Medicare Advantage

Before you renew: read your San Diego ANOC first

People in San Diego can choose from 85 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 93 this year. 26 of this year’s plans are gone, 18 are new to San Diego County, and 48 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 20 of them under a new name.

San Diego, Calif. — Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period runs Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, and this year the mail from your plan matters more than usual. In San Diego County, the 2027 Medicare Advantage lineup looks different from 2026: 26 plans are leaving, 18 are new, about 20 are being renamed, and another 28 continuing plans will change on price, deductible, plan type or name. Two carriers — Central Health Medicare Plan and Sharp Health Plan — will not offer Medicare Advantage plans in the county next year.

If you live in San Diego and have a Medicare Advantage plan, this article walks through what is changing, how to tell if your plan is affected, and the deadlines that apply to you.

What is changing in San Diego County for 2027

San Diego is in San Diego County, where Medicare Advantage plan availability is set. Comparing the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape files for 2026 and 2027 shows a noticeable reshuffle:

• 26 plans are leaving after 2026
• 18 plans are new for 2027
• About 20 plans are being renamed
• 28 continuing plans have a change to premium, deductible, plan type or name
• 47 plans continue with no name change

The table below lists every plan available in the county, with the type of plan and whether it includes drug coverage.

Two carriers are exiting the county

Two insurers that sold Medicare Advantage in San Diego County in 2026 will not offer plans here in 2027:

• Central Health Medicare Plan
• Sharp Health Plan

If you are enrolled with either of these carriers, your current plan will not renew. You will get a non-renewal notice by late September or early October. That notice is important — hold on to it, because it is what triggers a Special Enrollment Period (see below).

Plans leaving after 2026

The following plans, listed in alphabetical order by carrier, will not be offered in San Diego County in 2027:

• Aetna Medicare Eagle (PPO), Aetna Medicare Enhanced (PPO), Aetna Medicare Signature (HMO), Aetna Medicare Signature (PPO), Aetna Medicare Signature Extra (HMO) — Aetna (CVS Health)
• Alignment Health Advantage PPO, Alignment Health Freedom (PPO), Alignment Health Honor+ Plan (HMO), Alignment Health the ONE (HMO) — Alignment Health Plan
• Astiva Health Premier Plan (HMO) — Astiva Health
• Central Health Classic Care Plan I (HMO), Central Health Embrace Care Plan (HMO C-SNP), Central Health Embrace Choice Plan (HMO C-SNP), Central Health Part B Savings Plan (HMO), Central Health Valor Care Plan (HMO) — Central Health Medicare Plan
• Champion Select (HMO-POS C-SNP) — Champion Heath Plan
• Anthem Kidney Care (PPO C-SNP) — Elevance Health (Anthem)
• Humana Gold Plus H5619-148 (HMO), HumanaChoice H5525-077 (PPO) — Humana
• Molina Medicare Choice Care (HMO) — Molina Healthcare of California
• SCAN Affirm partnered with Included LGBTQ+ Health (HMO), SCAN MyChoice (HMO) — SCAN Health Plan
• Sharp Direct Advantage Gold (HMO), Sharp Direct Advantage Platinum (HMO), Sharp Direct Advantage VIP (HMO), Sharp Direct Advantage VIP Plus (HMO) — Sharp Health Plan

If your plan is on this list, you will not automatically be moved to a specific replacement plan. You need to choose one, or you will return to Original Medicare on Jan. 1, 2027.

Plans new for 2027

Eighteen new Medicare Advantage plans are coming to San Diego County next year:

• Aetna Medicare Chronic Care (HMO C-SNP), Aetna Medicare Eagle (HMO) — Aetna (CVS Health)
• Alignment Health Advantage 005 (PPO), Alignment Health Balance Plus 004 (PPO), Alignment Health Honor Plus 060 (HMO) — Alignment Health Plan
• Astiva Health C-SNP Bloom (HMO C-SNP), Astiva Health C-SNP Fountain (HMO C-SNP) — Astiva Health
• Blue Shield Advantage (HMO), Blue Shield Value Advantage Plan (HMO) — Blue Shield of California
• Champion Compass (HMO C-SNP), Champion Home (HMO C-SNP), Champion Secure (HMO C-SNP) — Champion Heath Plan
• Clever Care Breathe Select+ (HMO C-SNP), Clever Care Total Choice+ (HMO C-SNP) — Clever Care Health Plan
• Anthem Kidney Care (PPO C-SNP) — Elevance Health (Anthem)
• Humana Gold Plus H3767-001 (HMO) — Humana
• Imperial Flex (HMO C-SNP) — Imperial Health Plan of California, Inc.
• SCAN Costco Medicare Advantage (HMO) — SCAN Health Plan

Several of these are Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans (C-SNPs), which are only for people with a qualifying chronic condition.

Renamed plans — same plan, new label

About 20 plans in San Diego County are being renamed for 2027. A rename can be confusing because your ID card, mail and pharmacy record will use different wording, but the plan itself is treated by CMS as a continuation. Renamed examples include Aetna Medicare Signature Legacy (HMO), which was Aetna Medicare Signature (HMO); Blue Shield Medicare + Medi-Cal Plan (HMO D-SNP), previously Blue Shield TotalDual Plan; Wellcare Health Net Dual Liberty (HMO D-SNP), previously Wellcare Dual Liberty; and several Alignment Health plans that are getting new number-based names. UHC Sharp Complete Care CA-15P and UHC Sharp Medicare Advantage CA-026P are also new names for continuing UnitedHealthcare plans.

If your plan was renamed, your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) will tell you the old and new names. Rename or not, still read the ANOC — some of these plans are also on the list of 28 with other changes.

What to do if your plan is leaving

First, breathe. Nothing changes on your coverage until Jan. 1, 2027. Then:

1. Read your ANOC and any non-renewal notice. These are the official documents that describe what is happening to your plan. 2. Make a short list of what matters to you — your doctors, your hospital, your prescriptions, and whether you need dental, vision or hearing coverage. 3. Compare plans at medicare.gov/plan-compare. You can enter your drugs and preferred pharmacies to see which plans work for you. 4. Enroll before the deadline that applies to you (see the next section). 5. Consider your alternatives. You may also switch to Original Medicare and, if eligible, add a stand-alone Part D drug plan and look into a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy.

Deadlines and the Special Enrollment Period

Two enrollment windows matter here:

• Annual Enrollment Period (AEP): Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026. Anyone with Medicare can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage plan for coverage starting Jan. 1, 2027.
• **Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period: Jan. 1 – March 31, 2027