Medicare Advantage

HMO, HMO-POS or PPO in Omaha? How 2027 Medicare Advantage plans split by type

For 2027, Omaha is looking at 39 Medicare Advantage plans: 11 new, 17 gone since 2026, and 12 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 5 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Douglas County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

Omaha, Neb. — When the Annual Enrollment Period opens Oct. 15, 2026, shoppers in the Omaha area will see a Medicare Advantage lineup that leans heavily toward one plan type. In Douglas County, where Omaha sits, 39 Medicare Advantage plans from 8 carriers are offered for 2027, and more than half of them are PPOs, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage Landscape Source File for the 2027 plan year.

The split matters because the plan type — HMO, HMO-POS, PPO or PFFS — sets the rules for which doctors you can use, whether you need referrals, and what happens if you get care outside the plan's network.

How Omaha's 2027 plans break down by type

For plan year 2027, Douglas County has 39 Medicare Advantage plans offered by 8 carriers. By type:

• HMO: 7 plans
• HMO-POS: 11 plans
• PPO: 21 plans
• PFFS: none

Counting HMO and HMO-POS together, 18 of the 39 plans use an HMO framework; the other 21 are PPOs. The table below lists every plan.

What each plan type means

HMO (Health Maintenance Organization). HMOs ask you to use the plan's network of doctors and hospitals for routine care. Many require you to pick a primary care doctor and get a referral before seeing a specialist. Out-of-network care is generally not covered except in an emergency or urgent situation.

HMO-POS (HMO with a Point-of-Service option). This is an HMO with a limited door to out-of-network care. The "point-of-service" piece lets you see some providers outside the network, often for specific services and usually at a higher cost. Referral rules vary by plan.

PPO (Preferred Provider Organization). PPOs have a network too, but they also cover out-of-network care — typically with higher cost-sharing than in-network care. Most PPOs do not require referrals to see specialists.

PFFS (Private Fee-for-Service). PFFS plans let you see any Medicare-approved provider who agrees to the plan's payment terms. There are no PFFS plans available in Douglas County for 2027.

None of these labels tells you what a plan costs or how good its network is for your doctors. For that, you have to check each plan individually at medicare.gov or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.

Which Omaha-area carriers offer each type for 2027

From the CMS 2027 Landscape file for Douglas County:

• HMO plans are offered by Aetna (CVS Health), Great Plains Medicare Advantage, Humana, and Molina Healthcare of Nebraska.
• HMO-POS plans are offered by Aetna (CVS Health), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, Centene (WellCare), and UnitedHealthcare.
• PPO plans are offered by Aetna (CVS Health), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, Devoted Health, Humana, and UnitedHealthcare.

Some carriers offer more than one plan type, so your choice is not just between companies — it is also between how each company structures its plans.

How to think about the choice

The right plan type is less about the acronym and more about how you actually use care:

• Your doctors. If the specialists and hospital you prefer are inside one network, an HMO or HMO-POS may fit. If your providers are spread across systems — or you want flexibility to try new ones — a PPO's out-of-network coverage can matter.
• Travel. If you spend part of the year outside Nebraska or visit family often, how the plan handles out-of-area care is a key question. PPOs typically cover out-of-network providers at a higher cost; HMOs typically do not, outside emergencies.
• Referrals. If you see several specialists and do not want to route visits through a primary care doctor, check each plan's referral rules. They vary even within the same type.
• Prescriptions. All 2027 Advantage plans in Douglas County include drug coverage, but formularies and pharmacy networks differ by plan.

What's changing for 2027

Compared with 2026, Douglas County's 2027 lineup includes 11 new plans, 17 plans that are not returning, and 5 plans with new names. If you are already enrolled, your plan's Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), mailed in September, spells out what is different for your plan next year — including any shift in network or referral rules. If you do nothing and your plan is offered again, it renews automatically with those changes.

Two confirmed program-level numbers for 2027 are worth knowing as you compare: 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). CMS typically publishes the 2027 Part B premium and deductible, along with IRMAA income brackets, later in the fall.

Dates to keep in mind

• Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026: Annual Enrollment Period. Changes made in this window take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
• Jan. 1 – March 31, 2027: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can switch to another one or go back to Original Medicare once during this window.