Sharp Health Plan sells the highest-rated Medicare Advantage plans in California. See how all providers stack up.
Sep 8, 2024 Written by Kate Ashford, CSA® Lead Writer Kate Ashford, CSA®
Lead Writer | Medicare, retirement, personal finance
Kate Ashford is a writer and NerdWallet authority on Medicare. She is a certified senior advisor (CSA)® and has more than 20 years of experience writing about personal finance. Previously, she was a freelance writer for both consumer and business publications, and her work has been published by the BBC, Forbes, Money, AARP, LearnVest and Parents, among others. She has a degree from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism. Kate has appeared as a Medicare expert on the PennyWise podcast by Lee Enterprises, and she's been quoted in national publications including Healthline, Real Simple and SingleCare. She is based in New York.
Assigning Editor Holly Carey
Assigning Editor | Medicare
Holly Carey joined NerdWallet in 2021 as an editor on the team responsible for expanding content to additional topics within personal finance. She currently leads the Medicare team. Previously, Holly wrote and edited content and developed digital media strategies as a public affairs officer for the U.S. Navy. She is based in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
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Nearly 6.7 million people in California are signed up for Medicare, making it the largest U.S. state for Medicare beneficiaries [0]
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services . Fact Sheet. Accessed Sep 6, 2024. . There are more than 450 Medicare Advantage plans available in California.Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people age 65 and older. Medicare Advantage is a bundled alternative to Medicare sold by private insurance companies. It offers all the same benefits and usually some extras, such as cost help with dental and vision coverage.
Medicare Advantage plans offer more benefits than Original Medicare, and they're often cheaper than paying for Medicare and a Medicare Supplement plan . However, they offer less flexibility since you’ll need to get care from within the plan’s network of providers. Weigh your options to determine what plan best suits your needs.
45+ Medicare companies and brands analyzed by our team of experts.
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NerdWallet’s Medicare content, including articles, reviews and recommendations, is produced by a team of writers and editors who specialize in Medicare. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, Washington Post, Nasdaq, MSN, MarketWatch, Yahoo! Finance and other national and regional media outlets. They have been cited in publications including Healthline, and appeared on NerdWallet's "Smart Money" podcast.
Each year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awards every Medicare Advantage plan a star rating on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being a top-rated plan. Below are companies with plans that received top marks in California for the 2024 plan year [0]
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services . CY2024_Landscape_Files_Final_20240710 (ZIP). Accessed Sep 6, 2024.
. (Check out more information about Medicare star ratings .)There are no 5-star rated plans available in California for 2024. The company below offers plans in California that are rated 4.5 stars out of 5 by CMS:
Sharp Health Plan.The companies below offer plans in California that are rated 4 stars out of 5 by CMS:
This list doesn’t include special needs plans, which restrict membership to people with certain diseases or characteristics, such as having a chronic illness or living in a nursing home.
See all Medicare Advantage providers in California. Aetna Medicare. Alignment Health Plan. Aspire Health. Astiva Health. CCA Health California. Central Health Medicare Plan. Chinese Community Health Plan. Clever Care Health Plan. Imperial Health Plan of California. Kaiser Permanente. Providence Medicare Advantage Plans. SCAN Health Plan. Sharp Health Plan. Western Health Advantage.“Although there are no companies that offer 5-star Medicare Advantage plans in California in 2024, you can find 4.5-star plans from Sharp Health Plan and 4-star plans from Aetna, Alignment Health Plan, Humana, Kaiser Permanente and SCAN Health Plan.
“That said, not every plan from these companies gets high ratings, and even a plan with a high rating may not be the right fit for you. Compare your options and keep your doctors and prescriptions in mind.”
— Kate Ashford , lead writer covering Medicare
Nearly 1 in 6 people in California are 65 and older, and there are a wide variety of Medicare Advantage plans in the state [0]
U.S. Census Bureau . QuickFacts, California. Accessed Sep 6, 2024.The average monthly premium in 2024 for a Medicare Advantage plan in California is $16.24. (This is down from $16.64 in 2023.)
There are 465 Medicare Advantage plans available in California in 2024. (This is down from 492 plans in 2023.)
All Medicare-eligible people in California have access to a $0-premium Medicare Advantage plan.In its 2024 U.S. Medicare Advantage Study — the 10th it's done so far — J.D. Power measured member satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans based on eight factors ranging from level of trust to how well a provider resolves problems or complaints. The study was fielded in the 10 biggest Medicare markets, which include California.
In California, these Medicare Advantage providers scored above the regional average (643 points) on measures of member satisfaction (based on a 1,000-point scale):
Kaiser Permanente (666 points). Alignment Health Plan (665 points). SCAN Health Plan (652 points).California Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) : Offers assistance with understanding Medicare plans, comparing coverage, and filing appeals and challenging denials.
Department of Managed Health Care : A list of agencies that can help California residents with finding resources, choosing health care and aging in place.
California Senior Gateway : Provides information and resources on topics like health care, preventing fraud and reporting abuse.
It’s important to do your research before selecting a Medicare Advantage plan for yourself . Here are some questions to consider asking:
What are the plan’s costs? Do you understand what the plan’s premium, deductibles, copays and/or coinsurance will be? Can you afford them?
Is your doctor in-network? If you have a preferred medical provider or providers, make sure they participate in the plan’s network.
Are your prescriptions covered? If you’re on medication, it’s crucial to understand how the plan covers it. What tier are your prescription drugs on, and are there any coverage rules that apply to them?
Is there dental coverage? Does the plan offer routine coverage for vision, dental and hearing needs?Are there extras? Does the plan offer any extra benefits, such as fitness memberships, transportation benefits or meal delivery?
If you have additional questions about Medicare, visit Medicare.gov or call 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227, TTY 877-486-2048).
Looking for additional insurance in California? Check out these resources:
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Kate Ashford is a certified senior advisor (CSA)® and personal finance writer at NerdWallet specializing in Medicare and retirement topics. See full bio.
The Medicare Advantage marketplace is concentrated among just a handful of companies; in many places, one insurer serves more than half of the market. NerdWallet reviewed 26 Medicare Advantage brands, with some insurers having more than one brand under their umbrella. (For example, Blue Cross Blue Shield includes the brands Anthem and Highmark.) At the national level, these reviews include nine of the 10 largest brands by enrollment. At the state level, our research includes at least one major insurer in 47 of the 49 states that offer Medicare Advantage plans, and includes the top two insurers in 35 of those states. (Alaska doesn't offer Medicare Advantage plans.) We also look at online search volume to identify regional and other notable players in the space.
NerdWallet’s Medicare Advantage reviews are based on ratings data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, as well as pricing, plan availability by state, plan types available, consumer experience, extra benefits offered and more. These reviews are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several plans to find the best coverage and rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines for additional information.
This roundup includes only insurers that sell Medicare Advantage in California.
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