Medicare Advantage

Charlotte's 2027 Medicare Advantage menu: what HMO, HMO-POS, PPO and PFFS actually mean for you

People in Charlotte can choose from 89 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 94 this year. 19 of this year’s plans are gone, 14 are new to Mecklenburg County, and 28 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 10 of them under a new name.

CHARLOTTE — When the Annual Enrollment Period opens Oct. 15, 2026, people shopping Medicare Advantage in Mecklenburg County will see the same four letters again and again on plan cards: HMO, HMO-POS, PPO and PFFS. Those letters do more than label a plan — they decide whether you need a referral to see a specialist, whether an out-of-town doctor is covered, and how tightly your care is tied to a network. For 2027 coverage, the mix of those plan types in Charlotte is shifting a little, and knowing which bucket a plan sits in is the fastest way to narrow the list.

How Charlotte's 2027 lineup splits by plan type

Medicare Advantage plans are set at the county level. Charlotte is in Mecklenburg County, where CMS lists 89 Medicare Advantage plans from 12 carriers for 2027. By type, that's 34 HMO, 22 HMO-POS, 32 PPO and 1 PFFS. (The HMO and HMO-POS plans together add up to 56.)

That's a meaningful shift from the current year. In 2026, Mecklenburg County had 94 plans from 11 carriers — 32 HMO, 26 HMO-POS, 35 PPO and 1 PFFS. For 2027, 19 plans are not returning, 14 are new, and 10 have been renamed. If you're happy with your plan, you don't need to do anything to keep it; just read your Annual Notice of Change to see what's different. The table below lists every plan available locally.

What each plan type actually means

HMO (Health Maintenance Organization). You pick a primary care doctor and generally stay in the plan's network. In most HMOs you need a referral to see a specialist. Out-of-network care usually isn't covered except for emergencies and urgent care. That makes HMOs a tight fit if your doctors are already in-network and you don't travel much.

HMO-POS (HMO with a Point-of-Service option). It works like an HMO, with a network and often a referral rule, but it adds a limited "point of service" door to see certain providers outside the network — typically for specific services and often at higher cost-sharing. The details vary by plan, so read the Evidence of Coverage.

PPO (Preferred Provider Organization). PPOs have a network too, but you can see out-of-network providers who accept the plan, usually at a higher cost. You generally don't need referrals. PPOs tend to appeal to people who want more flexibility or split time between Charlotte and somewhere else.

PFFS (Private Fee-for-Service). PFFS plans don't rely on a traditional network the same way. You can see any Medicare-approved provider who agrees to accept the plan's payment terms for that visit. The provider can decide visit by visit, which means you'll want to confirm acceptance each time.

None of these types is cheaper, better or worse on its face. The right one depends on who your doctors are, whether you want referrals in the loop, and how often you're away from home.

Which Charlotte carriers offer each type for 2027

Using the CMS 2027 Landscape data for Mecklenburg County:

• HMO plans are offered by Aetna (CVS Health), Alignment Health Plan, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Devoted Health, HealthSpring, Humana, Liberty Medicare Advantage, Longevity Health Plan, and Provider Partners Health Plans.
• HMO-POS plans are offered by Alignment Health Plan, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Centene (WellCare), Humana, and UnitedHealthcare.
• PPO plans are offered by Aetna (CVS Health), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Centene (WellCare), Devoted Health, HealthSpring, HealthTeam Advantage, Humana, and UnitedHealthcare.
• PFFS plans are offered by Humana.

Several carriers offer more than one plan type, so seeing a familiar name on a card isn't the same as knowing how that plan works. The letters after the plan name are the tell.

How to decide which type fits you

Start with your doctors, not the brochures. Make a short list of the providers and hospitals you want to keep using, your regular pharmacy, and your prescriptions. Then ask:

• Are my doctors in the plan's network for 2027? (Networks can change year to year, even if the plan name doesn't.)
• Do I mind getting referrals before seeing a specialist?
• Do I travel, snowbird, or spend time outside North Carolina? If yes, how does the plan treat out-of-network care?
• Does the plan cover my drugs on its formulary, and at which pharmacies?

The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov is built for exactly this: you enter your zip code, drugs and pharmacies, and it filters the Mecklenburg County list.

What's new for 2027 on the Part D side

Even if your plan type stays the same, drug coverage rules are moving. For 2027, the Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 (up from $2,100 in 2026). The Part D maximum deductible is $700 for 2027 (up from $615 in 2026). The coverage gap, often called the donut hole, remains eliminated as of 2025, leaving three Part D phases. The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan is still available if you'd like to spread drug costs across the year.

CMS has not yet announced the 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, or the 2027 IRMAA income brackets; those typically come out later in the fall.

Dates to put on the fridge

• Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026: Annual Enrollment Period. A change made in this window takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.
• Jan. 1 – March 31, 2027: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment, when people already in a Medicare Advantage plan can switch once.

If you take no action, your current plan renews for 2027 if it's still offered, with any changes listed in the Annual Notice of Change your plan mails you.