Medicare Advantage

HMO or PPO? Mississippi Medicare Advantage for 2027: 50 HMO Plans, 52 PPO

JACKSON, Miss. — For the 2027 plan year, Mississippi residents shopping Medicare Advantage will see a near-even split between HMO-style and PPO-style plans. According to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source Files for CY2027, the state has 102 Medicare Advantage plans from 9 carriers, divided into 30 HMO plans, 20 HMO-POS plans, and 52 PPO plans. Counting HMO and HMO-POS together, that is 50 HMO-family plans against 52 PPO plans statewide.

Those statewide counts are the universe of plans filed with CMS for Mississippi. Any individual plan is sold county by county, so a plan listed for the state may or may not be offered in your ZIP code. Use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov to see what is actually available where you live.

How are Mississippi's 2027 Medicare Advantage plans split between HMO and PPO?

Mississippi's 2027 Medicare Advantage lineup breaks down into 30 HMO plans, 20 HMO-POS plans, and 52 PPO plans, for a total of 102 plans from 9 carriers, per the CMS Landscape Source File for CY2027. Group the HMO and HMO-POS plans together and you get 50 HMO-family plans versus 52 PPO plans — close to a coin flip at the state level.

That statewide split does not guarantee the same mix in your county. A rural county may list fewer plans than the Jackson metro, and the HMO-to-PPO balance can tilt one way or the other depending on where you live. The full plan list for Mississippi is rendered as a table on this page; the counts above come straight from the CMS file labeled 2027.

What do HMO, HMO-POS, PPO and PFFS mean for networks, referrals and out-of-network care in Mississippi?

In plain terms: an HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) generally expects members to use the plan's network of doctors and hospitals, and may require you to pick a primary care physician and get referrals for specialists. An HMO-POS (Point of Service) is an HMO that adds a limited "point of service" option to see certain providers outside the network under specific rules. A PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) typically lets you see both in-network and out-of-network providers, usually at different cost shares, and often does not require referrals. A PFFS (Private Fee-for-Service) plan sets its own payment terms with providers who agree to accept them; Mississippi's 2027 Landscape file does not list PFFS plans among the 102 plans in the state.

Specific rules — including referrals, prior authorization, and out-of-network access — are set by each plan. Confirm the details in the plan's Evidence of Coverage and provider directory before enrolling.

Which Mississippi carriers offer HMO, HMO-POS and PPO plans for 2027?

For 2027, the HMO carriers in Mississippi are Aetna (CVS Health), American Health Advantage of MS, HealthSpring, Humana, and Zing Health. The HMO-POS carriers are Centene (WellCare), Healthy Mississippi, Inc., and UnitedHealthcare. The PPO carriers are Aetna (CVS Health), Centene (WellCare), Devoted Health, HealthSpring, Healthy Mississippi, Inc., Humana, and UnitedHealthcare.

A few names appear on more than one list. Aetna (CVS Health), HealthSpring and Humana show up under both HMO and PPO; Centene (WellCare), Healthy Mississippi, Inc. and UnitedHealthcare show up under both HMO-POS and PPO. That means the carrier is not the whole story — the specific plan you choose from a given carrier determines whether you are in an HMO, HMO-POS or PPO. Full plan-level details are in the table on this page.

How should Mississippi residents decide which plan type fits their doctors and travel?

Start with your doctors, your hospitals and your travel habits. If the providers you already use are all in one network and you rarely leave the state, an HMO or HMO-POS in Mississippi may be a comfortable fit. If you split time between Mississippi and family in another state, see specialists across state lines, or want the option to go out-of-network without a referral, a PPO's structure may be worth a closer look.

Three steps help turn preferences into a decision. First, make a list of your current doctors, your preferred hospital, and any ongoing prescriptions. Second, enter your ZIP code and that list into the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov to see which 2027 plans in your county include them. Third, read the plan's Evidence of Coverage for the rules on referrals, prior authorization and out-of-network care. If something is unclear, call the plan directly or call 1-800-MEDICARE.

What should Mississippi residents do before December 7, 2026?

Before December 7, 2026, review your current coverage against the 2027 Annual Notice of Change your plan mails each fall, then compare it with other 2027 plans available in your county on medicare.gov. The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 – December 7, 2026, and whatever you choose takes effect January 1, 2027.

If you are satisfied with your current plan after reading the Annual Notice of Change, you generally do not have to do anything to stay on it. If you want to switch — including moving between HMO, HMO-POS and PPO plans — doing so during Annual Enrollment 2027 is the standard window for most people. A separate Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 – March 31, 2027, with its own, narrower rules.

Where can Mississippi residents get free help with 2027 Medicare Advantage decisions?

Free help is available from Medicare itself. Go to medicare.gov to use the Plan Finder, read plan documents, and compare 2027 Mississippi plans by ZIP code. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to speak with a representative.

You can also contact any plan directly to request its Summary of Benefits and Evidence of Coverage, which spell out network rules, referrals and out-of-network coverage for that specific plan.