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Original Medicare vs a plan · Los Angeles County, CA · 2027 plan year

Original Medicare vs AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC CA-003P (HMO-POS)

Medicare.gov compares Medicare Advantage plans with each other. This page also shows Original Medicare, so you can see the full trade-off: premiums, copays, the yearly limit, extra benefits, and the rules about doctors and approvals.

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AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC CA-003P (HMO-POS)

Plan premium
$0 a month
Yearly limit, in network
$800
2027 star rating
3 of 5
Prior authorization needed for
24 services

In most states, including California, you cannot count on getting Medigap later

You can buy any Medigap plan with no health questions in the 6 months that start when you are 65 or older and have Part B. After that, a Medigap company in California can ask about your health. It can say no, or it can charge you more. So if you join a Medicare Advantage plan now, you may not be able to get Medigap later. California has a birthday rule, but it only lets people who already have Medigap switch to another Medigap plan. It does not help you get Medigap after you leave Medicare Advantage.

One exception is the trial right. If you joined Medicare Advantage when you first got Medicare at 65, or you left a Medigap plan to try Medicare Advantage for the first time, you can switch back within 12 months. Then you can buy a Medigap plan with no health questions.

Read about Medigap rights on Medicare.gov

Your yearly cost, side by side

Move the controls to match your year. Totals include premiums, the Part B premium, copays, and drug costs.

How much care do you expect?

Ongoing specialist care

Medigap plan with Original Medicare

Plan G pays almost everything after the $292 yearly Part B deductible.

Want to check your exact drugs? Medicare.gov lets you enter each drug and shows what each plan charges for it. Enter your drugs on Medicare.gov

Medicare.gov lists $191 to $376 a month for a 65-year-old woman who does not use tobacco. We start at the lowest price. Health questions can raise the price after your first 6 months with Part B.

Original Medicare

With Medigap Plan G at $191 a month and Wellcare Value Script (PDP)

$7,337 a year

Premiums
$4,870
Medical costs
$292
Drugs
$2,175

Most you can pay in a bad year, before drugs: $5,162.

AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC CA-003P (HMO-POS)

HMO-POS from UnitedHealthcare

$4,460 a year

Premiums
$2,394
Medical costs
$210
Drugs
$1,856

Most you can pay in a bad year, before drugs: $3,194.

With these settings, AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC CA-003P (HMO-POS) costs about $2,877 less a year than Original Medicare.

Tipping point for AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC CA-003P (HMO-POS): with this drug use, the plan costs less than Original Medicare with Plan G at every level of medical care.

These are estimates, not quotes. Check every number with Medicare (Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE) and with the plan before you choose. What you pay depends on your doctors and hospitals, your drugs and pharmacy, and the care you use. Drug costs use typical prices for generic and brand-name drugs. Original Medicare amounts are 2027 projections from the 2026 Medicare Trustees Report. CMS sets the final amounts in November.

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What you pay each time you get care

In-network costs for one visit or one stay. The Original Medicare amounts follow your Medigap choice above: Plan G.

Primary doctor visit

  • Original Medicare + Medigap Plan G

    $0

    after the $292 yearly Part B deductible

  • AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC CA-003P (HMO-POS)

    $0

Specialist visit

  • Original Medicare + Medigap Plan G

    $0

    after the $292 yearly Part B deductible

  • AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC CA-003P (HMO-POS)

    $0

    Prior authorization

Lab tests

  • Original Medicare + Medigap Plan G

    $0

    most Medicare-covered tests

  • AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC CA-003P (HMO-POS)

    $0

    Prior authorization

MRI or CT scan

  • Original Medicare + Medigap Plan G

    $0

    after the $292 yearly Part B deductible

  • AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC CA-003P (HMO-POS)

    $0

    Prior authorization

Emergency room

  • Original Medicare + Medigap Plan G

    $0

    after the $292 yearly Part B deductible

  • AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC CA-003P (HMO-POS)

    $150

Urgent care

  • Original Medicare + Medigap Plan G

    $0

    after the $292 yearly Part B deductible

  • AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC CA-003P (HMO-POS)

    $0-$65

Outpatient surgery

  • Original Medicare + Medigap Plan G

    $0

    after the $292 yearly Part B deductible

  • AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC CA-003P (HMO-POS)

    $0

    Prior authorization

Ground ambulance

  • Original Medicare + Medigap Plan G

    $0

    after the $292 yearly Part B deductible

  • AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC CA-003P (HMO-POS)

    $200

    Prior authorization

Hospital stay, 5 days

  • Original Medicare + Medigap Plan G

    $0

    Plan G pays the $1,788 Part A deductible

  • AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC CA-003P (HMO-POS)

    $0

    for a 5-day stay

    Prior authorization
See every cost in one table
What you pay in networkOriginal Medicare + Medigap Plan GAARP Medicare Advantage from UHC CA-003P (HMO-POS)
Monthly premiumPart B $209.50 + Medigap Plan G $191 + drug plan $5.30$0 (pays back $10 a month of your Part B premium) + Part B $209.50
Yearly limit on what you payYou pay the $292 Part B deductible. Plan G pays the rest.$800 in network
Medical deductible$292 Part B. Plan G pays the $1,788 Part A deductible.$0
Primary doctor visit$0, after the $292 yearly Part B deductible$0 copay
Specialist visit$0, after the $292 yearly Part B deductible$0 copayPrior authorization
Lab tests$0, most Medicare-covered tests$0 copayPrior authorization
MRI or CT scan$0, after the $292 yearly Part B deductible$0 copayPrior authorization
X-rays$0, after the $292 yearly Part B deductible$0 copayPrior authorization
Emergency room$0, after the $292 yearly Part B deductible$150 copay
Urgent care$0, after the $292 yearly Part B deductible$0-$65 copay
Outpatient hospital$0, after the $292 yearly Part B deductible$0 copayPrior authorization
Surgery center$0, after the $292 yearly Part B deductible$0 copayPrior authorization
Ground ambulance$0, after the $292 yearly Part B deductible$200 copayPrior authorization
Hospital stay$0, Plan G pays the $1,788 Part A deductible$0 per stayPrior authorization
Skilled nursing facility$0, Plan G pays days 21-100$0 per day for days 1-20; $221 per day for days 21-100Prior authorization
Mental health visit$0, after the $292 yearly Part B deductible$0-$25 copayPrior authorization
Physical therapy$0, after the $292 yearly Part B deductible$0 copayPrior authorization
Home health care$0, Medicare-covered home health$0 copayPrior authorization
Medical equipment$0, after the $292 yearly Part B deductible20% coinsurancePrior authorization
Part B drugs$0 after the $292 Part B deductible0%-20% coinsurancePrior authorization
Drug deductible (Part D)$700 with Wellcare Value Script (PDP)$595
Drug tiers (one month, retail)Generic: $0 copayPreferred Brand: 25% coinsuranceNon-Preferred Drug: 40% coinsuranceInjectable Drugs: 15% coinsuranceSpecialty Tier: 25% coinsuranceSelect Care Drugs: $11 copayPreferred Generic: $0 copayGeneric: $0 copayPreferred Brand: 21% coinsuranceNon-Preferred Drug: 27% coinsuranceSpecialty Tier: 27% coinsurance

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A higher drug plan premium is not, by itself, a reason to switch

With Original Medicare, you buy a separate drug plan. In California, 10 drug plans are for sale for 2027, from $5.30 to $252.60 a month. Half of them cost $150.55 a month or less.

  • Every 2027 drug plan limits what you pay for covered drugs to $2,400 a year. The drug coverage in Medicare Advantage plans has the same limit.
  • The premium is one part of your yearly cost. The calculator above adds premiums, medical costs, and drug costs, so you can see the whole year.
  • A Medicare Advantage plan can cost less in a light year. But you also take on its network and prior authorization rules, and you may not be able to get Medigap later.
  • If your income is limited, Extra Help can pay most of your drug plan premium and drug costs. Check Extra Help at SSA.gov

Doctors, referrals, and prior authorization

Cost is one side. The other side is how you get care. These rules come from the CMS plan files. Prior authorization means the plan must approve a service before you get it.

Original Medicare

  • Any doctor or hospital in the U.S. that takes Medicare
  • No referrals
  • Prior authorization only for a short list of services

AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC CA-003P (HMO-POS)

HMO-POS

  • You use the plan network. Some care outside the network is covered at a higher cost.
  • You need a referral to see a specialist.

Prior authorization for 24 services

Specialist visits, Diagnostic tests, MRI or CT, Radiation therapy, Outpatient hospital, Observation stay, Surgery center, Ambulance, Mental health visits, Psychiatrist visits, Physical therapy, Occupational therapy, Home health, Partial hospitalization, Cardiac rehab, Pulmonary rehab, Medical equipment, Prosthetics, Diabetic supplies, Dialysis, Substance use care, Hospital stay, Skilled nursing, Part B drugs

Extra benefits

Extra benefitOriginal MedicareAARP Medicare Advantage from UHC CA-003P (HMO-POS)
DentalNoComprehensive, up to $1,000 a year
Eye examNoYes
Glasses or contactsNoYes, $200 allowance
Hearing aidsNoYes, up to $1,000
Over-the-counter allowanceNo$100 a year
Fitness benefitNoYes
Rides to careNoYes
Meals after a hospital stayNoYes
Emergency care abroadPlan G and Plan N pay 80% after a $250 deductibleNo
Part B premium givebackNo$10 a month

What changed for 2027

AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC CA-003P (HMO-POS)

Renewal Plan · 2026 plan H0543-151-0

  • Drug deductible up from $355 to $595
  • Part B giveback up from $0 to $10
  • Urgent care: $0-$20 copay to $0-$65 copay
  • Skilled nursing facility: $0 per day for days 1-20; $218 per day for days 21-100 to $0 per day for days 1-20; $221 per day for days 21-100
  • Yearly OTC allowance down from $140 to $100
  • Worldwide emergency coverage removed
  • Overall star rating down from 4 to 3

More 2027 plans in Los Angeles County

County guide: 2027 plans in Los Angeles CountyState guide: California

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Sources and method

Plan data comes from the CMS 2027 Plan Benefit Package and landscape files. The data is from 2026-10-10. We checked a sample of plans field by field against Medicare.gov. Original Medicare amounts are the 2027 projections in the 2026 Medicare Trustees Report (Tables V.E1 and V.E2). CMS sets the final amounts in November. Medigap prices are the range Medicare.gov showed for ZIP 90012 on 2026-10-09. Totals use typical Medicare-allowed amounts for each service and typical drug prices.

These are estimates, not quotes, and they are for education only. Check every number with Medicare and with the plan before you choose. What you pay depends on your doctors and hospitals, your drugs and pharmacy, and the care you use. Plans can change their benefits, premiums, drug lists, and networks each year.

Pinnie is not an insurance agent or broker and does not sell Medicare plans. Pinnie is not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program. For all your options, visit Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY 1-877-486-2048.

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