Medicare Advantage

UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage in Mississippi for 2027: 18 Plans, County by County

JACKSON, Miss. — For the 2027 plan year, UnitedHealthcare is offering 18 Medicare Advantage plans across Mississippi, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Landscape Source Files for CY2027. The lineup includes a mix of HMO-POS and PPO plans, several Special Needs Plans for people with specific health or financial situations, and both returning and brand-new options. This explainer, published by an independent Medicare education site that is not the government and not affiliated with any insurance carrier, walks through what the CMS files show for Mississippi — and how to check whether any specific plan is available where you live.

How many UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans are offered in Mississippi for 2027?

UnitedHealthcare is offering 18 Medicare Advantage plans in Mississippi for 2027, per the CMS Landscape Source File. That total breaks down into 8 HMO-POS plans and 10 PPO plans. Of those 18, 17 include Part D prescription drug coverage, and 1 is offered without drug coverage.

The lineup also includes 10 Special Needs Plans: 8 Dual Eligible SNPs (D-SNPs) for people enrolled in both Medicare and Mississippi Medicaid, 1 Chronic Condition SNP (C-SNP), and 1 Institutional SNP (I-SNP) for residents of qualifying nursing facilities. For context, the CMS files show 8 other carriers offering Medicare Advantage in Mississippi for 2027, with 102 Medicare Advantage plans statewide across all carriers combined.

Which UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans have the widest county reach in Mississippi for 2027?

In Mississippi for 2027, several UnitedHealthcare plans are listed in 79 of the state's counties, which is the widest reach shown in the CMS file for this carrier. Those include the AARP Medicare Advantage Essentials from UHC MS-1 (HMO-POS), AARP Medicare Advantage Direct OTC from UHC MS-8 (HMO-POS), AARP Medicare Advantage Direct Plus from UHC MS-9 (HMO-POS), AARP Medicare Advantage Extras from UHC MS-7 (HMO-POS), and the UHC Complete Care MS-6 (HMO-POS C-SNP).

A second group of plans is listed in 75 Mississippi counties, including the AARP Medicare Advantage PPO plans (MS-0002 and MS-0003), the AARP Medicare Advantage Giveback MS-4 (PPO), the AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx MS-MA01 (PPO), and D-SNPs such as UHC Dual Advantage MS-V1 (HMO-POS D-SNP), UHC Dual Complete MS-Q2 (HMO-POS D-SNP), and UHC Dual Complete MS-S4 (HMO-POS D-SNP). Other D-SNP options appear in narrower footprints of 49 or 29 counties, and the UHC Nursing Home Plan EX-F001 (PPO I-SNP) is listed in 4 counties. The full plan-by-plan county counts are shown in the table on this page.

What is new or not returning for UnitedHealthcare in Mississippi for 2027?

For 2027 in Mississippi, UnitedHealthcare has 8 Medicare Advantage plans flagged as new and 2 plans from 2026 that are not returning, according to the CMS year-over-year comparison. The new plans include the AARP Medicare Advantage Direct OTC from UHC MS-8 (HMO-POS), AARP Medicare Advantage Direct Plus from UHC MS-9 (HMO-POS), AARP Medicare Advantage Extras from UHC MS-7 (HMO-POS), and several D-SNPs: UHC Dual Advantage MS-V2 (PPO D-SNP), UHC Dual Complete MS-Q1 (PPO D-SNP), and UHC Dual Complete MS-S3 (PPO D-SNP).

Two existing plans also appear under new names. The AARP Medicare Advantage Essentials from UHC MS-1 (HMO-POS) was previously the AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC MS-0001 (HMO-POS). The UHC Dual Advantage MS-V1 (HMO-POS D-SNP) was previously called UHC Dual Complete MS-V001 (HMO-POS D-SNP), and the UHC Dual Complete MS-Q2 (HMO-POS D-SNP) was previously UHC Dual Complete MS-S002 (HMO-POS D-SNP). A rename usually means contract paperwork changes rather than a brand-new plan, but members should still read any Annual Notice of Change they receive.

How do I check whether a UnitedHealthcare plan is offered in my Mississippi county and covers my doctors and prescriptions?

To confirm whether a specific UnitedHealthcare plan is offered in your Mississippi county for 2027, use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Because Medicare Advantage plans are sold county by county, a plan listed statewide — like the ones in the table above — may not be available at your specific ZIP code.

Once you confirm a plan is sold in your county, check three things before enrolling: whether your doctors and hospitals are in that plan's network, whether your prescriptions are on the plan's formulary and at what tier, and whether any benefits you rely on are included. Those details come from the plan's Evidence of Coverage, Summary of Benefits, provider directory, and drug list — not from a statewide plan count.

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

The Annual Enrollment Period for 2027 coverage runs October 15 – December 7, 2026, and any choice made during that window takes effect January 1, 2027. Current UnitedHealthcare members in Mississippi should read the Annual Notice of Change their plan mails in the fall, since it describes any changes for 2027, including renames like the ones noted above.

If your current plan is one of the 2 UnitedHealthcare plans not returning for 2027, you'll want to pick a new plan during Annual Enrollment 2027 or you may be returned to Original Medicare. Even if your plan is renewing, Medicare Open Enrollment 2027 is a good time to re-check your doctors, hospitals, and prescriptions against the 2027 plan materials.

Where can Mississippi residents get free help comparing Medicare plans for 2027?

Free, official help is available year-round from Medicare itself. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY 1-877-486-2048, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov to compare every plan available in your Mississippi county side by side. Both sources can confirm 2027 availability, networks, formularies, and costs for any specific plan.