Medicare Advantage

Before you pick a Medicare Advantage plan in Tacoma: how the 2027 choices differ

For 2027, Tacoma is looking at 66 Medicare Advantage plans: 19 new, 26 gone since 2026, and 38 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 13 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Pierce County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

If you live in Tacoma and you're shopping Medicare Advantage for 2027, the first thing to know is that plan availability is set at the county level. Tacoma is in Pierce County, where CMS lists 53 Medicare Advantage plans from 13 carriers. Every one of those plans includes prescription drug coverage.

The Tacoma picture for 2027

That's a lot to sort through, and the point of this article isn't to tell you which plan to pick — that's personal. It's to help you understand what the choices actually are: who sells here, and what the letters after each plan's name mean.

The 12 carriers selling in Pierce County

Here are the carriers offering Medicare Advantage in Pierce County for 2026, in alphabetical order, with the plan count each one filed and the plan types they use. The full plan-by-plan roster is in the table below this article.

• Aetna (CVS Health): 5 plans (HMO, PPO)
• AgeRight Advantage: 2 plans (HMO; both are Special Needs Plans)
• Centene (WellCare): 8 plans (HMO-POS, PPO; 5 are Special Needs Plans)
• Community Health Plan of WA Medicare Advantage: 2 plans (HMO; both are Special Needs Plans)
• Devoted Health: 4 plans (PPO; 2 are Special Needs Plans)
• Elevance Health (Anthem): 2 plans (HMO; both are Special Needs Plans)
• Humana: 19 plans (HMO, PPO; 7 are Special Needs Plans)
• Kaiser Permanente: 4 plans (HMO)
• Molina Healthcare of Washington, Inc.: 2 plans (HMO; both are Special Needs Plans)
• Regence BlueShield: 2 plans (PPO)
• SCAN Health Plan: 2 plans (HMO)
• UnitedHealthcare: 21 plans (HMO-POS, PPO; 11 are Special Needs Plans)

The number of plans a carrier files doesn't tell you which one fits you. A carrier with two plans and a carrier with twenty-one plans are both just doorways to what's actually inside — the doctors, drugs and out-of-pocket rules that go with each specific plan.

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

The letters after a plan name describe how the network works. Here's the plain-English version.

HMO (Health Maintenance Organization). You pick a primary care doctor and use the plan's network. Care outside the network is usually not covered except in emergencies. Referrals are often needed to see a specialist. In Pierce County, 26 of the 73 plans are HMOs.

HMO-POS (HMO with a Point of Service option). Same idea as an HMO, but the plan lets you go outside the network for certain services, usually at a higher cost. It's a bit of extra flexibility bolted onto an HMO. Pierce County has 15 of these.

PPO (Preferred Provider Organization). You can see any provider who accepts the plan, in-network or out. In-network costs less, and you generally don't need referrals. Pierce County has 32 PPOs — the largest slice of the local lineup.

PFFS (Private Fee-for-Service). These plans set their own payment terms, and any provider who accepts those terms can treat you. PFFS plans used to be more common; for 2027, CMS does not list any PFFS plans in Pierce County. If you've heard the term, that's why — it's a plan type that still exists nationally but isn't part of Tacoma's 2027 menu.

Special Needs Plans: 33 of the 73

Special Needs Plans, or SNPs, are Medicare Advantage plans built for people in a specific situation. In Pierce County, 33 of the 73 plans are SNPs. There are three flavors, and you'll see all three in the roster:

• D-SNP (Dual Eligible): for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid.
• C-SNP (Chronic Condition): for people with a qualifying chronic condition. Local examples include plans focused on diabetes and heart conditions.
• I-SNP (Institutional): for people who live in a nursing home or need a nursing-home level of care, whether at home or in a facility.

You can't just pick a SNP because it looks interesting — you have to qualify. If you do qualify, these plans are designed around that situation, which is why they exist as a separate category.

How to actually narrow it down

With 73 plans on the table, the practical order of operations looks something like this:

1. Decide whether you want the tighter network of an HMO or HMO-POS, or the broader access of a PPO. 2. Check whether the doctors and hospitals you already use are in the plan's network. 3. Check whether your prescriptions are on the plan's drug list, and how they're priced. 4. If you qualify for a SNP (dual eligibility, a chronic condition or institutional care), look at those plans separately — the rules and benefits are tailored.

A few program facts worth keeping in your back pocket while you compare Part D coverage inside these plans: the Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027; the maximum Part D deductible is $615 for 2026 and $700 for 2027; the old coverage gap ("donut hole") has been gone since 2025; and the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly amounts instead of paying at the pharmacy counter.

Dates to remember

• Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026: Medicare Annual Enrollment. You can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for 2027.
• Jan. 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance to switch to another MA plan or return to Original Medicare.