Medicare Advantage

Before you pick a Montgomery Medicare Advantage plan: how HMOs, PPOs and SNPs differ

Montgomery County has 67 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 4 plans are not coming back, 15 are new, and 17 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 6 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Montgomery, not which plan to pick.

Medicare AdvantageMontgomery, AL

Montgomery, Ala. — If you are shopping for a Medicare Advantage plan here, the first choice is not really the insurer. It is the plan type. HMO, HMO-POS, PPO and Special Needs Plans all count as Medicare Advantage, but they work differently once you use them. Montgomery is in Montgomery County, where the 2027 Medicare Advantage lineup includes 67 plans from 8 carriers, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source File. Knowing what each plan type does — and which carriers offer which — makes the rest of the search a lot easier.

What the Montgomery-area lineup looks like

For plan year 2027, Montgomery County residents can choose from 67 Medicare Advantage plans offered by eight carriers. Check the current county file for the breakdown by HMO, HMO-POS and PPO, and for how many are Special Needs Plans. Drug coverage is generally bundled into the Advantage plans available here rather than offered as a stand-alone Part D plan.

The eight carriers, listed alphabetically, are Aetna (CVS Health), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC), Devoted Health, Humana, Simpra Advantage, UnitedHealthcare and VIVA Medicare. The table below lists every plan by carrier and type.

HMO vs. HMO-POS vs. PPO — the practical difference

An HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) generally asks you to use doctors and hospitals inside the plan's network, and often to pick a primary care doctor who coordinates referrals. Out-of-network care is usually not covered except for emergencies.

An HMO-POS (Point of Service) plan is an HMO with a small door left open — it lets you get certain services out of network, usually at a higher cost share. UnitedHealthcare's AARP-branded plans in Montgomery County are structured this way.

A PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) gives you more freedom to see out-of-network providers without a referral, though you generally pay more when you do. In Montgomery County, PPO options come from carriers including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, Devoted Health, Humana and Simpra Advantage.

You may also see PFFS (Private Fee-for-Service) plans discussed in Medicare literature. PFFS plans set their own payment terms with providers, and any provider who accepts the plan's terms can treat you. No PFFS plans appear on the Montgomery County list for 2027.

Special Needs Plans: who they are for

Special Needs Plans (SNPs) are Medicare Advantage plans limited to people who meet specific eligibility rules. Twenty-six of the 62 plans available in Montgomery County are SNPs. They come in three flavors:

• D-SNP (Dual Eligible) — for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. Carriers offering D-SNPs locally include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC) under the HealthSpring name, Devoted Health, Humana, Simpra Advantage, UnitedHealthcare and VIVA Medicare.
• C-SNP (Chronic Condition) — for people with a qualifying chronic illness such as diabetes or heart failure. Devoted Health and UnitedHealthcare list C-SNPs in the county.
• I-SNP (Institutional) — for people who live in a nursing home or need a similar level of care. Simpra Advantage and UnitedHealthcare list I-SNPs in the county.

If you do not qualify for a Special Needs Plan, you cannot enroll in one, even if the rest of it looks appealing. A licensed agent or a SHIP counselor can help you confirm eligibility.

How the 62 plans split among the 8 carriers

Listed alphabetically, and with no ranking implied:

• Aetna (CVS Health): 4 plans (HMO; 3 Special Needs)
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama: 3 plans (PPO)
• Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC): 7 plans (HMO, PPO; 2 Special Needs)
• Devoted Health: 11 plans (HMO, PPO; 6 Special Needs)
• Humana: 18 plans (HMO, PPO; 5 Special Needs)
• Simpra Advantage: 3 plans (PPO; 3 Special Needs)
• UnitedHealthcare: 12 plans (HMO-POS, PPO; 6 Special Needs)
• VIVA Medicare: 4 plans (HMO; 1 Special Needs)

The number of plans a carrier offers does not tell you anything about quality, cost or fit. It only tells you how many products they have filed for the county.

A few program facts to keep in mind for 2027

Whichever plan type you look at, some Medicare-wide rules apply:

• Part D has a $2,100 annual out-of-pocket cap for 2026.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615.
• The coverage gap (the old "donut hole") is gone as of 2025; Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly amounts if you choose to opt in.
• IRMAA income-related surcharges start above $109,000 for single filers in 2026.

When you can make a change

The Annual Enrollment Period runs Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, and any change takes effect Jan. 1. If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one more window — Jan. 1 through March 31 — to switch to a different Advantage plan or drop back to Original Medicare. Special Enrollment Periods can apply if you move, lose other coverage, or qualify for a D-SNP.