Medicare. 3. Consider Medigap timing. If you are moving back to Original Medicare, ask about Medigap (Medicare Supplement) rules in Texas before your window closes. 4. Compare using the plan finder at medicare.gov. Enter your drugs, pharmacies and doctors to see what actually fits. 5. Call for free help. You can reach 1-800-MEDICARE any time, or Texas's SHIP program (the Health Information, Counseling and Advocacy Program, HICAP) for one-on-one guidance at no cost.

If you do nothing, you will generally return to Original Medicare — which does not include Part D drug coverage — so acting during the SEP matters.

What to do if your plan is "changing"

Fifteen Lubbock County plans are continuing but changing on premium, deductible, plan type or name in the CMS file. We can't tell you here what changed or by how much — that is the job of your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), mailed by your plan by late September. Read it side-by-side with what you actually used this year: your drugs, your doctors, your specialists.

If the changes don't work for you, use the Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7) to switch. You can also make one change during Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment (Jan. 1 – March 31) if you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan.

A few 2026 and 2027 program facts worth knowing

These apply to everyone, not just Lubbock:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 for 2026