Medicare Advantage

Sacramento's 2027 Medicare Advantage map: one carrier out, one carrier in, and a reshuffled roster

Sacramento County has 32 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 13 plans are not coming back, 7 are new, and 23 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 9 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Sacramento, not which plan to pick.

Sacramento, Calif. — The 2027 Medicare Advantage lineup for Sacramento County is set, and the shape of the market is shifting. One longtime local carrier, Central Health Medicare Plan, will not offer plans here next year. A new carrier, Blue Shield of California, is entering. In all, 13 plans are leaving after 2026 and seven new plans arrive for 2027, with another handful renamed. Open enrollment runs Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2026, and any choice you make during that window takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.

What's changing in Sacramento County for 2027

Sacramento is in Sacramento County, and Medicare Advantage availability is set at the county level. For the 2027 plan year, 10 carriers will offer Medicare Advantage plans in the county. Nine of them — Aetna (CVS Health), Alignment Health Plan, Centene (WellCare), Elevance Health (Anthem), Imperial Health Plan of California, Inc., Kaiser Permanente, Molina Healthcare of California, SCAN Health Plan and UnitedHealthcare — are returning. Blue Shield of California is new to the county, and Central Health Medicare Plan is leaving.

Across those carriers, 13 plans are not returning after 2026, seven are new for 2027, nine are being renamed, and 14 continuing plans have at least one change to premium, deductible, type or name. Sixteen plans are continuing without those kinds of changes. The full roster is in the table below.

The carrier that is leaving — and what members should know

Central Health Medicare Plan is not offering Medicare Advantage plans in Sacramento County for 2027. The four plans it offered here in 2026 — Central Health Classic Care Plan III (HMO), Central Health Embrace Care Plan (HMO C-SNP), Central Health Embrace Choice Plan (HMO C-SNP) and Central Health Valor Care Plan (HMO) — are all on the "leaving" list.

If your plan is not renewing, Medicare gives you a Special Enrollment Period. You can switch to another Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare (and add a stand-alone Part D plan). The SEP for a non-renewed plan generally runs from Dec. 8, 2026 through the end of February 2027, but acting during open enrollment keeps your coverage seamless on Jan. 1. Your plan is required to send you a non-renewal notice; keep it with your Medicare paperwork.

The carrier that is new

Blue Shield of California is entering the Sacramento County market for 2027 with one plan, Blue Shield Advantage (HMO). It is listed in the table below along with every other plan available next year.

Other plans leaving, and what is new

Beyond the Central Health exit, these plans are not returning in 2027:

• Aetna (CVS Health): Aetna Medicare Eagle (PPO), Aetna Medicare Enhanced (PPO), Aetna Medicare Signature (PPO)
• Alignment Health Plan: Alignment Health Honor+ Plan (HMO), Alignment Health My Choice (PPO)
• Centene (WellCare): Wellcare Health Net Dual Align (HMO D-SNP) (note: a plan with this same name is listed as new for 2027, which may reflect a contract change — check its 2027 documents)
• Elevance Health (Anthem): Anthem Medicare Advantage (HMO-POS), Anthem Prime (HMO-POS)
• SCAN Health Plan: SCAN MyChoice (HMO)

New for 2027: Aetna Medicare Chronic Care (HMO C-SNP), Aetna Medicare Eagle (HMO), Alignment Health Honor Plus 060 (HMO), Blue Shield Advantage (HMO), Wellcare Health Net Dual Align (HMO D-SNP), Imperial Flex (HMO C-SNP) and SCAN Costco Medicare Advantage (HMO).

Nine Alignment and Aetna plans are being renamed — same plan, different label. Examples include Aetna Medicare Value Plus (HMO), which was Aetna Medicare Value Plus (HMO-POS); and several Alignment Heart & Diabetes variants that are picking up numeric suffixes. The table shows the current names.

Plan types available next year, in plain English

The county's lineup includes three kinds of Medicare Advantage plans:

• HMO: you pick a primary care doctor and generally stay in network.
• HMO-POS (point of service): an HMO that lets you go out of network for certain services.
• PPO: more flexibility to see out-of-network providers, usually at a higher cost share.

Sixteen of the plans available next year are Special Needs Plans (SNPs). D-SNPs are for people with both Medicare and Medicaid; C-SNPs are for people with a qualifying chronic condition such as diabetes or a heart condition. If a SNP catches your eye, confirm you meet the eligibility rules before you enroll.

How to use open enrollment this fall

Open enrollment runs Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2026. A few things to keep in mind:

• Read your Annual Notice of Change. If your plan is continuing, your carrier mailed (or will mail) a notice listing every change for 2027 — premium, deductible, drug list, provider network and extra benefits.
• If your plan is on the "leaving" list, you'll need to pick a new one. Doing it during open enrollment keeps your coverage uninterrupted.
• The Medicare Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026), and the maximum Part D deductible is $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026). The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly amounts.
• CMS has not yet announced the 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, or the 2027 IRMAA income brackets. Those are typically published in the fall.
• Nothing happens if you do nothing — your current plan simply renews for 2027 if it is being offered, with the changes in its ANOC.

If you want to compare plans side by side, the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov is the official tool and shows your drugs, your pharmacies and your doctors against each plan's details.