Medicare Advantage

Before you pick a San Bernardino MA plan, read this

People in San Bernardino can choose from 95 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 98 this year. 17 of this year’s plans are gone, 14 are new to San Bernardino County, and 52 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 20 of them under a new name.

Medicare AdvantageSan Bernardino, CA

San Bernardino sits inside one of the larger Medicare Advantage markets in California, and if you are shopping for a 2027 plan, the first question is not really "which plan?" — it is "which kind of plan?" HMO, HMO-POS, PPO and Special Needs Plans all show up on the same Plan Finder page, but they work very differently once you actually use them.

Here is how the choices are laid out in San Bernardino County, and what each plan type means before you start comparing names.

What "Medicare Advantage" actually means here

Medicare Advantage (Part C) is private insurance that replaces the way Original Medicare pays your claims. You still have Medicare, but the plan handles your Part A and Part B benefits and — in almost every case locally — your Part D drug coverage too. In San Bernardino County, 75 MA plans are available for 2027.

The trade-off is straightforward: MA plans usually bundle extras Original Medicare does not cover, but they run on networks and rules the plan sets. That is where the plan type starts to matter.

HMO: the most common shape in San Bernardino

An HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) asks you to pick a primary care doctor and generally stay inside the plan's network. Out-of-network care is usually not covered except in an emergency, and specialists often need a referral from your primary doctor.

That structure is by far the most common in the county — 69 of the 98 plans are HMOs. If you already see doctors who belong to a large local medical group, an HMO can feel seamless. If you travel often or split time between states, it can feel restrictive.

HMO-POS: an HMO with a side door

HMO-POS stands for "Health Maintenance Organization – Point of Service." It works like an HMO most of the time, but adds a limited ability to see some providers outside the network, usually at a higher cost share. Check the 2027 lineup for the current HMO-POS options in San Bernardino County.

Think of it as an HMO with a little more give — useful if you occasionally need a specialist your network does not include, but not the same as true nationwide freedom.

PPO: fewer options locally, more flexibility

A PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) lets you use out-of-network doctors without a referral, though you generally pay more for going outside the plan's preferred list. PPOs are the minority in this market: only 4 of the 98 plans in the county are PPOs, all from Humana.

If out-of-area flexibility matters to you — say, you spend part of the year elsewhere — a PPO is worth a closer look. Just check whether the doctors you actually use are in-network or out.

PFFS: not offered here

Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans let you see any Medicare provider who agrees to the plan's payment terms. They exist in some parts of the country, but no PFFS plans are offered in San Bernardino County for 2027. That is worth mentioning only because you may read national articles that describe them; locally, this is not one of your choices.

Special Needs Plans: 40 of the 98 plans in the county

Special Needs Plans (SNPs) are Medicare Advantage plans limited to people who fit a specific profile. There are three kinds:

• D-SNP (Dual Eligible): for people who have both Medicare and full or partial Medicaid.
• C-SNP (Chronic Condition): for people diagnosed with a specific chronic condition — diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disorders and end-stage renal disease are common examples.
• I-SNP (Institutional): for people who live in a nursing home or need that level of care at home.

In San Bernardino County, 40 of the 98 plans are SNPs. You must meet the eligibility rules to enroll, and if your situation changes (for example, you lose Medicaid), the plan may end. If you qualify for one, they are worth understanding because they often coordinate benefits across programs in ways a general MA plan cannot.

Which carriers offer plans in the county

Sixteen carriers offer MA-PD plans in the county, and the plan roster shows 18 carrier entries once you count each corporate name separately. In alphabetical order, they are: Aetna (CVS Health), Alignment Health Plan, Astiva Health, Blue Shield of California, Centene (WellCare), Central Health Medicare Plan, Champion Heath Plan, Clever Care Health Plan, Elevance Health (Anthem), Elite Health Plan, Humana, IEHP DualChoice, Imperial Health Plan of California, Kaiser Permanente, Molina Healthcare of California, SCAN Health Plan, UnitedHealthcare and VillageHealth.

The number of plans each one offers varies — Alignment Health Plan lists 15, SCAN Health Plan lists 11, Elevance Health (Anthem) lists 10 — but a bigger lineup is not the same as a better fit. The table below shows every plan by carrier so you can see what each one actually offers.

A few things to check before you pick a type

• Your doctors and hospitals. Every MA plan has its own network. Confirm each provider you want to keep is in-network for the specific plan you are considering, not just the carrier in general.
• Your prescriptions. Every plan has its own formulary. The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027, and the maximum deductible is $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027. The old "donut hole" is gone. But which drugs are covered, and at what tier, still varies plan by plan.
• How you like to get care. If you want referrals coordinated for you, an HMO may feel natural. If you want to self-refer or travel, look at HMO-POS or PPO.
• Whether you qualify for an SNP. If you have Medicaid or a qualifying chronic condition, a Special Needs Plan may be a better match than a general MA plan.