Medicare Advantage

Before you compare plans in Hamilton County, read this

For 2027, Chattanooga is looking at 58 Medicare Advantage plans: 13 new, 15 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 Hamilton County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

Medicare AdvantageChattanooga, TN

Choosing a Medicare Advantage plan in Chattanooga is less about picking a name off a list and more about picking a plan type. Chattanooga sits in Hamilton County, where CMS's 2027 Medicare Advantage Landscape shows 11 carriers offering Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage, spread across HMOs, HMO-POS plans, PPOs and Special Needs Plans. Knowing what each of those letters means goes a long way toward narrowing the field before you ever compare a single benefit.

What the Chattanooga market looks like

For plan year 2027, Hamilton County has 58 Medicare Advantage plans available, all of them including prescription drug coverage. Eleven carriers file plans in the county. In alphabetical order, they are: Abilis Health, Aetna (CVS Health), American Health Advantage of Tennessee, Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC), BlueCare Plus Tennessee, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Devoted Health, Elevance Health (Anthem), Humana, NHC Advantage and UnitedHealthcare.

The county has roughly 69,000 residents age 65 and older, so there is real depth on the shelf. The full plan-by-plan list appears in the table below this article — use it as a reference while you read.

HMO, HMO-POS, PPO: the mechanics

The plan type tells you how the network works. That's what changes day to day when you need care.

• HMO (Health Maintenance Organization). You choose a primary care doctor, and generally you have to use doctors and hospitals in the plan's network. Referrals are usually required to see a specialist. Out-of-network care is typically not covered except in emergencies. In Hamilton County, 24 of the 65 plans are HMOs.
• HMO-POS (Point of Service). An HMO with a limited "point of service" option that lets you go out of network for certain services, usually at a higher cost. Nineteen of the county's plans are HMO-POS.
• PPO (Preferred Provider Organization). More flexible: you can see out-of-network providers, though you'll pay more than you would in-network, and referrals are generally not required. The county has 22 PPO plans.
• PFFS (Private Fee-for-Service). A fourth type that exists nationally: the plan sets the payment terms and any provider who accepts those terms can treat you. For 2027, no PFFS plans are on the Hamilton County landscape, so it's not part of the local decision.

If knowing you can walk into any in-network specialist without a referral matters to you, that alone tends to push people toward PPO or HMO-POS. If you already have a primary doctor you love and staying in one system is fine, HMO can be a simpler fit.

Special Needs Plans: who they're for

Special Needs Plans (SNPs) are Medicare Advantage plans designed for specific groups. Enrollment isn't open to everyone — you have to meet the plan's eligibility rules. There are three kinds:

• D-SNP (Dual Eligible). For people who have both Medicare and Medicaid (TennCare in Tennessee).
• C-SNP (Chronic Condition). For people with a qualifying chronic condition, such as diabetes or certain heart or lung conditions.
• I-SNP (Institutional). For people who live in, or need the level of care provided in, a long-term care facility, or who need that level of care at home.

Of the 65 Medicare Advantage plans available in Hamilton County, 26 are Special Needs Plans. In the roster, you'll see this reflected in plan names — anything ending in "D-SNP," "C-SNP" or "I-SNP" signals a Special Needs Plan. Carriers offering at least one SNP in the county include Abilis Health, American Health Advantage of Tennessee, Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC), BlueCare Plus Tennessee, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Centene (WellCare), Devoted Health, Elevance Health (Anthem), Humana, NHC Advantage and UnitedHealthcare.

If you don't qualify for one of those groups, a SNP isn't an option for you — and that's fine. It simply means your search is among the general HMO, HMO-POS and PPO plans.

How to narrow the list without getting overwhelmed

Sixty-five plans sounds like a lot, but most people don't have 65 realistic choices. A few filters usually cut the list quickly:

1. Start with type. Decide whether you want the tighter structure of an HMO, the flexibility of a PPO, or something in between with HMO-POS. Check whether you qualify for a SNP. 2. Check the doctors and hospitals you already use. Every plan has its own network. This is the single most common reason people switch plans later. 3. Check your medications. Every MA-PD plan has its own drug formulary. The same drug can be handled differently by two plans from the same carrier. 4. Then look at costs. Premiums, deductibles and copays vary by plan, and the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov will show your personalized numbers side by side.

Two program-level numbers to keep in mind: the Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027, and the maximum Part D deductible is $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027. Those apply across Medicare, regardless of plan choice. The coverage gap ("donut hole") is no longer a separate phase — since 2025, Part D has three phases, not four. If drug costs hit you unevenly across the year, you can also opt into the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan to spread them into monthly installments.

Dates that matter

• Oct. 15 – Dec. 7: Annual Enrollment Period. You can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for coverage starting Jan. 1.
• Jan. 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment. If you're already in an MA plan, you get one chance to switch to a different MA plan or drop back to Original Medicare (with a Part D plan).
• Special Enrollment Periods: People with Medicaid, Extra Help or certain life changes may qualify for extra chances to change plans during the year.