Medicare Advantage

HMO or PPO in Austin? How Travis County's 2027 Medicare Advantage plans split by type

People in Austin can choose from 56 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 60 this year. 15 of this year’s plans are gone, 11 are new to Travis County, and 21 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 8 of them under a new name.

AUSTIN — Fall 2026. If you live in or around Austin and you are weighing a Medicare Advantage plan for 2027, the first fork in the road is not the carrier — it is the plan type. HMO, HMO-POS, PPO and PFFS each handle doctors, referrals and out-of-network care in different ways, and the mix available next year in Travis County has shifted a bit from this year.

Here is how the 2027 lineup breaks down, what each type actually means, and which carriers in the county offer each one.

What's on offer in Travis County for 2027

For plan year 2027, Travis County residents have 56 Medicare Advantage plans from 8 carriers to choose from. By type, that is:

• HMO: 22 plans
• HMO-POS: 13 plans
• PPO: 21 plans
• PFFS: none listed for the county

Counting HMO and HMO-POS together, about 35 of the 56 plans are built on an HMO frame. The full roster, carrier by carrier, is in the table below — you can see which plans are HMO, HMO-POS or PPO at a glance.

Compared with 2026, this is a slightly smaller menu (down from 60 plans), with 15 plans not returning, 11 new plans, and 8 renamed. The Annual Notice of Change your current plan mails in the fall spells out exactly what is different for your plan.

HMO: a network and, usually, referrals

An HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) plan asks you to pick a primary care doctor and generally stay inside the plan's network. If you need to see a specialist, you usually need a referral first. Care outside the network is typically not covered except in an emergency or for urgent care.

HMOs can be a good fit if your doctors are already in the plan's network and you do not travel often. They can be a hard fit if you split time between Austin and another state, or if you want to self-refer to specialists.

Carriers offering HMO plans in Travis County for 2027 (alphabetical): Aetna (CVS Health), Centene (WellCare), Devoted Health, Elevance Health (Anthem), Humana, Provider Partners Health Plans, Texas Independence Health Plan.

HMO-POS: an HMO with a side door

HMO-POS stands for HMO with a "point-of-service" option. It works like an HMO — network, primary care doctor, referrals in most cases — but gives you a limited ability to see certain providers outside the network, usually at a higher cost share. The size of that side door depends entirely on the plan, so always check the Evidence of Coverage before assuming a specific out-of-network doctor is covered.

Carriers offering HMO-POS plans in Travis County for 2027: Elevance Health (Anthem), UnitedHealthcare.

PPO: more freedom, higher out-of-network costs

A PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) still has a network of preferred doctors and hospitals, but you can see out-of-network providers who accept the plan — you just pay more. PPOs generally do not require referrals to see specialists.

PPOs can appeal to people who travel, who have specialists outside the usual network, or who simply want fewer gatekeeping steps. The trade-off is that out-of-network care, while covered, costs more than in-network care.

Carriers offering PPO plans in Travis County for 2027: Aetna (CVS Health), Devoted Health, Humana, UnitedHealthcare.

PFFS: what it is, and why you won't see it here

A PFFS (Private Fee-for-Service) plan sets its own payment terms, and you can see any Medicare-approved provider who agrees to accept those terms for your visit. PFFS plans do not typically use networks the way HMOs and PPOs do, and they are less common than they once were. For 2027, the Travis County landscape file does not list any PFFS plans, so this type is not a practical choice for Austin shoppers next year.

How to decide between the types

The plan type that works best is the one that matches your doctors, your pharmacies and your travel patterns — not the one with the catchiest name. A few questions worth answering before you shop:

• Which doctors and hospitals do you want to keep? Check each plan's provider directory, not just the carrier's name.
• Do you want to self-refer to specialists, or is a primary care gatekeeper fine?
• Do you spend part of the year outside Texas? Out-of-network rules matter more if the answer is yes.
• Which of your prescriptions are on the plan's drug list, and at what tier?

The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov lets you enter your doctors and medications and filter by plan type. For a one-on-one conversation, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), 24/7.

Dates and dollars to keep in mind

• Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7, 2026. Changes take effect January 1, 2027.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31, 2027, if you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan and want to switch once.
• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026, rising to $2,400 in 2027.
• Part D maximum deductible: $615 in 2026, rising to $700 in 2027.
• The 2027 Part B standard premium, deductible and IRMAA income brackets have not been announced yet; CMS typically publishes those figures later in the fall.

If you do nothing during the window, your current plan renews for 2027 as long as it is offered next year — with whatever changes are listed in your Annual Notice of Change.