Best Medicare Advantage Plans in Mississippi (2027)

Humana provides the best Medicare Advantage coverage in Mississippi. It’s the only insurer in all 82 counties, and its $6,000 median max annual cost exposure is the lowest in the table. Cost exposure is the most a member could pay in a year for covered in-network care, premiums included.

The CMS star rating is Medicare’s 1-to-5 quality score. Aetna Medicare matches Humana’s 4-star median, yet its cost exposure is $3,850 higher. Zing Health and HealthSpring cost less but rate 3.5 stars.

Only Humana and UnitedHealthcare reach 79 or more counties, so compare those two first, then any smaller insurer serving your county.

Mississippi’s Medicare Advantage market gives residents wide choice, with 26 plans in the median county, though a $0 premium rarely means low costs.

Medicare Advantage plans are private plans that replace Original Medicare, the federal program covering hospital and doctor care. Most charge no premium, yet the median plan caps yearly in-network costs at $6,850. People who keep Original Medicare can add a Medicare Supplement plan to pay many of its out-of-pocket costs.

Eight carriers sell plans, and we rated seven. Healthy Mississippi, Inc. offers plans in 81 counties but isn’t rated here. As a new contract, it has no CMS star rating or member-satisfaction data yet.

When choosing a plan, weigh your doctors and prescriptions against how much you’re comfortable paying out of pocket.

Medicare Advantage costs in Mississippi depend more on plan type than on premiums, since the median plan of every type except Regional PPOs charges $0 a month. HMOs carry the lowest median out-of-pocket maximum, $800 below standard PPOs. PPOs still make up more than half of the state’s 48 plans, so the costlier plan type is the one you’ll see most often.

A primary care visit has a $15 median copay under every plan type, so it won’t separate one plan from another. If you rarely leave your network, an HMO keeps your worst-year bill lowest. Regional PPOs serve all 82 counties, charge a $29 median premium and still cap costs $750 below standard PPOs.

*Median cost figures across all 48 non-SNP Mississippi MA plans, grouped by plan type. All dollar figures rounded to nearest dollar. Source: CMS 2027 data, MoneyGeek analysis.

Mississippi residents can compare plans and find free counseling or cost assistance through these state and federal resources.

• Mississippi SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program): Free, unbiased counseling from trained local volunteers who help Medicare beneficiaries compare plan costs and enrollment options. Reach SHIP through the Mississippi Department of Human Services.
• Medicare Plan Finder: The federal tool for comparing Medicare Advantage plans by ZIP code, including premiums, out-of-pocket limits, drug formularies and CMS star ratings. Available at medicare.gov/plan-compare.
• Mississippi Insurance Department: The state agency that licenses and regulates insurance carriers in Mississippi. Use it to verify a carrier's standing or file a complaint about a plan.
• Social Security Administration: Handles Medicare enrollment for most Mississippi residents. Use it to apply for Medicare or set up Part B premium payments. Available at ssa.gov.
• Mississippi Medicare Savings Programs: State assistance for residents who qualify for help paying Part B premiums and other Medicare cost-sharing.

For the 2027 plan year, MoneyGeek rated Mississippi Medicare Advantage companies using data from five CMS sources: the Medicare Plan Landscape File, Plan Benefit Package files, CMS Star Ratings, the CAHPS Report Card Master Table and the Contract/Plan Enrollment file.

The ratings cover 48 non-SNP plans from 8 carriers across 18 CMS contracts in Mississippi’s 82 counties. Special Needs Plans are not part of the analysis. To be rated, a carrier needed to serve at least five Mississippi counties and have complete affordability, quality and benefits data on file.

How We Score Carriers
Carriers that meet the eligibility threshold receive an overall MoneyGeek score out of five. That score is a weighted average across three categories:

• Affordability (40%): Maximum annual cost exposure, which adds annual premiums to the maximum out-of-pocket limit, plus inpatient hospital, specialist and primary care costs.
• Quality and Member Experience (40%): CMS Star Ratings make up 60% of this category and CAHPS Rating of Health Plan scores make up 40%. We measure both at the contract level. Healthy Mississippi, Inc. sells plans in 81 counties but isn’t rated. As a new contract, it has no CMS star rating or member-satisfaction data yet.
• Benefits and Access (20%): Supplemental benefits, covering dental, OTC, vision and hearing, make up 50% of this category. County coverage makes up 30% and the number of plan choices per county makes up 20%.