Medicare Advantage

Before you pick an Indianapolis Medicare Advantage plan: how HMO, PPO, PFFS and SNP differ

For 2027, Indianapolis is looking at 79 Medicare Advantage plans: 15 new, 14 gone since 2026, and 29 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 7 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Marion County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

Medicare AdvantageIndianapolis, IN

Choosing a Medicare Advantage plan in Indianapolis is less about finding "the one" and more about understanding the shape of the plan you pick. HMO, HMO-POS, PPO, PFFS and Special Needs Plans each work in a different way — different rules for using doctors, different referral requirements, and different groups of people they're built for. Before you compare premiums or benefits, it helps to know what kind of plan you're actually looking at.

Indianapolis sits in Marion County, where 11 carriers offer Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans for 2027. The plan types are spread across HMOs, HMO-POS plans, PPOs, PFFS, and a set of Special Needs Plans designed for people with specific circumstances. Here is how those choices break down and what each label really means.

Who sells Medicare Advantage in Marion County

Eleven carriers offer MA-PD plans in the county for 2027. Compared with 2026's 78-plan lineup, the 2027 lineup has 72 plans: 57 continuing, 15 new, 14 not returning, and 7 renamed; 22 of the continuing plans change something in their terms, which the plan's Annual Notice of Change spells out.

Together, those carriers offer 78 plans across the county — 21 HMOs, 13 HMO-POS plans, 43 PPOs, and 1 PFFS plan. Of the total, 29 are Special Needs Plans. Every plan in the Marion County lineup includes drug coverage, and there are no stand‑alone Part D plans listed for this area in the source file. The full table below shows every plan by carrier and plan type.

HMO and HMO-POS: network-focused plans

An HMO — Health Maintenance Organization — asks you to use doctors, hospitals and other providers inside the plan's network for routine care. You'll usually pick a primary care doctor, and you may need a referral to see a specialist. Out-of-network care is generally not covered except in emergencies.

An HMO-POS ("Point of Service") is an HMO with a small door left open: it lets you go outside the network for certain services, usually at a higher cost-share. It's still a network plan at its core, just with a bit more flexibility for specific situations. Marion County has 21 HMO plans and 13 HMO-POS plans across the roster.

PPO: more flexibility, different rules

A PPO — Preferred Provider Organization — lets you see any Medicare-approved provider who accepts the plan, in or out of network. In-network care costs less; out-of-network care usually costs more but is still covered. You generally don't need referrals for specialists.

Some PPOs are "local" (built around specific counties) and some are "regional" (covering a larger service area). PPOs have been the largest single plan type in this market on recent lineups.

PFFS: the least common design

A Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plan lets you use any Medicare-approved provider who agrees to the plan's payment terms and conditions each time you receive care. There's no required network in the traditional sense, but the provider has to accept the plan before treating you. PFFS has become uncommon nationally, and it remains a small part of the Marion County lineup for 2027.

Special Needs Plans: only for people who qualify

Special Needs Plans (SNPs) are Medicare Advantage plans limited to people who meet specific requirements. There are three kinds:

• D-SNP (Dual Eligible): for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid.
• C-SNP (Chronic Condition): for people with a qualifying chronic condition such as diabetes, chronic heart failure, chronic kidney disease, or others named by CMS.
• I-SNP (Institutional): for people who live in a nursing home or need an institutional level of care.

You can only enroll in an SNP if you meet its eligibility rules, and you generally have to keep meeting them to stay on the plan. Marion County has 29 SNPs across carriers including Aetna, American Health Advantage of Indiana, Communicare Advantage, Devoted Health, Elevance Health (Anthem), Humana, Provider Partners Health Plans, UnitedHealthcare and Zing Health. The table below shows which SNPs are D-SNPs, C-SNPs or I-SNPs.

How to decide which plan type fits

The right plan type depends less on the label and more on how you actually use care:

• If you're comfortable with a network and want the plan to coordinate through a primary care doctor, an HMO or HMO-POS may feel natural.
• If you travel, split time between cities, or want to see specialists without referrals, a PPO's structure may fit better.
• If you qualify for an SNP, those plans are built specifically around your situation — but you must meet the eligibility rules.
• PFFS is a smaller category and works differently from provider to provider, so read the plan's terms carefully.

Also worth knowing for 2026: Part D has a $2,100 out-of-pocket cap, the Part D deductible is capped at $615, the coverage gap has been eliminated (drug coverage is now in three phases), and you can ask your plan about the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan to spread drug costs evenly across the year. IRMAA surcharges start above $109,000 in income for a single filer.