Medicare Advantage

Miami Medicare Advantage in 2027: how HMO, HMO-POS and PPO plans compare before you pick

For 2027, Miami is looking at 101 Medicare Advantage plans: 16 new, 30 gone since 2026, and 61 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 20 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Miami-Dade County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

MIAMI — As the Annual Enrollment Period opens Oct. 15, 2026, Miami-Dade County shoppers will see 101 Medicare Advantage plans on offer for 2027 from 16 carriers — and the single biggest fork in that lineup is the plan type on the label. HMO, HMO-POS, PPO or PFFS tells you more about how a plan actually works than almost anything else on the brochure, because it sets the rules for networks, referrals and what happens if you need care outside the plan.

Here is how Miami-Dade's 2027 Medicare Advantage menu breaks down by type, what each type means in plain English, and the questions to ask yourself before you pick one. Changes you make during the window take effect Jan. 1, 2027. If you do nothing, your current plan simply renews for 2027 if it is still offered — with any changes spelled out in the Annual Notice of Change your plan mailed you.

How Miami-Dade's 2027 plans split by type

Medicare Advantage plan availability is set at the county level, and Miami sits inside Miami-Dade County. For plan year 2027, CMS's Landscape file shows 101 Medicare Advantage plans in the county from 16 carriers, divided like this:

• HMO: 70 plans
• HMO-POS: 10 plans
• PPO: 21 plans
• PFFS: 0 plans

Counting HMO and HMO-POS together, roughly four out of every five plans in the county are built on an HMO chassis. PPOs are the smaller share, and PFFS plans are not part of the Miami-Dade lineup for 2027 at all.

The table on this page lists every 2027 plan by carrier and type, so you can see the mix side by side.

What each plan type actually means

The plan type is Medicare's shorthand for how the plan handles networks and out-of-network care. None of these types is "better" than another — the right one depends on your doctors, where you spend your time and how you like to get care.

HMO (Health Maintenance Organization). You pick a primary care doctor and generally stay inside the plan's network for covered care. Many HMOs require a referral from your primary care doctor to see a specialist. Out-of-network care is usually not covered except in emergencies or urgent situations. If your doctors and hospitals are already in the plan's network, an HMO can be a tidy fit.

HMO-POS (HMO with a Point-of-Service option). This is an HMO with a limited door to out-of-network care for certain services. The "point-of-service" piece lets you go outside the network in defined ways spelled out in the plan's Evidence of Coverage. Rules vary a lot plan to plan, so read what the POS option actually covers before you assume it works like a PPO.

PPO (Preferred Provider Organization). PPOs have a network, but they also cover care from out-of-network providers who accept the plan — usually at a higher share of cost to you. Referrals are typically not required to see a specialist. PPOs can be useful if you split time between cities, travel often, or want flexibility to see providers outside a fixed network.

PFFS (Private Fee-for-Service). PFFS plans let you see any Medicare-approved provider who agrees to the plan's payment terms at the time of the visit. There are no PFFS plans in Miami-Dade for 2027, so this type is not an option locally this year.

Which Miami-Dade carriers offer each type for 2027

Not every carrier offers every plan type. For plan year 2027, Miami-Dade's lineup looks like this (carriers listed alphabetically):

Carriers offering HMO plans: Aetna (CVS Health), Align Senior Care, AmeriHealth Caritas VIP Care (HMO-D-SNP), Centene (WellCare), Devoted Health, Doctors HealthCare Plans, Inc., Elevance Health (Anthem), Florida Blue HMO, Florida Complete Care, Humana, Leon Health, Inc., Longevity Health Plan, Solis Health Plans, and UnitedHealthcare.

Carriers offering HMO-POS plans: Centene (WellCare), Florida Complete Care, Gold Kidney Health Plan, and UnitedHealthcare.

Carriers offering PPO plans: Florida Blue, Humana, and UnitedHealthcare.

A few patterns stand out. HMO is the most widely offered type locally — most Miami-Dade carriers participate. PPOs come from a smaller group of three carriers. And some carriers appear in more than one column because they offer plans across multiple types.

How to decide which type fits you

Plan type is where to start, before you compare benefits or drug lists. A few questions can narrow it quickly:

• Who are your doctors, and where do they admit patients? Call each one and ask which Miami-Dade Medicare Advantage plans they are contracted with for 2027. If your providers are all in one network, an HMO or HMO-POS may be straightforward.
• Do you want to see specialists without a referral? HMOs often require one; PPOs usually do not. HMO-POS rules fall somewhere in between.
• Do you travel or live part of the year outside South Florida? PPOs cover out-of-network providers (at a higher cost share), which can matter if you spend time away from Miami-Dade.
• Do you need care from a specific hospital system? Confirm it is in the plan's network for 2027 before you enroll — networks can change year to year.

The plan's Evidence of Coverage and provider directory are the authoritative sources for how its network, referral rules and out-of-network coverage work. The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov lets you compare all of Miami-Dade's 2027 plans side by side.

What is changing for 2027

A few program-wide figures are already set for 2027 and worth knowing as you compare plans with drug coverage (every Miami-Dade MA plan on the 2027 menu includes Part D):

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (it is $2,100 in 2026).
• The Part D maximum deductible rises to $700 in 2027 (it is $615 in 2026).
• CMS announces the 2027 Part B standard premium, deductible and IRMAA income brackets later in the fall, usually in November.

Locally, the 2027 lineup includes 16 new plans, 20 renamed plans and 30 plans that are not returning from 2026. If your current plan is among those not returning, your Annual Notice of Change explains your options; if it is simply renamed or revised, the ANOC spells out what is different for 2027.