Medicare Advantage

Does San Diego Have a Stand-Alone Part D Plan for 2027?

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.

If you live in San Diego and are sorting through Medicare Advantage options for 2027, here is the full lineup — every plan, from every carrier, that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) shows as available in the county next year. San Diego is in San Diego County, where 15 carriers are offering 65 Medicare Advantage plans, and each one includes prescription drug coverage.

The table below lists every plan, its type (HMO, HMO-POS, or PPO) and whether it is a Special Needs Plan. Use it as your starting map — then match a plan to your doctors, medications and budget on the official Medicare Plan Finder.

What the 2027 San Diego lineup looks like

Across San Diego County, CMS lists 65 Medicare Advantage plans for the 2027 plan year. Every one of those plans includes Part D drug coverage — that is what CMS calls an "MA-PD." Fifteen carriers offer at least one MA-PD.

By plan type, the county's roster breaks down like this:

• HMO: 68 plans
• HMO-POS: 16 plans
• PPO: 9 plans

Thirty-three of the 93 plans are Special Needs Plans (SNPs). SNPs are limited to people who meet a specific condition — for example, having both Medicare and Medi-Cal (D-SNP), or living with a qualifying chronic condition like diabetes or heart disease (C-SNP). If you are not in one of those groups, an SNP is not the right fit even if it appears on the list.

Every carrier offering an MA plan in San Diego County

Here is the alphabetical list of carriers, with how many plans each is offering in the county for 2027. The table below the article shows each plan by name.

• Aetna (CVS Health): 7 plans
• Alignment Health Plan: 16 plans
• Astiva Health: 4 plans
• Blue Shield of California: 3 plans
• Centene (WellCare): 4 plans
• Central Health Medicare Plan: 5 plans
• Champion Heath Plan: 7 plans
• Clever Care Health Plan: 4 plans
• Community Health Group: 2 plans
• Elevance Health (Anthem): 4 plans
• Humana: 7 plans
• Imperial Health Plan of California, Inc.: 3 plans
• Kaiser Permanente: 3 plans
• Molina Healthcare of California: 2 plans
• SCAN Health Plan: 9 plans
• Sharp Health Plan: 4 plans
• UnitedHealthcare: 9 plans

Availability is set at the county level. That means a plan listed here is offered somewhere in San Diego County, but you should still confirm the plan serves your ZIP code and includes your doctors and hospitals.

Understanding the plan types on the list

The three plan types on the roster work differently, and the difference matters more than the brand name on the card.

HMO. You choose a primary care doctor and typically use the plan's network for all non-emergency care. Referrals are often required to see a specialist. Care outside the network is usually not covered except for emergencies.

HMO-POS. Similar to an HMO, but the "point of service" option lets you get some services out of network, usually at a higher cost.

PPO. You can see providers in or out of network, though you pay less when you stay in network. No referral is generally required.

Special Needs Plans are a subset that layer extra rules and benefits tailored to a specific group. San Diego County's SNPs on the roster include D-SNPs (dual-eligible) and C-SNPs (chronic condition), some of them focused on conditions like diabetes and heart disease. Kaiser Permanente Dual Complete South P1, Blue Shield TotalDual Plan, CommuniCare Advantage and Molina Medicare Complete Care Plus are examples of D-SNPs on the county's 2027 list.

What about stand-alone Part D?

The dataset used here shows no stand-alone Part D drug plans for the area — but all 93 Medicare Advantage plans in the county include drug coverage. If you want Original Medicare plus a stand-alone Part D plan instead of a Medicare Advantage plan, use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov to see current Part D options for your ZIP code, since Part D availability is set separately.

A few Part D rules to keep in mind for 2027, no matter which plan you land on:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 ($2,400 in 2027).
• The maximum Part D deductible a plan can charge is $615 in 2026 ($700 in 2027).
• The old "donut hole" coverage gap has been eliminated since 2025 — Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs over the calendar year in monthly installments, at no extra charge, if you opt in.

Key dates as you compare plans

• Oct. 15 – Dec. 7: Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. You can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for coverage starting Jan. 1.
• Jan. 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance to switch to another MA plan or return to Original Medicare (with a Part D plan).
• IRMAA: In 2026, income-related Part B and Part D surcharges begin above $109,000 for a single filer.