Medicare Advantage

Minneapolis Medicare Advantage for 2027: how HMO and PPO choices compare

People in Minneapolis can choose from 25 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 32 this year. 13 of this year’s plans are gone, 6 are new to Hennepin County, and 9 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 3 of them under a new name.

MINNEAPOLIS — As the Annual Enrollment Period for 2027 Medicare coverage runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, one of the first forks in the road for shoppers here is not price or benefits — it's plan type. In Hennepin County, where Minneapolis sits, the 2027 Medicare Advantage lineup leans heavily toward PPO plans, with a smaller set of HMOs, and no PFFS plans on the local menu. That mix shapes how you see a doctor, whether you need a referral, and what happens if you get care outside the network.

What the plan type actually controls

Every Medicare Advantage plan has to cover what Original Medicare covers. The plan type mostly controls three things:

• Network: which doctors, hospitals and clinics are "in" the plan.
• Referrals: whether you need one from a primary care doctor to see a specialist.
• Out-of-network care: whether the plan pays anything when you go outside the network, and how much.

Here is how the four common types generally work at the program level. Your specific plan's rules are in its Evidence of Coverage.

HMO (Health Maintenance Organization). You pick a primary care doctor and generally use in-network providers. Most HMOs require a referral to see a specialist. Out-of-network care usually isn't covered except for emergencies and urgent care.

HMO-POS (Point of Service). An HMO with a limited "point of service" option that lets you get some services out of network, often at a higher cost share. Referral rules still apply to many services.

PPO (Preferred Provider Organization). You can see any provider that accepts Medicare and the plan's terms, in or out of network. Out-of-network care is covered, usually at a higher cost share. Referrals typically aren't required.

PFFS (Private Fee-for-Service). You can see any Medicare provider who agrees to the plan's payment terms at the time of service. PFFS plans are not offered in Hennepin County for 2027.

None of this means one type costs less or is "better." A PPO's broader access can matter if you travel or split time between states; an HMO's coordinated network can matter if your doctors are already inside one.

How the Minneapolis lineup splits for 2027

Medicare Advantage availability is set at the county level. Minneapolis is in Hennepin County, where CMS lists 25 Medicare Advantage plans from 6 carriers for 2027. By type, that's 3 HMO plans (including HMO-POS) and 22 PPO plans. There are no PFFS plans on the local menu for 2027.

The county also sees some turnover for 2027: 13 plans are not returning, 6 are new, and 3 are renamed. If you're already enrolled, your plan's Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) spells out what, if anything, is different for your plan next year.

The table below lists every plan available in the county for the current plan year.

Which carriers offer which type

For 2027 in Hennepin County, the split by carrier looks like this:

• Carriers offering HMO plans: Blue Plus, HealthPartners, Medica.
• Carriers offering PPO plans: Aetna (CVS Health), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, HealthPartners, Medica, UnitedHealthcare.

Two carriers — HealthPartners and Medica — offer both HMO and PPO options locally, so if you like a carrier but want a different plan type, it's worth checking whether they have one on each side.

How to decide which type fits

A few plain questions that tend to settle this quickly:

• Who are my doctors, and are they in the plan's network? This is the single biggest factor. Use the plan's provider directory, or call the plan, before you enroll.
• Do I travel or spend part of the year outside Minnesota? PPOs generally cover out-of-network care at a higher cost share; HMOs usually don't except for emergencies.
• Do I mind getting referrals? HMOs often require them; PPOs usually don't.
• Do I need prescription coverage built in? All 32 Medicare Advantage plans listed for the current plan year in Hennepin County include drug coverage; verify this is still true for any plan you consider for 2027.

Also keep an eye on Part D figures that are confirmed for 2027: the Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 (from $2,100 in 2026), and the Part D maximum deductible rises to $700 (from $615 in 2026). The 2027 Part B standard premium, deductible and IRMAA income brackets have not been announced yet; CMS typically publishes them later in the fall.

What to do during AEP

Nothing happens automatically if you do nothing — your current plan simply renews if it's still offered, with any changes in its ANOC. If you want to switch, you have from October 15 through December 7, 2026, and the new plan starts January 1, 2027.

A short checklist:

1. Read your ANOC when it arrives. 2. List your doctors, hospitals and prescriptions. 3. On medicare.gov's Plan Finder, enter your drugs and ZIP code to see 2027 plans side by side. 4. Confirm plan type (HMO, HMO-POS, PPO) and whether your providers are in network. 5. Enroll by December 7, 2026, if you're changing.

If a Medicare Advantage change doesn't go the way you hoped, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31) gives you one more chance to switch to another Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare.