Medicare Advantage

Stockton Medicare Advantage changes for 2027: plans leaving, plans arriving, and what to do

For 2027, Stockton is looking at 39 Medicare Advantage plans: 9 new, 14 gone since 2026, and 30 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 11 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in San Joaquin County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

Medicare AdvantageStockton, CA

STOCKTON, Calif. — If you have a Medicare Advantage plan in Stockton, this fall's mail is worth opening carefully. For the 2027 plan year, San Joaquin County will see 14 Medicare Advantage plans leave, 9 new plans arrive, and 11 plans keep the same idea but pick up a new name. One carrier — Central Health Medicare Plan — will not offer plans in the county next year at all.

That does not mean you have to panic. It does mean you should read the notice your plan sent you (called the Annual Notice of Change, or ANOC) and decide before the deadlines below whether to stay put or switch.

What's changing in San Joaquin County for 2027

Stockton is in San Joaquin County, and Medicare Advantage plan availability is set at the county level. According to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape files comparing 2026 to 2027, the county's lineup looks like this:

• 14 plans are leaving after 2026
• 9 plans are new for 2027
• 11 plans are renamed (same plan, different name on your card)
• 19 plans continue essentially as-is
• 19 plans are changing on premium, deductible, type or name — CMS marks a change, and your ANOC letter shows the specifics

The one carrier fully exiting the county is Central Health Medicare Plan. If you are enrolled in a Central Health plan today, you will need to choose a different plan for 2027.

Which plans are leaving after 2026

If you are in one of the plans below, it will not be available in San Joaquin County in 2027. The full list appears in the table on this page, and includes:

• Alignment Health Freedom (PPO), Alignment Health Honor+ Plan (HMO), and Alignment Health My Choice (PPO)
• Wellcare Health Net Dual Align (HMO D-SNP) and Wellcare Simple (HMO)
• Central Health Classic Care Plan III (HMO), Central Health Dual Access Plan (HMO D-SNP), Central Health Embrace Care Plan (HMO C-SNP), Central Health Embrace Choice Plan (HMO C-SNP), and Central Health Valor Care Plan (HMO)
• Anthem Kidney Care (PPO C-SNP), Anthem Medicare Advantage (HMO-POS), and Anthem Prime (HMO-POS)
• SCAN MyChoice (HMO)

A note on names: two of these — Wellcare Health Net Dual Align (HMO D-SNP) and Wellcare Simple (HMO), and also Anthem Kidney Care (PPO C-SNP) — appear on both the leaving list and the new-for-2027 list. That usually means the plan is being refiled with a new contract number rather than truly disappearing, but you should still confirm with the carrier and read your ANOC to see how it affects you.

Which plans are new for 2027

Nine plans are new to San Joaquin County for 2027. From Alignment Health Plan: Alignment Health Advantage 001 (PPO), Alignment Health Balance Plus 004 (PPO), Alignment Health Honor Plus 060 (HMO), and Alignment Health Platinum 059 (HMO). From Centene (WellCare): Wellcare Health Net Dual Align (HMO D-SNP) and Wellcare Simple (HMO). From Elevance Health (Anthem): Anthem Kidney Care (PPO C-SNP). From Imperial Health Plan of California: Imperial Flex (HMO C-SNP). From SCAN Health Plan: SCAN Costco Medicare Advantage (HMO).

Renamed plans — same plan, new label

Eleven plans in the county are renamed for 2027. Most of the renames are Alignment Health Plan products (for example, Alignment Health Balance is now Alignment Health Balance 006, and Alignment Health CalPlusDuals is now Alignment Health Duals+ 030). Aetna Medicare Value Plus (HMO-POS) becomes Aetna Medicare Value Plus (HMO), and Advantage D-SNP becomes HPSJ/MVHP Advantage D-SNP (HMO D-SNP). The full before-and-after list is in the table on this page.

A rename is not, by itself, a reason to switch. But it is a good reason to compare what your plan will look like in 2027 to what it looks like today.

What to do if your plan is leaving

If your Medicare Advantage plan is not being renewed for 2027, Medicare gives you extra time to make a choice.

• You have the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7) to pick any 2027 plan for a January 1 start.
• You also have a Special Enrollment Period that runs through the end of February 2027 because your plan is non-renewing. You can use it to join another Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare (Parts A and B) and add a stand-alone Part D drug plan.
• If you go back to Original Medicare, you may want to look at Medicare Supplement (Medigap) coverage. In California, Medigap has its own rules — call your carrier or the state's HICAP counselors before you assume you can switch easily.

If your plan is continuing but "changing," the ANOC your plan mailed in late September will show the specifics on premium, deductible, network and benefits. Read it side by side with the 2027 Summary of Benefits before you decide.

Key dates to circle

• October 15 – December 7, 2026: Annual Enrollment Period. Any Medicare beneficiary can switch plans; changes take effect January 1, 2027.
• January 1 – March 31, 2027: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one change during this window.
• Through the end of February 2027: Special Enrollment Period for members whose plans are not renewed.

A few 2026 program-level facts worth knowing as you compare drug coverage: the Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100, the maximum Part D deductible is $615, the coverage gap ("donut hole") has been eliminated since 2025, and the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year if you want to. IRMAA surcharges on Part B and Part D begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

How to compare your options

You don't have to do this alone.

• Use the Plan Finder at medicare.gov to see every 2027 plan in ZIP codes across Stockton and enter your prescriptions and pharmacies.
• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), open 24/7.
• Call California's free counseling program, HICAP (the state's SHIP), at 1-800-434-0222 for one-on-one help. It is not tied to any insurance company.