Medicare changes in Monterey County for 2027

If your Medicare plan sent you a letter about next year, keep it close while you read. It has your plan’s full name, its plan number and the date your coverage ends or renews.

Helping a parent, partner or friend? Sit down together with that letter and a list of their medicines. Ask which doctors and services matter most to them before you compare plans.

If your Medicare Advantage plan ends, you do not lose Medicare. If you do not join another plan, you go back to Original Medicare. You still need to decide how you will get your medical care and your drug coverage from January 1.

How many plans are there for 2027?#

Monterey County has 10 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, up from 9.

Special needs plans are Medicare Advantage plans for people who also have Medi-Cal, have certain long-term health conditions, or live in a nursing home. Most people cannot join them, so the number of plans you can actually choose from is smaller than the total.

These counts are for plans you buy on your own. They do not include plans from a former employer or union, or Medigap policies.

What new plans are there?#

New Medicare Advantage plans in Monterey County for 2027:

• Imperial Flex (HMO C-SNP), from Imperial Health Plan of California, Inc. (a special needs plan, only for some people)

Before you choose, check that your doctors, hospitals, medicines and pharmacy work with that exact 2027 plan.

Which plans are ending?#

No Medicare Advantage plan in Monterey County is ending outright for 2027.

Not sure if yours is here? Use the plan search near the top of this page.

Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Company will have no Medicare Advantage plan in Monterey County in 2027.

Will my plan cost more in 2027?#

5 plans anyone can join continue into 2027. 3 cost more each month, 0 cost less and 2 stay the same. This is the monthly plan premium, on top of the Part B premium.

In the table, an arrow shows the 2026 figure, then the 2027 figure. “Extra a year” is the 2027 premium minus the 2026 premium, times 12. The yearly limit is the most you pay in a year for covered medical care in the plan’s network; premiums and drug costs do not count toward it. A drug deductible is what you pay for some medicines before the plan starts paying its share; some plans skip it for lower-cost drugs. Extra Help can lower drug costs for people with limited income and savings.

The best question to ask is: what will we pay over the whole year, for the doctors and medicines we actually use? A $0 premium is only one part of the answer.

Do I need to check my drug plan if I have Original Medicare?#

Yes. If you have Original Medicare, with or without Medigap, look at your separate drug plan too. Drug-only plans are the same across California. 8 of the 10 that continue cost more each month in 2027 and 2 cost less.

See all 10 drug plans and their 2027 premiums

Drug plan	2026	2027	Change per year
AARP Medicare Rx Preferred from UHC	$165.40	$242.60	+$926.40
AARP Medicare Rx Saver from UHC	$109.40	$170.80	+$736.80
Humana Value Rx Plan	$104.60	$130.30	+$308.40
Blue Shield Rx Enhanced	$227.80	$252.60	+$297.60
Humana Premier Rx Plan	$172.90	$191.20	+$219.60
Blue Shield Rx Plus	$199.70	$210	+$123.60
HealthSpring Assurance Rx	$0	$9.30	+$111.60
Wellcare Classic	$6.20	$7.30	+$13.20
Wellcare Value Script	$5.70	$5.30	−$4.80
Humana Basic Rx Plan	$132.20	$118.30	−$166.80

2 drug plans are ending: SilverScript Choice (S5601-064) and HealthSpring Extra Rx (S5617-382). HealthSpring Assurance Rx continues with a new plan number, S5715-049. A new plan number does not always mean a plan is ending.

When you compare drug plans, bring a list of every medicine: the name, the strength, how often you take it, and the pharmacy you use. A lower premium can still cost more if your medicines cost more on that plan.

Can I switch to Medigap if my plan is ending?#

Often, yes. If your Medicare Advantage plan is leaving your area, Medicare gives you the right to buy certain Medigap policies when you go back to Original Medicare. During that window, an insurer cannot turn you down because of your health. This is called a guaranteed issue right.

Medicare says you must apply as early as 60 days before your Medicare Advantage coverage ends, and no later than 63 days after it ends. Medigap does not start on its own: you have to apply. See Medicare’s page on when you can buy Medigap.

Which policies you can buy, and by when, depends on your situation. Keep your plan’s letter, because it can prove your plan ended. UniHealth’s Monterey County Medigap page shows the price information we hold. A HICAP counselor can check your rights and dates with you. Your drug coverage needs its own plan.

What should I do before choosing?#

1. Read your 2027 letter. Is your exact plan continuing, merging or ending? Keep the letter.
2. List what you want to keep. Doctors, specialists, hospitals, medicines and pharmacy.
3. Compare the whole cost. Premiums, deductibles, copays and the yearly limit. Ask about help like Extra Help.
4. Check before you sign up. Call your doctor’s office and ask if they take that exact 2027 plan.

Open enrollment runs October 15 to December 7. A change you make then starts January 1. If your plan is ending, you also have from December 8 to the last day of February to choose a new plan. If you wait past December 7, ask when your new plan would start. See Medicare’s pages on enrollment dates and special enrollment periods.

If you have coverage from a former employer or union, talk to their benefits office before you change anything.

Where can I get free help?#

California’s Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program, HICAP, gives free, confidential one-on-one Medicare counseling to people with Medicare and their families. A counselor can read your letters with you, compare your choices and check your rights. Find your local HICAP office. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE, or see Medicare’s contact page.

UniHealth can help you understand your letters, look up Monterey County’s 2027 plans and get your questions ready for that conversation.

This guide covers plans sold to individuals and some of their published costs. It does not compare every benefit, drug list or doctor network. Check the details for your own situation before you enroll.