Medicare Advantage

Before you pick a Medicare Advantage plan in Lubbock: the 9 carriers and what HMO, PPO and PFFS mean

Lubbock County has 38 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 19 plans are not coming back, 7 are new, and 24 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 9 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Lubbock, not which plan to pick.

Medicare AdvantageLubbock, TX

If you live in Lubbock and are weighing a Medicare Advantage plan for 2027, the first thing to understand isn't a price tag — it's the shape of the market. Six insurance carriers offer Medicare Advantage plans in Lubbock County next year, and they come in several flavors: HMO, HMO-POS, PPO, PFFS, and specialized plans for people with certain health or financial situations. Knowing what those letters mean is the fastest way to narrow your search.

Who sells Medicare Advantage in Lubbock County for 2027

Lubbock is in Lubbock County, where CMS lists six carriers offering Medicare Advantage plans for the 2027 plan year. In alphabetical order, they are:

• Aetna (CVS Health) — 5 plans
• American Health Advantage of Texas — 1 plan
• Baylor Scott & White Health Plan — 1 plan
• Blue Cross Blue Shield (HCSC) — 4 plans
• Centene (WellCare) — 8 plans
• Elevance Health (Anthem) — 6 plans
• Humana — 15 plans
• Provider Partners Health Plans — 1 plan
• UnitedHealthcare — 9 plans

That adds up to 50 Medicare Advantage plans countywide, and all of them include Part D drug coverage. The table below lists every plan by carrier so you can see the full lineup at a glance.

One note on stand-alone Part D: because every Medicare Advantage plan in Lubbock County already bundles drug coverage, most Advantage shoppers here won't need a separate Part D plan. If you stay on Original Medicare instead, you'll shop for Part D separately.

What HMO, HMO-POS, PPO and PFFS actually mean

The county's 50 plans sort into four network types. Here's what each one means at the Medicare program level — not for any specific plan:

• HMO (Health Maintenance Organization). You choose from the plan's network of doctors and hospitals. You usually pick a primary care doctor, and you often need a referral to see a specialist. Out-of-network care generally isn't covered except in emergencies.
• HMO-POS (Point of Service). An HMO with a small door left open — the "point of service" option lets you get some services out of network, usually at a higher cost. There are 5 HMO-POS plans in the county.
• PPO (Preferred Provider Organization). More flexible than an HMO. You can see any Medicare-approved provider, in or out of network, though staying in network costs less. Referrals are typically not required. PPOs are the largest category in Lubbock County at 23 plans.
• PFFS (Private Fee-for-Service). The plan sets the terms of payment, and any provider who accepts those terms and agrees to treat you can bill the plan. There's no fixed network in the traditional sense, but not every provider will accept a PFFS plan.

If your doctor or hospital preference is firm, plan type is where you start. A network match matters more than any single feature on a benefits sheet.

Special Needs Plans: who they're for

Of the 50 plans in Lubbock County, 21 are Special Needs Plans (SNPs). These are Medicare Advantage plans built for specific groups. You have to qualify to enroll:

• D-SNP (Dual-Eligible). For people who have both Medicare and Medicaid.
• C-SNP (Chronic Condition). For people living with certain qualifying chronic conditions, such as diabetes or chronic heart failure. In Lubbock, the C-SNPs on offer focus on chronic conditions and kidney care.
• I-SNP (Institutional). For people who live in, or need the level of care provided by, a nursing home or similar facility.

SNPs coordinate care around the situation they're designed for, and they all include drug coverage. If you don't meet the eligibility rules, you can't enroll — but if you do, they're worth a close look.

How to narrow 50 plans down

With nine carriers and 50 plans, it helps to work through a short filter:

1. Check your doctors and hospitals. Confirm they're in a plan's network before anything else. This alone will cut the list quickly. 2. List your prescriptions. Every plan has its own formulary. A drug that's easy on one plan may be handled differently on another. 3. Decide how much flexibility you want. If you travel or split time between cities, a PPO or PFFS structure may fit better than an HMO. If you're happy with a local network and a primary care doctor guiding your care, an HMO can work well. 4. See if you qualify for an SNP. If you have Medicaid, a qualifying chronic condition, or live in a qualifying facility, an SNP may be a better match than a general plan.

The official Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov lets you enter your ZIP code, your drugs and your doctors and compare Lubbock County plans side by side.

A few program facts worth knowing for 2027

These apply nationwide, not to any one plan:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once you hit it, you pay nothing for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D deductible can be no higher than $615.
• The old coverage gap (the "donut hole") is gone as of 2025 — Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly bills instead of paying at the pharmacy counter. It's optional.
• IRMAA — the income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D — starts above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Enrollment windows to keep in mind

• Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7. This is when most people join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for the following year.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance during this window to switch to a different Advantage plan or go back to Original Medicare.

Special Enrollment Periods can apply if you move, lose other coverage or qualify for Medicaid changes.