Medicare Advantage

If your San Diego Medicare Advantage plan is ending in 2027, here is what to do

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 — If you open your mailbox this fall and find a letter from your Medicare Advantage plan saying it will not be offered in 2027, you are not alone. In San Diego County, 26 Medicare Advantage plans on sale in 2026 are not returning for 2027, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape files. The county will have 85 plans from 15 carriers for 2027.

This article walks through how to tell if your plan is one of them, what happens if you do nothing, and the special window you have to pick something else.

How to tell if your plan is leaving

San Diego is in San Diego County, where plan availability is set at the county level. If your Medicare Advantage plan is not returning for 2027, your insurer is required to send you a non-renewal letter (sometimes called a plan termination notice) in early October 2026. It will say the plan will end on December 31, 2026 and will explain your options.

Signs the envelope is the one that matters:

• It comes from your current Medicare Advantage carrier.
• It uses words like "will not be offered," "non-renewal," "discontinued," or "plan termination."
• It mentions a Special Enrollment Period and a return to Original Medicare on January 1, 2027.

If you get this letter, keep it. You may need the date on it when you enroll in a new plan.

The 26 plans not returning in San Diego County for 2027

The plans below were offered in San Diego County in 2026 but are not in CMS's 2027 Landscape file for the county. They are listed alphabetically by carrier. The table on this page shows every plan; the names here are the ones that will not be available next year.

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

If you do not see your plan here, it is expected to be offered again for 2027 — but it may still have changes. Those changes are spelled out in the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) your plan mails in September.

What happens if you do nothing

If your plan is on the list above and you take no action by December 31, 2026:

• You will be enrolled in Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) automatically on January 1, 2027.
• You will not have Medicare prescription drug coverage unless you add a stand-alone Part D plan.
• You will not have the extra benefits your Medicare Advantage plan included (such as dental, vision or hearing).
• You will not have a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy unless you apply for one.

Original Medicare pays most hospital and doctor costs, but it has no yearly out-of-pocket maximum. That is why most people pair it with either a Medigap policy and a Part D plan, or a new Medicare Advantage plan.

Your choices and the Special Enrollment Period

Because your plan is being discontinued, Medicare gives you a Special Enrollment Period that is wider than the regular Annual Enrollment Period. Here is how the dates line up:

• Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7, 2026. Open to everyone. A choice made here takes effect January 1, 2027.
• Special Enrollment Period for a non-renewed plan: December 8, 2026 through the end of February 2027. You can use it to enroll in a new Medicare Advantage plan or a stand-alone Part D drug plan.

You have three main paths:

1. Pick a new Medicare Advantage plan. San Diego County will have 85 plans from 15 carriers for 2027. Use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov to compare them with your doctors and medicines in mind. 2. Return to Original Medicare and add a Part D plan. You will want to enroll in Part D during this same window so you do not have a gap in drug coverage. 3. Return to Original Medicare, add Part D, and apply for a Medigap policy. When your Medicare Advantage plan ends through no fault of your own, federal law gives you a guaranteed-issue right to buy certain Medigap plans without medical underwriting. California has additional rules on Medigap — including a yearly "birthday rule" window — so check with the California Department of Insurance for the state-specific details.

A simple timeline for fall 2026

• September 2026: Watch for the ANOC from your current plan.
• Early October 2026: Non-renewal letters arrive for plans leaving in 2027.
• October 15 – December 7, 2026: Annual Enrollment Period; pick a new plan for January 1, 2027.
• January 1, 2027: New coverage starts. If you did nothing and your plan ended, you are in Original Medicare.
• December 8, 2026 – end of February 2027: Special Enrollment Period for members of non-renewed plans.

A few other 2027 numbers worth knowing as you compare drug coverage: the Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026), and the Part D maximum deductible is $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026). CMS will publish the 2027 Part B premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, later this fall.