Best Medicare Advantage Plans in California 2025

By Kate Ashford, CSA®, edited by Holly Carey

Aetna, Alignment Health Plan, Kaiser Permanente, and SCAN Health Plan all get top marks in California.

More than 6.8 million people in California are signed up for Medicare, making it the largest U.S. state for Medicare beneficiaries. 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.

Top-rated Medicare Advantage plans in California

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 2025 plan year.

4.5-star plans

There are no 5-star rated plans available in California for 2025. The companies below offer plans in California that are rated 4.5 stars out of 5 by CMS:

• Aetna • Alignment Health Plan • Kaiser Permanente

• SCAN Health Plan

  4-star plans

  The companies below offer plans in California that are rated 4 stars out of 5 by CMS:

• Alignment Health Plan • Astiva Health

• Providence Medicare Advantage Plans

• Sharp Health Plan

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.

What to know about Medicare Advantage in California

Nearly one in six people in California are 65 and older, and there are a wide variety of Medicare Advantage plans in the state.

• The average monthly premium in 2025 for a Medicare Advantage plan in California is $12.48. (This is down from $16.25 in 2024).

• There are 465 Medicare Advantage plans available in California in 2025. (This is up from 421 plans in 2024).

• All Medicare-eligible people in California have access to a $0-premium Medicare Advantage plan.

Nearly one in six people in California are 65 and older.

Third-party ratings

In its 2024 U.S. Medicare Advantage Study—its 10th iteration—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 includes 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)

Medicare resources in California

• 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 find resources, choose health care, and with aging in place.

• California Senior Gateway: Provides information and resources on topics like health care, preventing fraud, and reporting abuse.

Find the right Medicare Advantage plan

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).

Kate Ashford is a writer and spokesperson for NerdWallet. 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.