Medicare Advantage

San Antonio Medicare Advantage members: how to spot a non-renewal letter this fall

Bexar County has 98 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 28 plans are not coming back, 26 are new, and 36 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 11 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for San Antonio, not which plan to pick.

SAN ANTONIO — This fall, some Medicare Advantage members in and around San Antonio are opening a letter they were not expecting: a notice that their plan will not be offered in 2027. According to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape files for Bexar County, 28 Medicare Advantage plans sold in 2026 will not return next year. If your plan is one of them, you have a specific set of rights and a longer window to pick what comes next.

Here is how to tell, what happens if you do nothing, and the choices you have.

How to tell if your plan is ending

Plans that are not being renewed are required to mail members a written non-renewal notice (sometimes called a "plan non-renewal" or "plan termination" letter). You should receive it by early October 2026, before the Annual Enrollment Period opens.

The letter will say, in plain language, that your plan will not be offered in 2027, that your coverage ends December 31, 2026, and that you have a Special Enrollment Period to choose a new plan. It is different from the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), which continuing plans send to describe next year's updates. If you only received an ANOC, your plan is likely renewing — read it to see what is changing.

If you are not sure which letter you have, call the number on the back of your member ID card, or call 1-800-MEDICARE.

The San Antonio plans not returning for 2027

San Antonio is in Bexar County, where CMS data shows 28 Medicare Advantage plans offered in 2026 will not be available in 2027. The full table on this page lists every one by name and carrier; the plans and their carriers, listed alphabetically by carrier, are:

• American Health Advantage of Texas (HMO I-SNP) — American Health Advantage of Texas
• Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Balance (PPO) — Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC)
• Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Core (HMO) — Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC)
• Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Dental Value (HMO) — Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC)
• Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Dual Care Plus (HMO D-SNP) — Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC)
• Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Optimum (PPO) — Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC)
• Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Preferred (PPO) — Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC)
• Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Value (HMO) — Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC)
• Wellcare Assist (HMO) — Centene (WellCare)
• Wellcare Dual Liberty (HMO D-SNP) — Centene (WellCare)
• Wellcare Giveback (HMO) — Centene (WellCare)
• Wellcare Simple Open (PPO) — Centene (WellCare)
• Wellpoint Dual Advantage (HMO D-SNP) — Elevance Health (Anthem)
• Wellpoint Dual Advantage 2 (HMO D-SNP) — Elevance Health (Anthem)
• Wellpoint Full Dual Advantage 2 (HMO D-SNP) — Elevance Health (Anthem)
• Humana Gold Choice H8145-084 (PFFS) — Humana
• Humana USAA Honor Giveback (PPO) — Humana
• HumanaChoice H5216-360 (PPO) — Humana
• HumanaChoice H7617-040 (PPO) — Humana
• SCAN MyChoice Texas (HMO) — SCAN Health Plan
• SCAN Strive Texas (HMO C-SNP) — SCAN Health Plan
• AARP Medicare Advantage CareFlex from UHC TX-45 (HMO-POS) — UnitedHealthcare
• AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC TX-0003 (PPO) — UnitedHealthcare
• AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx TX-MA04 (PPO) — UnitedHealthcare
• UHC Complete Care Support TX-1A (Regional PPO C-SNP) — UnitedHealthcare
• UHC Dual Complete TX-D004 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — UnitedHealthcare
• UHC Dual Complete TX-S003 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — UnitedHealthcare
• UHC Dual Complete TX-V007 (HMO-POS D-SNP) — UnitedHealthcare

If your plan is not on this list, it is being offered again for 2027, and your ANOC will spell out the changes. Across Bexar County, 98 Medicare Advantage plans from 15 carriers are offered for 2027.

What happens if you do nothing

If your plan is on the not-returning list and you do not pick a new one, your Medicare Advantage coverage ends December 31, 2026. On January 1, 2027, you are automatically back on Original Medicare — Part A (hospital) and Part B (medical) — through the federal government.

Original Medicare does not include prescription drug coverage. If your current Advantage plan included drugs (most do), you will not have a Part D plan on January 1 unless you choose one. There is a late-enrollment penalty for going without creditable drug coverage, so this matters even if you do not take many medications today.

Original Medicare also has no out-of-pocket maximum. Many people pair it with a stand-alone Part D plan and either a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy or a new Medicare Advantage plan.

Your Special Enrollment Period and your choices

Because your plan is ending through no fault of yours, Medicare gives you a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). For a plan non-renewal, the SEP runs from December 8, 2026 through the end of February 2027. That is in addition to the regular Annual Enrollment Period of October 15 – December 7, 2026.

During the SEP you can:

• Join a different Medicare Advantage plan (with or without drug coverage).
• Stay on Original Medicare and add a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan.
• Switch to Original Medicare and apply for a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy. Leaving a terminated Medicare Advantage plan generally opens a Medigap "guaranteed-issue" right at the federal level, which lets you buy certain Medigap plans without medical underwriting. State rules on which specific plans and timelines apply are set by the Texas Department of Insurance.

A change you make in October, November or early December takes effect January 1, 2027. A change made in January or February through the SEP takes effect the first of the following month.

A few 2027 numbers to keep in mind

As you compare plans, these program-level figures are already set for 2027:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026).
• The Part D maximum deductible is $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026).
• The Part D national base beneficiary premium is $41.33 for 2027 — a formula input, not what any specific plan charges.

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

How to compare and enroll

The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov lets you enter your ZIP code, your prescriptions and your preferred pharmacies, and see every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan available in Bexar County for 2027. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Before you enroll, check that your doctors, hospitals and medications are covered under the new plan — those details come from each plan's Evidence of Coverage, formulary and provider directory.