Medicare Advantage

Honolulu Medicare Advantage in 2027: how the HMO and PPO choice really works

Honolulu County has 29 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 4 plans are not coming back, 5 are new, and 13 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 3 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Honolulu, not which plan to pick.

HONOLULU — Fall 2026. As the Annual Enrollment Period opens Oct. 15, 2026, Honolulu-area shoppers looking at Medicare Advantage for 2027 will see the lineup split almost entirely into two plan types: HMOs and PPOs. The choice between them has less to do with the brand on the card and more to do with how you want to see doctors — in a set network, or with the freedom to go outside it.

How do Honolulu County's Medicare Advantage plans split by type for 2027?

Honolulu is in Honolulu County, where CMS lists 29 Medicare Advantage plans from 7 carriers for 2027. By type, that is 11 HMO plans (a count that includes HMO-POS) and 18 PPO plans. No PFFS (Private Fee-for-Service) plans are offered in the county for 2027.

The table below lists every plan. Use the counts to see the shape of the market; use the table to see which specific plan belongs to which carrier.

Which carriers offer HMO plans in Honolulu for 2027?

Five carriers offer HMO plans in Honolulu County for 2027: AlohaCare, Devoted Health, HMSA Akamai Advantage, Humana, and Kaiser Permanente.

An HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) plan asks you to use a set network of doctors, hospitals and other providers. In most HMOs, you pick a primary care doctor who coordinates your care and gives referrals to see specialists. Outside the network, routine care generally is not covered — emergency and urgent care are the main exceptions. For people whose doctors are already in a plan's network and who do not travel often, that trade can feel simple.

An HMO-POS (Point of Service) plan is an HMO with a limited door to out-of-network care for certain services, usually at a higher cost. Honolulu County's HMO count for 2027 includes any HMO-POS plans in the market.

Which carriers offer PPO plans in Honolulu for 2027?

Five carrier entries offer PPO plans in Honolulu County for 2027: Devoted Health, HMSA Akamai Advantage, HMSA Akamai Advantage Dual Care, Humana, and UnitedHealthcare.

A PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) plan also has a network, but it will generally pay a share of the bill when you go out-of-network — just at a higher cost than in-network care. Referrals to specialists are usually not required. PPOs can be a better fit for someone who splits time between islands or the mainland, or who wants flexibility to see a specialist without going through a primary care doctor first.

Being out-of-network is not the same as being uncovered: the provider must still be willing to bill the plan, and your share of the cost will usually be higher. Always check the plan's own directory before you assume a doctor or hospital is in.

What about PFFS plans in Honolulu County?

There are no Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans in the 2027 Honolulu County lineup. In a PFFS plan, the insurer sets the terms of payment and any provider who accepts those terms can treat you on a visit-by-visit basis. Because none are offered locally for 2027, Honolulu shoppers are effectively choosing between HMO (including HMO-POS) and PPO.

How should I decide between an HMO and a PPO for 2027?

Start with your doctors, not the plan name. Make a short list of the providers and hospitals you want to keep using, then check each plan's provider directory on medicare.gov or with the plan itself to see whether they are in-network. If every doctor you need is in a given HMO's network and you do not mind referrals, an HMO may feel straightforward. If you travel, split time off-island, or want to see specialists without a referral, a PPO's out-of-network coverage can matter.

A few other things to weigh:

• Prescriptions. Of the 2027 plans in Honolulu County, most include Part D drug coverage, but a few do not. Check the plan's drug list for the medicines you take.
• Special Needs Plans (SNPs). Some of the plans in the lineup are D-SNPs or C-SNPs — these have eligibility rules tied to Medicaid status or a specific chronic condition.
• The Annual Notice of Change. If you already have a Medicare Advantage plan, your ANOC spells out what is changing for 2027 — networks, drug lists and cost shares can all shift year to year.

What are the key dates and 2027 figures to know?

The Annual Enrollment Period runs Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026, and any change takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period then runs Jan. 1 – March 31, 2027, when someone already in a Medicare Advantage plan can switch once.

A few program-level 2027 figures CMS has confirmed:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026).
• Part D maximum deductible: $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026).
• Part D national base beneficiary premium: $41.33 for 2027 (a formula input, not what any plan charges).

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, had not been announced as of September 2026; CMS typically publishes them later in the fall.

For Honolulu County specifically, CMS shows 4 plans not returning for 2027, 5 new plans, and 3 renamed. If a plan is leaving, affected members get a notice and a Special Enrollment Period.