How to Compare Medicare Advantage Plans for 2027: A Southern California Checklist

By October, most people on Medicare in Southern California have a stack of plan mailers on the table and one question: “How do I actually compare these?”

The mailers lead with the monthly premium and the extras. Those matter, but a comparison should not start there. A low-premium plan is not a good fit if your cardiologist is not in it or your prescription moved to a higher tier. This is the checklist I use. Have three lists ready before you start.

Before you start: three lists

• Your doctors and hospital. Every doctor you see, the hospital you would choose, and, if you know it, the medical group your primary doctor belongs to.
• Your prescriptions. Name, dose, and how often you take each one, plus the pharmacy you use.
• Your current plan’s Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). If you are in a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan now, it arrived by the end of September.

Step 1: Read what is changing in the plan you already have

Your ANOC shows your 2026 and 2027 costs and benefits side by side. If nothing important changed and your doctors and drugs are still covered, keeping your plan is a perfectly good decision. See what to check in your 2027 Annual Notice of Change, or, if your plan is not being offered next year, what to do when a Medicare Advantage plan is discontinued.

Step 2: Check your doctors, your medical group, and your hospital

This step is easy to skip. In Southern California it matters most.

With most HMO plans in California, your primary doctor belongs to a medical group or IPA, and that group decides which specialists and hospitals you are referred to. Two people in the same plan can have different access because they are in different medical groups. For each plan, check three things:

1. Is my primary doctor in the plan’s 2027 directory?
2. Which medical group is my doctor listed under in this plan?
3. Does that medical group use the hospital and specialists I want?

Then call the doctor’s office and ask, “Which Medicare Advantage plans and medical groups are you accepting for 2027?” For the big local systems, see my guides for Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego.

Step 3: Run your prescriptions

Most Medicare Advantage plans include Part D drug coverage, and each plan has its own drug list (formulary). For each drug, check:

• Is it on the plan’s 2027 drug list, and on which tier?
• Does the plan require prior authorization, step therapy, or a quantity limit?
• Is your pharmacy a preferred pharmacy in this plan?
• Is there a drug deductible? In 2027 a plan can charge up to $700; many charge less or none.

One protection is the same in every plan: in 2027, once you have paid $2,400 out of pocket for covered Part D drugs, you pay $0 for covered drugs for the rest of the year.

Step 4: Compare the total yearly cost, not just the premium

Many plans in Southern California have a $0 monthly plan premium. You still pay your Part B premium, and you pay copays or coinsurance when you use care. Look at:

• The monthly plan premium, if any.
• Copays for the care you actually use: primary care, specialists, lab work, imaging, outpatient surgery, and a hospital stay.
• The in-network out-of-pocket limit: the most you would pay in a year for covered Part A and Part B services from network providers. For 2027, the highest limit a plan is allowed to set is $9,850; many plans set theirs lower. Prescription costs do not count toward it; they have their own $2,400 cap.

A low-premium plan with a high out-of-pocket limit can cost more in a year when you need a lot of care, so compare a normal year and a hard one. For Medicare-wide numbers, see what Medicare costs.

Step 5: Decide between HMO and PPO rules

• HMO: you generally must get your care from providers in the plan’s network, except for emergency care, urgent care, or out-of-area dialysis, and you usually need a referral to see a specialist.
• PPO: you may also go outside the plan’s network for covered services, but you may pay more, and you usually do not need a referral. Compare a PPO’s in-network and out-of-network costs separately.

If you spend part of the year outside California, weigh that here.

Step 6: Look at the extras you would really use

Dental, vision, hearing, fitness, and over-the-counter allowances vary a lot from plan to plan. For any extra that matters to you, read the limits: the yearly dollar maximum, which providers you must use, and what is covered beyond a cleaning or a basic exam. Choose extras last.

Step 7: Use star ratings as a tiebreaker

Medicare rates Medicare Advantage plans from 1 to 5 stars each year, and Plan Finder shows the rating next to each plan. The 2027 ratings were published on October 8, 2026. If two plans both fit your doctors, drugs, and budget, the rating is a reasonable way to choose between them. It is not a reason to pick a plan your doctor is not in.

A simple worksheet

Print this page and fill in one column per plan.

Where to look everything up

Medicare’s Plan Finder at Medicare.gov lists every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan offered in your ZIP code, and 2027 plans are in it now. Enter your ZIP code, add your prescriptions and pharmacies, and select plans to see them side by side. Each plan’s own website has its 2027 provider directory and drug list.

For context, CMS’s California fact sheet (September 28, 2026) lists 394 Medicare Advantage plans statewide for 2027, compared with 402 in 2026. Your own list depends on your county and will be much shorter. I have county guides for San Diego, Orange County, Riverside County, and Ventura County, plus a summary of what is changing for 2027 in California.

If you are thinking about leaving Medicare Advantage

Annual Enrollment also lets you return to Original Medicare and join a stand-alone Part D plan. Adding a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy is a separate step, and in California a Medigap insurer can generally ask health questions unless you qualify for a guaranteed-issue or trial right. Read switching from Medicare Advantage to Medigap in California and Medicare Advantage vs. Medicare Supplement first.

Dates to know

• October 15 – December 7, 2026: Annual Enrollment Period. Join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. New coverage starts January 1, 2027.
• January 1 – March 31, 2027: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can make one change.

More on timing in my Annual Enrollment guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most important thing to compare in a Medicare Advantage plan?

Start with your doctors, their medical group, and your hospital, then your prescriptions. A plan that does not include the care you already rely on is not a fit, whatever its premium. After that, compare total yearly cost, plan type, extras, and star rating.

Is a $0-premium Medicare Advantage plan free?

No. You still pay your Part B premium, and you pay copays or coinsurance when you use care, up to the plan’s yearly out-of-pocket limit. A $0 plan premium only means the plan itself does not add a monthly charge.

What is the out-of-pocket limit for Medicare Advantage plans in 2027?

The highest in-network limit a plan is allowed to set for 2027 is $9,850 for covered Part A and Part B services. Many plans set a lower limit, so check each plan’s own number. Prescription drug costs are separate and have their own $2,400 cap in 2027.

What if I choose a plan and it does not work out?

If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, January 1 to March 31, lets you make one change: move to another Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare and join a Part D plan.

Does it cost anything to have a broker compare plans with me?

No. Licensed independent brokers are paid by the insurance carriers, and your premium is the same whether you enroll through a broker or on your own. A broker can only show you the plans they represent, so you can also compare every plan yourself at Medicare.gov.

Sources & official references

• Medicare.gov: Plan Finder — 2027 plans by ZIP code
• Medicare.gov: Compare types of Medicare Advantage Plans — HMO and PPO network and referral rules
• Medicare.gov: Joining a plan — Annual Enrollment Period and Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period
• Medicare.gov: Costs for Medicare drug coverage — $2,400 cap and $700 deductible limit for 2027
• CMS 2027 Medicare Advantage out-of-pocket limits ($9,850 highest in-network limit), as summarized with its sources in 2027 Medicare changes in California
• CMS 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape, California fact sheet (September 28, 2026) — California plan counts
• CMS: Part C and D Performance Data — Medicare Advantage and Part D star ratings
• California HICAP — free, unbiased Medicare counseling, 1-800-434-0222 (California’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP))

Last reviewed: October 2026. Educational information only, not individualized advice. Plan networks, drug lists, and benefits change every year; confirm current details with the plan and at Medicare.gov.

We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 12 organizations which offer 442 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.

For free, unbiased counseling, California’s Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) is available at 1-800-434-0222.

Matt Medicares Insurance is an independent insurance brokerage and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or any government agency.