Medicare Advantage

HMO or PPO? Minnesota Medicare Advantage for 2027: 13 HMO Plans, 40 PPO

MINNEAPOLIS — For plan year 2027, Minnesota's Medicare Advantage market leans heavily toward PPO designs, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source File. Across the state, 66 Medicare Advantage plans are offered by 11 carriers, and the single biggest group — by a wide margin — is the PPO. 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 Medicare Advantage plans are offered in Minnesota for 2027, and how do they split by type?

Minnesota has 66 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027 from 11 carriers, split into 13 HMO plans (all HMO or HMO-POS), 40 PPO plans, and 13 Cost plans. That makes PPO the largest category statewide by plan count, with HMO and Cost tied behind it.

These counts come from the CMS MA Landscape Source File for CY2027 and count each plan once statewide. Because Medicare Advantage is sold county by county, the mix a shopper actually sees in Hennepin, St. Louis, Olmsted or Beltrami county may look different from the statewide total. The full plan and carrier lists appear in the tables elsewhere on this page.

What do HMO, HMO-POS, PPO and PFFS mean for Minnesota Medicare Advantage shoppers in 2027?

For Minnesota's 2027 Medicare Advantage plans, "HMO" and "PPO" describe how the plan handles networks, referrals and out-of-network care — not price or quality. All 13 of Minnesota's HMO-type plans for 2027 are HMO or HMO-POS; no PFFS plans are listed in the statewide 2027 block.

• HMO (Health Maintenance Organization): Members generally use the plan's contracted provider network, and some HMOs ask you to pick a primary care clinic or get referrals to see specialists. Out-of-network care is usually covered only for emergencies and urgent care.
• HMO-POS (Point of Service): An HMO that allows some defined out-of-network services, often at a higher cost share. The specifics vary by plan.
• PPO (Preferred Provider Organization): PPOs cover both in-network and out-of-network providers who accept the plan, usually at different cost shares, and generally do not require referrals.
• PFFS (Private Fee-for-Service): A separate structure where the plan sets terms and any Medicare-approved provider can choose whether to accept them. Minnesota's 2027 statewide block does not list PFFS plans.

Exact rules — including referral requirements, prior authorization and which providers are in-network — come from each plan's Evidence of Coverage and provider directory.

Which carriers offer HMO plans and which offer PPO plans in Minnesota for 2027?

For 2027, seven organizations offer HMO-type Medicare Advantage plans in Minnesota: Blue Plus, HealthPartners, Itasca Medical Care/IMCare Classic, Medica, PrimeWest Health, Quartz Medicare Advantage (HMO), and South Country Health Alliance. Six carriers offer PPO plans: Aetna (CVS Health), Align powered by Sanford Health Plan, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, HealthPartners, Medica, and UnitedHealthcare.

HealthPartners and Medica appear on both lists, meaning each offers at least one HMO and at least one PPO in the 2027 lineup. A few names on the HMO list — Itasca Medical Care/IMCare Classic, PrimeWest Health and South Country Health Alliance — are county-based plans tied to specific regions of the state, so their availability depends heavily on where you live. The full carrier-by-plan breakdown is in the table on this page.

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

The practical question for 2027 in Minnesota is usually about doctors and travel. If you want to keep a specific clinic, hospital or specialist, start by checking whether those providers are in-network on each plan you're considering. If you spend part of the year outside Minnesota — a cabin in Wisconsin, winters in Arizona, visits to family out of state — ask how each plan handles routine (non-emergency) care away from home.

A few questions worth writing down before you compare plans:

• Which primary care clinic, specialists and hospital do I want to keep?
• Do I travel or live part of the year outside my home county?
• Am I comfortable asking for referrals, or do I prefer to self-refer?
• Do I take prescriptions I need to check against the plan's drug list?

HMOs tend to work well when your care is concentrated with one health system in your county. PPOs can offer more flexibility to see out-of-network providers, usually at a higher cost share. The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov lets you enter your ZIP code, doctors and medications to see what's actually available on your street.

What should Minnesota Medicare beneficiaries do before December 7, 2026?

Before December 7, 2026, Minnesota beneficiaries should review their current plan's Annual Notice of Change for 2027, confirm their doctors and medications on each option they're considering, and make any switch they want effective January 1, 2027. December 7, 2026 is the last day of the Annual Enrollment Period for 2027 coverage.

A simple checklist:

1. Read the Annual Notice of Change your current plan mails in the fall. 2. List your providers, hospitals and prescriptions. 3. Run the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov with your ZIP code. 4. Call the plan directly with any network or coverage questions. 5. Enroll — or stay put — by December 7, 2026.

Staying in your current plan is a valid choice; no action is needed to continue if the plan is still offered in your county for 2027.

Where can Minnesotans get free help comparing 2027 Medicare Advantage plans?

Minnesotans can get free, official help from Medicare itself. Medicare.gov hosts the Plan Finder, where you enter your ZIP code, doctors and drugs to see every plan available in your county for 2027. 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer questions and walk through enrollment.

For plan-specific details — networks, drug lists, prior authorization — contact the plan directly or read the plan's Evidence of Coverage.