Medicare Advantage

New Orleans Medicare Advantage for 2027: how HMO, HMO-POS and PPO plans line up

Orleans Parish has 67 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 10 plans are not coming back, 12 are new, and 28 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 11 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for New Orleans, not which plan to pick.

New Orleans — Fall 2026. When the Annual Enrollment Period opens Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7, 2026, people shopping Medicare Advantage in New Orleans will find a lineup for 2027 that leans one way: toward PPOs. According to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source File for plan year 2027, Orleans Parish — the parish New Orleans sits in — will have 67 Medicare Advantage plans from 9 carriers, split 20 HMO, 20 HMO-POS and 27 PPO.

That split matters because the plan "type" (HMO, HMO-POS, PPO or PFFS) shapes how you use the plan every day — which doctors you can see, whether you need a referral, and what happens if you get care outside the network.

What's on the 2027 menu in Orleans Parish

The 2027 Landscape file shows 67 Medicare Advantage plans in Orleans Parish, up slightly from 65 the year before, and 9 carriers instead of 8. Within that:

• HMO: 20 plans. Offered by Aetna (CVS Health), American Health Advantage of Louisiana, Elevance Health (Anthem) and Humana.
• HMO-POS: 20 plans. Offered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, Centene (WellCare) and UnitedHealthcare.
• PPO: 27 plans. Offered by Aetna (CVS Health), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, Devoted Health, Humana, Lagniappe Advantage and UnitedHealthcare.
• PFFS: 0 plans.

The table on this page lists every plan by carrier, with its type and whether it includes drug coverage.

Compared with 2026, 10 plans are not returning, 12 are new, and 11 have been renamed. If your plan name looks different in your mailbox this fall, the ANOC your carrier sent will spell out what's actually changing.

What HMO, HMO-POS, PPO and PFFS really mean

These are plan "types" set by Medicare rules. They aren't ranked, and no type is cheaper or better across the board — what matters is whether the plan's rules fit the doctors you use and how you travel.

HMO (Health Maintenance Organization). You pick a primary care doctor and generally use the plan's network. Many HMOs require a referral to see a specialist. Out-of-network care usually isn't covered except for emergencies, urgent care and out-of-area dialysis.

HMO-POS (HMO with a Point-of-Service option). Same basic HMO structure, but with a limited "point-of-service" benefit that lets you get certain services out-of-network, typically at a higher cost share. The specifics — which services, at what cost — vary plan by plan and are in the Evidence of Coverage.

PPO (Preferred Provider Organization). You can see any Medicare-participating provider who agrees to treat you, in or out of network. In-network care costs less; out-of-network care is generally covered but at a higher share. Referrals are usually not required.

PFFS (Private Fee-for-Service). PFFS plans set the terms they'll pay providers, and any Medicare-participating provider who accepts those terms can treat you visit by visit. No PFFS plans are offered in Orleans Parish for 2027.

How to think about type for your own situation

A few plain questions tend to sort this out:

• Who are your doctors? Check whether they're in the plan's network for 2027 — networks can change year to year. If your doctor is in-network for an HMO or HMO-POS, that structure may work fine. If your care is spread across providers who aren't all in one network, a PPO's out-of-network coverage can matter.
• Do you want referrals or not? Many HMOs require them; most PPOs don't.
• Do you travel or spend part of the year outside Louisiana? Out-of-network rules matter more if you need routine care while away. Emergency and urgent care are covered under all plan types nationwide.
• Do you want drug coverage built in? All 67 Orleans Parish plans for 2027 include Part D drug coverage, per the Landscape file.

Special Needs Plans (SNPs) appear in all three type categories above — D-SNPs for people with both Medicare and Medicaid, C-SNPs for certain chronic conditions, and I-SNPs for people living in an institution. These have their own eligibility rules.

Dates and dollars for 2027

The Annual Enrollment Period runs Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026. A change you make in that window takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. If you do nothing, your current plan renews for 2027 if it's still offered, with the changes listed in its ANOC.

If you pick a Medicare Advantage plan and want to switch to a different Advantage plan or back to Original Medicare, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs Jan. 1 – March 31, 2027.

A few program-level numbers CMS has already published for 2027:

• 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 (this is a formula input, not what any particular plan charges).

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, haven't been announced yet. CMS typically publishes them later in the fall.

Where to check the details for your plan

Plan-specific details — premiums, copays, drug lists, provider networks and star ratings — change each year and are different for every plan. The official places to check:

• medicare.gov — the Medicare Plan Finder lets you enter your ZIP code, drugs and doctors and compare plans side by side for 2027.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24/7.
• Your plan's Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) and Evidence of Coverage (EOC) — mailed by late September, these show exactly what's changing for your current plan in 2027.