Medicare Advantage

HMO or PPO? Colorado Medicare Advantage for 2027: 81 HMO Plans, 23 PPO

DENVER — Colorado's 2027 Medicare Advantage lineup leans heavily toward HMO-style coverage. According to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source File for CY2027, 11 carriers are offering 104 Medicare Advantage plans across the state. Of those, 81 are HMO-family plans (54 HMO plus 27 HMO-POS) and 23 are PPO plans. No PFFS (Private Fee-for-Service) plans appear in the 2027 Colorado file.

HMO or PPO for 2027Colorado

That statewide tally is a planning number, not a shopping list. Each plan is sold county by county, so a plan counted here may or may not be available where you live. The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and any choice made during that window takes effect January 1, 2027.

How many HMO and PPO Medicare Advantage plans does Colorado have for 2027?

Colorado has 104 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, divided into 54 HMO plans, 27 HMO-POS plans and 23 PPO plans, according to the CMS Landscape file. Grouped by family, that is 81 HMO-type plans and 23 PPO plans statewide, from 11 carriers.

The HMO-heavy mix is consistent with how Colorado has been built out by carriers over several years, but the per-county picture varies widely. A metro county on the Front Range typically sees more choices than a rural Western Slope or Eastern Plains county. The table on this page shows the full plan list; the counts above are what the statewide file reports.

What do HMO, HMO-POS, PPO and PFFS mean for networks and referrals in Colorado?

In plain terms: HMO plans ask you to use an in-network provider and often require a referral to see a specialist; HMO-POS plans are HMOs with a limited "point-of-service" option to go out of network for certain services; PPO plans let you use both in-network and out-of-network providers, usually at different cost-sharing levels, and generally do not require referrals; PFFS plans are a separate category not offered in Colorado's 2027 lineup.

Those are the structural rules set by plan type. The specific providers, referral requirements, service areas and out-of-network terms are set by each plan's Evidence of Coverage and provider directory, which you should check directly with the plan or through medicare.gov before enrolling.

Which carriers offer HMO, HMO-POS and PPO plans in Colorado for 2027?

For 2027, the CMS Landscape file lists ten carriers offering HMO plans in Colorado: Aetna (CVS Health), Devoted Health, Elevance Health (Anthem), Elevate Medicare Advantage, HealthSpring, Humana, Kaiser Permanente, Longevity Health Plan, Perennial Advantage and Select Health. Four carriers offer HMO-POS plans: Elevance Health (Anthem), Kaiser Permanente, Perennial Advantage and UnitedHealthcare. Five carriers offer PPO plans: Aetna (CVS Health), Devoted Health, HealthSpring, Humana and UnitedHealthcare.

A single carrier can appear on more than one list because many offer multiple plan types. Being listed statewide does not mean a carrier's plan is sold in every Colorado county; county-level availability is what counts when you enroll.

How do you decide between an HMO and a PPO in Colorado for 2027?

Start with two questions: Which doctors, clinics and hospitals do you want to keep using, and how much do you travel outside Colorado? HMO-family plans generally work best when your preferred providers are inside one network and most of your care happens close to home. PPO plans generally offer more flexibility to see out-of-network providers and to get care while traveling, though cost-sharing rules differ.

From there, verify three things for any plan you are considering: that your doctors and hospitals are in the plan's network for 2027, that your regular prescriptions are on the plan's drug list, and that the plan is offered in your county. The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov can match plans to your ZIP code and medication list, and each plan's Evidence of Coverage spells out referral and out-of-network rules.

Because Colorado's 2027 statewide file skews 81-to-23 toward HMO-family plans, many counties will show more HMO options than PPO options, but the exact split in your county may look different.

What should Colorado Medicare shoppers do before December 7, 2026?

Before December 7, 2026, confirm your 2027 plan on paper and in the Plan Finder. If you already have a Medicare Advantage plan, read the Annual Notice of Change that arrives from your carrier in the fall; it describes what is changing for 2027. If you are new to Medicare or switching, compare plans at medicare.gov using your ZIP code, your doctors and your prescription list, and look at the plan type (HMO, HMO-POS or PPO) as part of that comparison.

The Annual Enrollment Period is October 15 through December 7, 2026. A choice made during that window takes effect January 1, 2027. Outside AEP, special enrollment rules apply only in specific situations.

Where can Colorado residents get free help choosing a 2027 Medicare plan?

Free, unbiased help is available directly from Medicare. The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov lets you enter your ZIP code, doctors and prescriptions and see every plan available in your county for 2027, including plan type. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in English and Spanish.

For plan-specific questions — whether a doctor is in network, how referrals work, how out-of-network care is handled — contact the plan directly and ask for the 2027 Evidence of Coverage and provider directory.