Quick answers
- How many Medicare Advantage plans are in Oklahoma for 2027?
- CMS lists 50 plans open to everyone statewide from 9 companies, plus 27 special needs plans. You can join only plans sold in your county.
- Which Oklahoma counties have the most plans?
- Oklahoma County has 35 plans open to everyone for 2027, Canadian 34, Cleveland 33 and Tulsa 32.
- Which counties have no Medicare Advantage plan open to everyone in 2027?
- Beaver, Cimarron, Ellis, Harmon, Harper, Roger Mills and Texas counties. Only special needs plans are offered there.
- Do I still pay my Part B premium with Medicare Advantage?
- Yes. You keep paying Part B, and the plan may charge its own premium too.
- When can I join or switch Medicare Advantage plans?
- October 15 to December 7, 2026 for coverage starting January 1, 2027, and January 1 to March 31, 2027 if you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan. Special enrollment periods cover moves and other life events.
How does Medicare Advantage work?
Medicare Advantage, also called Part C, is a way to get your Medicare benefits through a private insurance company that contracts with Medicare. The plan covers everything Part A and Part B cover, such as hospital stays, doctor visits, outpatient care and tests, and most plans also include Part D prescription drug coverage.
When you join a Medicare Advantage plan you are still in Medicare. You keep paying your Part B premium, and the plan may charge its own premium as well. Instead of Original Medicare paying your doctors, the plan pays them, and the plan's rules decide which doctors you can see, whether you need referrals or approval before some services, and what you pay for each service.
To join, you need Part A and Part B and you must live in the plan's service area. In Oklahoma, service areas are set county by county, so the plans open to someone in Edmond are not the same as the plans open to someone in Guymon or Idabel.
What types of Medicare Advantage plans are there?
The main difference between plan types is how strictly they keep you inside their network.
| Plan type | Network | Referrals | Out-of-network care |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMO | You use the plan's doctors, hospitals and other providers. | Usually needed to see a specialist. | Generally not covered, except emergencies, urgent care and out-of-area dialysis. |
| HMO-POS | An HMO with a point-of-service option. | Usually needed. | Some out-of-network services covered, usually at a higher cost. |
| PPO | The plan has a network, and you pay less when you use it. | Usually not needed. | Covered, usually at a higher cost, if the provider agrees to treat you. |
| PFFS | Private Fee-for-Service: the plan sets what it pays providers. Some have networks. | Not needed. | Depends on whether the provider accepts the plan's terms, visit by visit. |
| Special needs plan (SNP) | Limited to people with SoonerCare, certain chronic conditions, or who live in a nursing home. | Depends on the plan. | Depends on the plan. |
Every Medicare Advantage plan has a yearly limit on what you pay for covered Part A and Part B services. For 2027, Medicare lets plans set an in-network limit of up to $9,850, and a PPO's combined in-network and out-of-network limit can be up to $14,800. Plans may set lower limits. Premiums and drug costs don't count toward it; Part D drug costs have their own cap of $2,400 in 2027.
Why does my county have more or fewer plans?
Most Medicare Advantage plans depend on local networks of doctors and hospitals, so the number of plans follows where Oklahoma's health systems are. The Oklahoma City and Tulsa metro counties have the most choices. In the Panhandle and parts of western and southeastern Oklahoma, there are far fewer, and the nearest in-network hospital may be a long drive away.
| County | Plans open to everyone | Special needs plans | Companies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | 35 | 24 | 8 |
| Canadian | 34 | 23 | 8 |
| Cleveland | 33 | 22 | 8 |
| Tulsa | 32 | 23 | 8 |
| Muskogee | 25 | 16 | 7 |
| Pittsburg | 21 | 14 | 5 |
| Comanche | 19 | 10 | 4 |
| Le Flore | 19 | 10 | 4 |
| Garfield | 14 | 13 | 4 |
| Payne | 11 | 6 | 2 |
| McCurtain | 7 | 4 | 2 |
| Woodward | 4 | 6 | 2 |
| Texas | 0 | 3 | 1 |
Source: CMS 2027 Medicare Advantage Landscape file. Every county is on our Oklahoma counties page.
Seven counties with no plan open to everyone in 2027: Beaver, Cimarron, Ellis, Harmon, Harper, Roger Mills and Texas. If you live there, your choices are Original Medicare (with Medigap and a Part D plan if you choose) or, if you qualify, a special needs plan. If your plan there is ending, see Oklahoma plans ending in 2027.
Tip: Before you join, check that your own doctors, the hospital you would use and your pharmacy are in the plan's network for the coming year. If your local hospital sends patients to Oklahoma City, Tulsa or a hospital across the state line, check those hospitals too. See rural hospitals and telehealth in Oklahoma.
What are special needs plans?
Special needs plans (SNPs) are Medicare Advantage plans limited to people with particular needs. They include Part D drug coverage, and their doctors, benefits and drug lists are built around the group they serve. For 2027, CMS lists 27 special needs plans in Oklahoma, including 24 in Oklahoma County and 23 in Tulsa County. There are three kinds:
D-SNP (dual eligible)
For people who have both Medicare and SoonerCare, Oklahoma's Medicaid program run by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. See dual eligible special needs plans in Oklahoma and SoonerCare and Medicare.
C-SNP (chronic condition)
For people with certain serious or disabling chronic conditions, such as diabetes, chronic heart failure or end-stage renal disease. A doctor usually has to confirm the condition.
I-SNP (institutional)
For people who live, or are expected to live, 90 days or longer in a nursing home or similar facility, or who need that level of care at home.
What does a Medicare Advantage plan cost?
What you pay depends on the plan: its premium (if any), deductibles, and the copayments or coinsurance it charges for each service. Each plan's Summary of Benefits shows these costs. See Medicare costs in 2027 for the amounts Medicare sets.
Medicare Advantage plans may offer extra benefits Original Medicare doesn't cover, such as dental, vision, hearing or fitness. Extra benefits vary by plan and county, may have limits and costs, and not every plan offers them. Check a plan's Summary of Benefits or Evidence of Coverage.
What if I travel or spend winters away?
- Emergencies and urgent care are covered anywhere in the United States, in any Medicare Advantage plan.
- Routine care away from home is usually not covered by an HMO. A PPO may cover out-of-network care at a higher cost if the provider agrees to bill the plan.
- The 6-month rule: if you leave your plan's service area for more than 6 months in a row, the plan must disenroll you, unless it has a visitor or traveler program that lets you stay enrolled for up to 12 months.
- Moving within Oklahoma to a county your plan doesn't serve, or moving into or out of Oklahoma, gives you a special enrollment period to pick a plan where you now live. See moving to Oklahoma with Medicare.
If you split the year between Oklahoma and another state, Original Medicare with a Medigap policy may fit better, because it works with any provider in the country who accepts Medicare. See Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage in Oklahoma.
What about HealthChoice and other retiree plans?
Many retired Oklahoma state, education and local government employees get Medicare coverage through the Employees Group Insurance Division (EGID) of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services. EGID's 2027 Medicare guide offers Medicare-eligible members HealthChoice Medicare supplement plans and Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans. To join one of EGID's Medicare Advantage options you must have both Part A and Part B and keep paying your Part B premium. EGID's guide also warns that enrolling in another plan with Part D benefits will end your Part D coverage through EGID. EGID's own Option Period for Medicare-eligible members runs October 15 to December 7, and forms must be postmarked by December 7. Call EGID Member Services at 405-717-8780 or 800-752-9475 before you join an individual plan. See state and teacher retirees and Medicare.
Veterans and military retirees should also check how a plan works with VA care and TRICARE For Life; see veterans, TRICARE and military retirees. Having Medicare doesn't stop American Indians and Alaska Natives from using IHS and tribal health programs; see tribal health and Medicare in Oklahoma.
When can I join or switch?
- Initial Enrollment Period: the 7 months around your 65th birthday month.
- Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 to December 7, 2026, for coverage that starts January 1, 2027.
- Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period: January 1 to March 31, 2027. If you're in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can make one change: switch to another Medicare Advantage plan, or drop it and go back to Original Medicare (and join a Part D plan).
- Special enrollment periods for moving, losing other coverage, getting SoonerCare or Extra Help, disasters such as tornadoes and ice storms, and other life events.
Details are on enrollment periods and Medicare open enrollment in Oklahoma.
Is my plan ending in 2027?
Check your Annual Notice of Change. For 2027, some companies stop offering some Medicare Advantage plans in parts of Oklahoma. If your plan is ending, you have until February 28, 2027 to choose new coverage (choose by December 31 to avoid a gap), and you may have a guaranteed right to buy a Medigap policy until 63 days after your plan coverage ends. See Oklahoma plans ending in 2027.
Where can I get help choosing?
To see the Medicare Advantage plans sold where you live, see plans for your ZIP code. To talk through plans from the companies they work with and check your doctors and drugs, you can request a call from a licensed insurance agent, at no cost to you. You can also meet licensed insurance agents in Oklahoma.
For information on all your options, Medicare's own help line is 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048), and its plan finder is at Medicare.gov. Questions or complaints about an insurance agent in Oklahoma can go to the Oklahoma Insurance Department at 1-800-522-0071.
Sources
- Medicare.gov — Your health plan options
- Medicare.gov — Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)
- Medicare.gov — Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)
- Medicare.gov — Special Needs Plans (SNP)
- Medicare.gov — Special Enrollment Periods
- eCFR — 42 CFR 422.74, disenrollment by the MA organization (6-month absence rule)
- CMS — Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape files, contract year 2027 (plan counts)
- OMES Employees Group Insurance Division — 2027 Medicare Options Benefit Guide
- Oklahoma Health Care Authority — SoonerCare Supplemental
- Oklahoma Insurance Department — File an online complaint
Every question in this guide
- Can I use my Medicare Advantage plan outside Oklahoma?
- How do I compare Medicare Advantage plans in Oklahoma?
- How many Medicare Advantage plans are available in Oklahoma for 2027?
- Is Medicare Advantage available in every Oklahoma county?
- What is the difference between Medicare Advantage and Original Medicare in Oklahoma?
Frequently asked questions
How many Medicare Advantage plans are there in Oklahoma for 2027?
CMS's 2027 plan data lists 50 Medicare Advantage plans open to everyone in Oklahoma, offered by 9 companies, plus 27 special needs plans. You can only join plans sold in your county. The Oklahoma City and Tulsa areas have the most choices; seven counties in the Panhandle and western Oklahoma have only special needs plans.
My county has no Medicare Advantage plan open to everyone in 2027. What are my options?
In Beaver, Cimarron, Ellis, Harmon, Harper, Roger Mills and Texas counties, you can use Original Medicare, with a Medigap policy and a standalone Part D drug plan if you choose. Special needs plans are still offered there if you qualify, for example because you also have SoonerCare. If your plan in one of these counties is ending, you may have a guaranteed right to buy certain Medigap policies until 63 days after your plan coverage ends.
Can I keep my Oklahoma Medicare Advantage plan if I travel or spend the winter out of state?
You can stay enrolled, but an HMO generally covers only emergency and urgent care, plus out-of-area dialysis, while you are away; routine care usually has to wait until you're back. A PPO may cover out-of-network care at a higher cost if the provider agrees to bill the plan. If you are away from the service area for more than 6 months in a row, the plan must disenroll you unless it has a visitor or traveler program.
I have HealthChoice retiree coverage through EGID. Should I join a Medicare Advantage plan on my own?
Check with EGID first. EGID offers Medicare-eligible members its own Medicare supplement and Medicare Advantage options, and its 2027 guide warns that enrolling in another plan with Part D benefits will end your Part D coverage through EGID. EGID Member Services is 405-717-8780 or 800-752-9475.
My Medicare Advantage plan won't be offered in my county in 2027. What happens?
Your plan must send you a notice. You can choose a new Medicare Advantage plan or drug plan during the Annual Enrollment Period through December 7, 2026, and a special enrollment period lets you choose until February 28, 2027; choose by December 31 to avoid a gap. If you do nothing, you return to Original Medicare on January 1 without drug coverage. You may also have a guaranteed right to buy certain Medigap policies.
Medicare in your Oklahoma county
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