Medicare Advantage

Does Franklin County Still Offer PFFS Plans in 2027?

People in Columbus can choose from 79 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 92 this year. 27 of this year’s plans are gone, 14 are new to Franklin County, and 28 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 5 of them under a new name.

Columbus, Ohio — As the Annual Enrollment Period for 2027 coverage opens on October 15, 2026, shoppers in Franklin County will see a Medicare Advantage menu that leans heavily on two familiar plan shapes: HMOs and PPOs. Private-fee-for-service plans, once a common third option, have nearly disappeared from the local map.

Knowing the difference between plan types matters more than most people realize. The letters after a plan's name — HMO, HMO-POS, PPO, PFFS — tell you how its network works, whether you'll need referrals, and what happens if you see a doctor outside the plan's circle. That's often the real question behind "which plan is right for me?"

How Franklin County's 2027 plans break down by type

Columbus sits in Franklin County, where plan availability is set. For 2027, the county's 79 Medicare Advantage plans fall into three buckets:

• HMO: 34 plans
• HMO-POS: 15 plans
• PPO: 30 plans

Counting HMOs and HMO-POS plans together, 49 of the 79 use some version of the HMO structure. There is no stand-alone PFFS plan in the 2027 county lineup. The full table on this page lists every plan by carrier.

What each plan type actually means

Plan type is a program-level rule set from Medicare. Here's the plain-English version.

HMO (Health Maintenance Organization). You pick a primary care doctor and generally use the plan's network for all your care. Referrals are usually required to see a specialist. Out-of-network care typically isn't covered except in an emergency or for urgent care. HMOs tend to work well for people who already see in-network doctors and don't travel for long stretches.

HMO-POS (HMO with a Point-of-Service option). This is an HMO with a limited door to out-of-network care for certain services. The specifics — which services, and under what rules — vary by plan, so the plan's Evidence of Coverage is the place to check.

PPO (Preferred Provider Organization). PPOs have a network, too, but they also cover out-of-network care, usually at a higher cost-share. Referrals are generally not required. PPOs can appeal to people who want more flexibility, split time between places, or see specialists directly.

PFFS (Private Fee-for-Service). PFFS plans let you see any Medicare provider who agrees to the plan's payment terms at the time of service. They're rare today and not part of the 2027 Franklin County menu.

No type is "better" than another. The right fit depends on who your doctors are, whether they're in the plan's network, how often you travel, and how you feel about referrals.

Which carriers offer each type in Franklin County for 2027

Every carrier below is active in the county for 2027. Not every carrier offers every plan type.

Carriers offering HMO plans: Aetna (CVS Health), CareSource MyCare Ohio (HMO D-SNP), Centene (WellCare), Devoted Health, Elevance Health (Anthem), Humana, Medical Mutual of Ohio, MediGold, Molina Healthcare of Ohio, Perennial Advantage, The Health Plan.

Carriers offering HMO-POS plans: Aetna (CVS Health), Elevance Health (Anthem), Humana, Perennial Advantage, UnitedHealthcare.

Carriers offering PPO plans: Aetna (CVS Health), Devoted Health, Elevance Health (Anthem), Humana, Medical Mutual of Ohio, The Health Plan, UnitedHealthcare.

Several carriers appear in more than one column because they offer multiple plan types. The table on this page shows which plans fall under which type.

What's changing in the 2027 lineup

Compared with 2026, the Franklin County lineup is a little smaller. There are 79 plans next year, down from 92 this year. Behind that number: 27 plans aren't returning, 14 are new, and 5 have been renamed. Your plan's ANOC — the booklet most carriers mail in September — spells out what, if anything, is changing in your coverage for January 1.

A couple of program-level 2027 figures are also already set by CMS:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026).
• The Part D maximum deductible rises to $700 in 2027 (up from $615 in 2026).

The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, haven't been announced yet. CMS typically publishes them in the fall.

How to use the plan type to narrow your choices

A few practical steps for Columbus-area shoppers this fall:

1. Start with your doctors. Call the offices you use most and ask which 2027 Medicare Advantage plans they'll accept. That usually eliminates more plans than any other filter. 2. Think about travel. If you spend weeks away from Franklin County each year, out-of-network rules matter more. PPO rules differ from HMO rules in exactly that spot. 3. Think about referrals. If you want to book specialists directly, that leans one way; if you prefer a primary care doctor coordinating everything, that leans another. 4. Check your drugs. Every plan in the county for 2027 includes drug coverage, but formularies differ. The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov lets you enter your prescriptions and compare.