Medicare Advantage

Does Oakland Medicare Advantage come in PPO for 2027?

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.

OAKLAND, Calif. — As the Annual Enrollment Period for 2027 coverage opens October 15, 2026 and runs through December 7, 2026, Oakland shoppers comparing Medicare Advantage plans will notice the lineup leans one direction. In Alameda County, where Oakland sits, 32 Medicare Advantage plans from 10 carriers are offered for 2027, and all of them are HMO-style: 29 are HMO and 3 are HMO-POS, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source File for 2027. No PPO or PFFS plans are on the county's 2027 Medicare Advantage lineup.

That matters because plan type shapes how you get care — which doctors you can see, whether you need referrals, and what happens if you need care out of town.

What each plan type actually means

Original Medicare lets you see any provider in the country who takes Medicare. Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans, run by private insurers under contract with Medicare, work differently depending on the plan type.

• HMO (Health Maintenance Organization). You generally must use doctors, hospitals and pharmacies in the plan's network, except in an emergency or for urgent care. Many HMOs ask you to pick a primary care doctor and get a referral before seeing a specialist. Out-of-network care usually isn't covered.
• HMO-POS (HMO with a Point-of-Service option). Works like an HMO, but adds a limited ability to go out-of-network for certain services — typically at a higher cost share. The rules vary a lot from plan to plan.
• PPO (Preferred Provider Organization). Lets you see out-of-network providers who accept the plan, usually at a higher cost share than in-network. Referrals typically aren't required. No PPOs are offered in Alameda County for 2027.
• PFFS (Private Fee-for-Service). You can see any Medicare-approved provider who agrees to the plan's payment terms. PFFS plans are not offered in Alameda County for 2027.

None of these types is "better" in the abstract. The right fit depends on where your doctors are, whether you travel, and how you prefer to get care.

How the 2027 Oakland-area lineup splits

For plan year 2027, every Medicare Advantage plan available in Alameda County is HMO or HMO-POS. The full breakdown:

• HMO: 29 plans
• HMO-POS: 3 plans
• PPO: 0 plans
• PFFS: 0 plans

The table on this page lists every plan by carrier.

Which carriers offer which type

Based on the CMS 2027 Landscape file for Alameda County:

Carriers offering HMO plans for 2027 (alphabetical): Aetna (CVS Health), Alameda Alliance for Health, Align Senior Care, Alignment Health Plan, Blue Shield of California, CCHP (Chinese Community Health Plan), Imperial Health Plan of California, Inc., Kaiser Permanente, SCAN Health Plan.

Carriers offering HMO-POS plans for 2027 (alphabetical): Aetna (CVS Health), UnitedHealthcare.

A few carriers appear on both lists because they offer more than one type. The number of plans each carrier offers, and which counties they serve, come straight from the CMS Landscape file; costs, benefits, networks and star ratings are not something we rank or compare here.

Networks, referrals and travel: what to check

Because the Alameda County lineup is HMO-based for 2027, the questions worth asking before you enroll are practical:

• Are my doctors in the plan's network? Each plan has its own provider directory. Networks differ even between plans from the same carrier.
• Do I need a referral to see a specialist? Many HMOs require one; the plan's Evidence of Coverage spells out the rule.
• What happens when I travel? HMOs typically cover emergency and urgent care anywhere in the U.S., but routine care outside the network usually isn't covered. HMO-POS plans may offer some out-of-network flexibility, with higher cost sharing and specific rules.
• Are my prescriptions on the plan's drug list? All 32 of the 2027 Alameda County plans include drug coverage, but formularies and pharmacy networks differ.

The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov lets you enter your ZIP code, doctors and prescriptions to see how each plan handles your specific situation.

Dates and dollars for 2027

A few things to keep in mind this fall:

• The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026. Changes take effect January 1, 2027.
• If you do nothing, your current plan renews for 2027 if it's still offered. The Annual Notice of Change your plan mailed describes what's different.
• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,400 for 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026).
• The Part D maximum deductible is $700 for 2027 (up from $615 in 2026).
• The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, hadn't been announced by CMS as of September 2026. CMS usually publishes them later in the fall.
• After AEP closes, Medicare Advantage members have a second window — the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, January 1 through March 31 — to switch to another Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare.

Alameda County's lineup is also shifting a bit for 2027: 10 plans are not returning, 5 are new, and 10 have been renamed. If your plan is on one of those lists, the specifics are in its Annual Notice of Change.