Medicare Advantage

Fontana Medicare shoppers in 2027: how wide is the field in San Bernardino County?

San Bernardino County has 95 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 17 plans are not coming back, 14 are new, and 52 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 20 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Fontana, not which plan to pick.

Medicare AdvantageFontana, CA

If you live in Fontana and you're sizing up your Medicare choices for 2027, the first useful thing to know isn't which plan to pick — it's how much you actually have to sort through. In San Bernardino County, the answer is still substantial. According to CMS Medicare Plan Finder data for 2027, 75 Medicare Advantage plans are available across the county, offered by 17 different carriers. That's the pool Fontana residents are choosing from this fall.

This article sticks to the counts — how many options are on the table, who sets those numbers, and where to go next. It won't tell you which plan is right for you (nobody honest can, without knowing your doctors, drugs and budget), but it will help you understand the size of the decision in front of you.

Why the count matters more than it sounds

Ninety-eight is a big number to sit with. It's also the reason so many Fontana residents feel stuck when the mail starts piling up in October. Knowing the size of the field helps you set expectations: you are not going to read every brochure, and you don't need to. What you need is a short list built around your doctors, your prescriptions and how you like to get care.

Medicare Advantage plan counts change each year as carriers add, drop or redraw plans. So the 98 figure is a 2026 snapshot from CMS, not a permanent number.

How Fontana fits into San Bernardino County

Medicare Advantage and Part D availability is determined by county, not city. Fontana is inside San Bernardino County, so the plans on offer in Fontana are the same ones on offer in Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Redlands or the high desert. When you use the Plan Finder at medicare.gov, entering a Fontana ZIP code pulls up that countywide list.

San Bernardino County is also home to roughly 276,984 people age 65 and older, which is one reason carriers compete here — a larger eligible population usually means more plan filings.

What the 98 figure does and doesn't include

The 75 plans are Medicare Advantage plans, most of which include prescription drug coverage (often called MA-PD). The count comes from the 2027 CMS Landscape files.

A few things it does not include:

• Original Medicare (Parts A and B). That's the federal program itself, available to everyone who qualifies, and it isn't part of the plan count.
• Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policies. These are sold separately and follow different rules in California.
• Stand-alone Part D drug plans. The Landscape data shows 0 stand-alone Part D plans specifically tied to the local MA-PD file for the area; stand-alone Part D options are available to Medicare beneficiaries nationwide through medicare.gov, and you should confirm what's offered for your ZIP directly there.

Star Ratings in the area

CMS publishes Star Ratings each year to help people compare plan quality. Ratings can shift year to year, and they're one input among several — the plan's network, drug list and total costs matter too. You can view current ratings for any plan on medicare.gov.

Key dates for 2027 coverage

• Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026: Annual Enrollment Period. This is when most people join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for 2027.
• Jan. 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan on Jan. 1, you get one chance to switch to another MA plan or return to Original Medicare.
• Any time: Special Enrollment Periods may apply if you move, lose other coverage, or qualify for programs like Extra Help.

A few 2027 program facts worth knowing

These apply nationally, not just in Fontana:

• Part D has a $2,400 out-of-pocket cap on covered drugs in 2027. Once you hit it, you pay nothing for covered prescriptions the rest of the year.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $700 in 2027.
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone as of 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread out-of-pocket drug costs across the year in monthly payments, if that helps your budget.
• IRMAA (higher Part B and Part D premiums for higher incomes) starts above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026.

How to narrow 98 plans down to a real short list

You don't compare 98 plans. You filter. A practical path:

1. List your prescriptions, preferred pharmacy, and the doctors and hospitals you want to keep. 2. Go to medicare.gov/plan-compare, enter your Fontana ZIP, and use those filters. 3. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (24/7) for help walking through results. 4. Contact California's SHIP — the Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program (HICAP) — for free, unbiased one-on-one counseling. HICAP counselors don't sell anything.