Medicare Advantage

Is Your Chula Vista Medicare Plan Changing in 2027?

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. — The window to change your Medicare Advantage plan for 2027 opened Oct. 15 and closes Dec. 7, 2026. If you live in Chula Vista, you have a fresh set of plans to look at this fall — some carriers trimmed their menus, others added plans, and about 20 plans in San Diego County are returning under a new name. The good news: you do not have to guess. There is a clear order you can follow to compare the plans side by side before the deadline.

How many Medicare Advantage plans are offered in Chula Vista for 2027?

Chula Vista is in San Diego County, where 85 Medicare Advantage plans from 15 carriers are offered for 2027, according to the CMS Landscape Source File. That is down from 93 plans and 17 carriers in 2026. By plan type, the county has 65 HMO plans, 15 HMO-POS plans and 5 PPO plans next year, and 80 of the 85 plans include Part D drug coverage.

Eighteen plans are new for 2027, 26 plans are not returning, and about 20 plans are coming back under a new name. The full roster is in the table below.

Which carriers sell Medicare Advantage plans in San Diego County in 2027?

Fifteen carriers offer Medicare Advantage in San Diego County for 2027. In alphabetical order, they are Aetna (CVS Health), Alignment Health Plan, Astiva Health, Blue Shield of California, Centene (WellCare), Champion Heath Plan, Clever Care Health Plan, Community Health Group, Elevance Health (Anthem), Humana, Imperial Health Plan of California, Kaiser Permanente, Molina Healthcare of California, SCAN Health Plan and UnitedHealthcare.

Two carriers that offered plans in 2026 — Central Health Medicare Plan and Sharp Health Plan — are not listed as standalone carriers in the 2027 county file. If you are in one of those plans, your Annual Notice of Change (or a separate non-renewal letter) will tell you what is happening and what your options are.

What Special Needs Plans are available in Chula Vista for 2027?

San Diego County has 39 Special Needs Plans (SNPs) for 2027: 32 Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) and 7 Dual Eligible SNPs (D-SNPs). There are no Institutional SNPs in the county next year.

SNPs are built for people with specific needs — a chronic condition such as diabetes or heart failure (C-SNP), or both Medicare and Medi-Cal (D-SNP). You have to qualify to join one. If you think a SNP fits your situation, 1-800-MEDICARE or the plan itself can confirm you are eligible.

How do I compare 2027 Medicare Advantage plans step by step?

Work through these six steps in order and you will have a short list by the end.

1. Read your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). Your current plan mailed this in September. It shows side-by-side what changes on Jan. 1, 2027 — premium, deductible, copays, drug tier changes, provider network, extra benefits. If everything still works for you, you do not have to do anything; your plan renews automatically.

2. List your doctors and hospitals. Write down the providers you want to keep — primary care, specialists, Scripps, Sharp, UC San Diego Health, Kaiser, your local urgent care. Networks change every year.

3. List your prescriptions. Write down each drug, the dose and how often you take it. Drug formularies and tiers change every year too.

4. Pick a pharmacy. Many plans have "preferred" pharmacies where your copays are lower. If you use a specific CVS, Walgreens, Costco or an independent pharmacy in Chula Vista, note it.

5. Go to the Medicare Plan Finder. At medicare.gov/plan-compare, enter your ZIP code, your drugs and your pharmacy. The tool will show every plan available in your ZIP, your estimated yearly drug cost, and whether each plan covers your drugs. You can compare up to three plans side by side.

6. Check networks on each plan's own site. The Plan Finder does not show every provider. Once you have a short list, use each plan's provider directory to confirm your doctors and hospitals are in-network for 2027, not 2026.

If you want help, call 1-800-MEDICARE (24/7) or the plan directly.

What is new for Medicare in 2027?

Two Part D numbers are already set for 2027. The annual out-of-pocket cap for prescription drugs rises to $2,400 (it is $2,100 in 2026). The maximum Part D deductible rises to $700 (it is $615 in 2026). Once you hit the out-of-pocket cap, you pay $0 for covered drugs for the rest of the calendar year.

CMS has not yet announced the 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, or the 2027 IRMAA income brackets. Those usually come out in November — check medicare.gov for the official numbers before you decide.

The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan is still available in 2027. It lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly bills instead of paying a big charge at the pharmacy counter. It does not lower what you owe; it just smooths it out.

What happens if I do nothing by Dec. 7?

If you do nothing and your current plan is offered again in 2027, you stay in it — with the changes listed in your ANOC taking effect Jan. 1. If your plan is one of the 26 in San Diego County not returning for 2027, you will get a non-renewal letter and a Special Enrollment Period to pick a new plan.

You also get a second window: the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, Jan. 1 – March 31, 2027. During that window, if you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan once, or go back to Original Medicare (and add a Part D plan).