Medicare Advantage

Choosing an HMO or PPO in Chula Vista for 2027? Here's how the county's plan menu splits

For 2027, Chula Vista is looking at 85 Medicare Advantage plans: 18 new, 26 gone since 2026, and 48 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 20 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in San Diego County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

CHULA VISTA, Calif. — As the Annual Enrollment Period opens for 2027 Medicare coverage, residents here will find that the shape of the Medicare Advantage menu looks a lot like last year in one way and a little different in another: it is still overwhelmingly built around HMOs, and the number of PPO choices on offer has narrowed.

Chula Vista is in San Diego County, where CMS lists 85 Medicare Advantage plans from 15 carriers for 2027. By plan type, that breaks down to 65 HMO plans, 15 HMO-POS plans and 5 PPO plans. (HMO and HMO-POS together make up 80 of the 85.) No PFFS — Private Fee-for-Service — plans are offered in the county for 2027.

That split matters because the "letters after the plan name" are not marketing. They tell you how the plan handles doctors, referrals and care outside the network — the day-to-day stuff that decides whether a plan fits your life.

What do HMO, HMO-POS, PPO and PFFS actually mean?

The letters describe how the plan's network works.

• HMO (Health Maintenance Organization): You use the plan's network of doctors and hospitals. You usually pick a primary care doctor and get a referral to see a specialist. Care outside the network is generally not covered except for emergencies and urgent care.
• HMO-POS (Point of Service): An HMO with a narrow door to the outside. The "POS" piece lets you get certain services from out-of-network providers, usually at a higher cost. Each plan decides which services qualify, so read the Evidence of Coverage.
• PPO (Preferred Provider Organization): You can see any Medicare-approved provider that accepts the plan. In-network costs less; out-of-network is covered but costs more. Referrals are typically not required.
• PFFS (Private Fee-for-Service): A plan that sets its own payment terms with providers; any provider can decide, visit by visit, whether to accept the plan. None are offered in San Diego County for 2027.

No type is "better." The right fit depends on your doctors, whether you need specialist referrals, and how much you travel.

How do the 2027 plan counts split by type in San Diego County?

For plan year 2027, CMS lists 85 Medicare Advantage plans in San Diego County from 15 carriers, split 65 HMO / 15 HMO-POS / 5 PPO. The table below lists every plan.

A few things to notice as you read the table:

• HMOs make up the clear majority of the menu, which is typical of California's larger counties.
• HMO-POS and PPO together make a smaller group, so if you want out-of-network flexibility, you'll be comparing within a smaller set.
• Special Needs Plans (SNPs) — for people with Medicaid, certain chronic conditions, or who live in a facility — appear across several carriers; most SNPs in the county are HMOs.

Which carriers in Chula Vista offer HMOs, HMO-POS and PPOs for 2027?

Here is how the 15 carriers line up by plan type in San Diego County for 2027, in alphabetical order:

• HMO plans in 2027: Aetna (CVS Health), Alignment Health Plan, Astiva Health, Blue Shield of California, Centene (WellCare), Champion Heath Plan, Clever Care Health Plan, Community Health Group, Humana, Imperial Health Plan of California, Inc., Kaiser Permanente, Molina Healthcare of California, SCAN Health Plan, UnitedHealthcare.
• HMO-POS plans in 2027: Aetna (CVS Health), Alignment Health Plan, Champion Heath Plan, Elevance Health (Anthem), UnitedHealthcare.
• PPO plans in 2027: Alignment Health Plan, Elevance Health (Anthem), Humana.

A carrier being on more than one list simply means it offers more than one type of plan — not that any of its plans is better than another.

How should I decide between an HMO and a PPO in Chula Vista?

Start with the people and places you already use, not the brochure.

1. List your doctors and the hospital you'd want in an emergency. Check each plan's provider directory to see who is in-network for 2027. Networks can change year to year. 2. Think about referrals. HMOs usually require a primary care doctor to coordinate specialist visits. Some people like that; others prefer the direct access of a PPO. 3. Think about travel. If you spend part of the year outside San Diego County — visiting family, or snowbirding — a PPO's out-of-network coverage may matter more than it would for someone who stays local. 4. Check your drugs. Of the 85 plans, most include drug coverage, but each plan has its own formulary and pharmacy network. The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov lets you enter your prescriptions and see how each plan would handle them. 5. Read your ANOC. If you already have a Medicare Advantage plan, your Annual Notice of Change spells out what is different for 2027, including any shift in network or benefits.

What are the 2027 dates and figures I should know?

The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 – December 7, 2026. A plan you pick during that window starts January 1, 2027. If you do nothing, your current plan renews for 2027 if it is still offered.

On the Part D side, CMS has confirmed a few 2027 figures that apply nationwide:

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

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

Within the county, CMS also notes that for 2027, 26 plans are not returning, 18 are new, and 20 have been renamed. If your plan is in one of those groups, your ANOC will say so.