Medicare Advantage

Before you pick a Medicare plan in Oakland, read this

For 2027, Oakland is looking at 32 Medicare Advantage plans: 5 new, 10 gone since 2026, and 27 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 10 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Alameda County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

Medicare AdvantageOakland, CA

Oakland, Calif. — If you are shopping for a Medicare Advantage plan in Oakland this fall, the first thing worth knowing is not a price or a benefit. It is the shape of your choices: which companies sell plans here, and what the letters after each plan name — HMO, PPO, D-SNP — actually mean for how you get care.

Oakland is in Alameda County, where CMS lists 22 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027 from 10 carriers, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source File. Every one of those plans includes drug coverage. The mix leans heavily toward HMOs, with a smaller number of HMO-POS and PPO plans, and no Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans in the county for 2027. Central Health Medicare Plan and Elevance Health (Anthem) are not offering plans in the county next year.

Who sells Medicare Advantage plans in Alameda County

Twelve carriers offer Medicare Advantage plans that include drug coverage in the county. In alphabetical order, they are:

• Aetna (CVS Health) — 5 plans (HMO, HMO-POS, PPO)
• Alameda Alliance for Health — 1 plan (HMO; 1 SNP)
• Align Senior Care — 3 plans (HMO; 2 SNPs)
• Alignment Health Plan — 9 plans (HMO; 6 SNPs)
• Blue Shield of California — 1 plan (HMO)
• CCHP (Chinese Community Health Plan) — 2 plans (HMO)
• Central Health Medicare Plan — 1 plan (HMO; 1 SNP)
• Elevance Health (Anthem) — 2 plans (HMO-POS)
• Imperial Health Plan of California, Inc. — 3 plans (HMO; 1 SNP)
• Kaiser Permanente — 3 plans (HMO; 1 SNP)
• SCAN Health Plan — 5 plans (HMO; 2 SNPs)
• UnitedHealthcare — 2 plans (HMO-POS; 1 SNP)

The table on this page lists every plan by carrier. Counts alone do not tell you which plan fits your doctors, medications or budget — for that, you have to look plan by plan on Medicare's Plan Finder.

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

The plan type controls how you use your card. Here is the plain-English version.

HMO (Health Maintenance Organization). You pick a primary care doctor and generally use in-network providers. Out-of-network care usually is not covered except in emergencies. HMOs often require referrals to see specialists. In Alameda County, 29 of the 37 plans are HMOs, so this is the format most Oakland shoppers will be comparing.

HMO-POS (HMO with a Point-of-Service option). Same idea as an HMO, but the plan lets you go outside the network for certain services, usually at a higher cost.

PPO (Preferred Provider Organization). More flexibility. You can see out-of-network providers, though you generally pay more than you would in-network, and referrals are typically not required.

PFFS (Private Fee-for-Service). A PFFS plan pays providers a set amount, and any provider who accepts the plan's terms can treat you. There are no PFFS plans offered in Alameda County for 2027, so this is not a live choice for Oakland residents next year.

Special Needs Plans: who they are for

Special Needs Plans (SNPs) are Medicare Advantage plans built for people who share a specific situation. You have to meet the eligibility rules to enroll, and all SNPs include drug coverage. Of the 37 plans in the county, 15 are SNPs — an unusually large share, which reflects how many carriers here focus on dual-eligible and chronic-condition members.

• D-SNP (Dual-Eligible SNP) — for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid (in California, that is Medi-Cal).
• C-SNP (Chronic Condition SNP) — for people living with a qualifying chronic condition, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders or chronic lung disease. Several C-SNPs in the county target heart and diabetes conditions specifically.
• I-SNP (Institutional SNP) — for people who live in a long-term care facility or need that level of care at home.

If you are not eligible for the specific category, an SNP is not an option for you, even if the plan looks appealing on paper.

A few program-level facts worth knowing for 2027

These are the same across the country and apply no matter which plan you pick:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026. Once your drug spending hits it, you pay $0 for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615.
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") was eliminated in 2025; Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly payments, at no extra charge.
• IRMAA income-based surcharges start above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026.
• Annual Enrollment Period: Oct. 15 – Dec. 7. Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: Jan. 1 – March 31.

CMS also publishes Star Ratings for Medicare Advantage contracts, which are one signal (not the only one) of plan quality. You can see them on medicare.gov's Plan Finder.

How to actually narrow 37 plans down

A short, boring checklist beats a flashy comparison every time:

1. List your doctors and preferred hospitals. Which networks include them? 2. List your prescriptions with dosages. Enter them into Plan Finder to see how each plan's formulary handles them. 3. Decide how much network flexibility matters to you. That is the HMO vs. PPO question. 4. Check whether you qualify for any SNP. 5. Compare total expected yearly cost, not just the premium.