Medicare Advantage

44 Advantage plans, 9 carriers: a Lane County guide

People in Eugene can choose from 31 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 44 in 2026. 15 of this year's plans are gone, 7 are new to Lane County, and 16 that continue have changed something in their terms, 5 of them under a new name.

Eugene sits in Lane County, where Medicare Advantage shoppers will see plans from eight carriers for 2027. If you have ever wondered what the alphabet soup after each plan name means — HMO, HMO-POS, PPO, D-SNP — this guide walks through the choices in plain English, without pushing you toward any one plan.

Who sells Medicare Advantage in Lane County

For 2027, eight carriers offer Medicare Advantage plans that include drug coverage in Lane County. Listed alphabetically, they are AgeRight Advantage, ATRIO Health Plans, Centene (WellCare), Devoted Health, Kaiser Permanente, PacificSource Medicare, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, and UnitedHealthcare.

How many plans each carrier offers varies. AgeRight Advantage has 3, ATRIO has 2, Centene (WellCare) has 10, Devoted Health has 4, Kaiser Permanente has 1, PacificSource has 5, Providence has 4, Regence has 5, and UnitedHealthcare has 10. The table below lists every plan by carrier.

That mix is why "how many plans" isn't the only question worth asking. Two carriers with the same number of plans might offer very different plan types — and plan type is where real day-to-day differences show up.

HMO, HMO-POS, PPO: what the letters mean

Nearly every Medicare Advantage plan you'll see in Lane County falls into one of these buckets. Lane County has 31 plans available for 2027.

HMO (Health Maintenance Organization). You pick a primary care doctor and generally use the plan's network. Out-of-network care usually isn't covered except in emergencies. Referrals are often required to see specialists. Local HMO offerings come from carriers such as AgeRight Advantage, Devoted Health, PacificSource, Providence and Regence.

HMO-POS (Point of Service). A hybrid. It works like an HMO but gives you limited ability to go outside the network for certain services, usually at a higher cost. In Lane County, HMO-POS plans are offered by Centene (WellCare), Kaiser Permanente, PacificSource, Providence and UnitedHealthcare.

PPO (Preferred Provider Organization). Larger provider flexibility. You can see out-of-network providers who accept the plan, though your share of the cost is typically higher than in-network. PPO plans in the area come from ATRIO, Centene (WellCare), PacificSource, Regence and UnitedHealthcare.

PFFS (Private Fee-for-Service). You may have read about PFFS plans, which let you see any Medicare-approved provider who agrees to the plan's terms. No PFFS plans are listed in Lane County for 2027, so it isn't a live option here — but it's part of the national picture.

Special Needs Plans: who they're for

Lane County's 2027 Medicare Advantage lineup includes Special Needs Plans (SNPs). SNPs are Medicare Advantage plans built for people who meet specific eligibility rules. There are three kinds:

• D-SNP (Dual Eligible). For people enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid.
• C-SNP (Chronic Condition). For people with a qualifying chronic condition.
• I-SNP (Institutional). For people who live in, or need the level of care provided in, a long-term care setting.

Local SNPs are offered by AgeRight Advantage, Centene (WellCare), Devoted Health and UnitedHealthcare. You have to qualify to enroll in one — they aren't open to everyone.

The program numbers to keep in mind

A few Medicare-wide facts apply no matter which plan you choose:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026. Once you hit it, you pay nothing more for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• Part D maximum deductible: $615.
• The coverage gap ("donut hole") has been eliminated — Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs out across the calendar year in monthly installments, if that helps your budget.
• IRMAA (higher Part B and Part D premiums for higher incomes) starts above $109,000 for single filers in 2026.

Every Medicare Advantage plan in Lane County includes drug coverage in 2027, and there are no stand-alone Part D plans listed at the county level — a reminder that if you go with Medicare Advantage here, your drug coverage rides along with the medical plan.

How to narrow the 44 down to one

Two questions do most of the work:

1. How do you want to use doctors? If you already have preferred providers, check whether they're in-network under a specific plan before you enroll. If flexibility matters most, a PPO may feel more comfortable; if you like a coordinated primary-care hub, an HMO may fit. 2. Do you qualify for a Special Needs Plan? If you have both Medicare and Medicaid, a chronic condition on the qualifying list, or a nursing-home level of care, an SNP is worth researching.

Medicare's official Plan Finder at medicare.gov lets you enter your ZIP code, your medications and your doctors and compare the actual plans side by side.