preferred provider organization

But out-of-network care is also covered, albeit with higher out-of-pocket costs (this is in contrast to a plan like an HMO, which generally won’t cover out-of-network costs at all).

There are two types of Medicare Advantage PPOs: Regional PPOs and local PPOs. A regional PPO has a service area that covers an entire state or multi-state area determined by Medicare, whereas a local PPO serves a county or group of counties determined by the Medicare Advantage plan and approved by Medicare.¹

Virtually all Medicare Advantage PPOs are local PPOs. Local PPOs account for 42% of all Medicare Advantage plans in 2024, while regional PPOs account for only about 1% of plans.²

Not all areas have Medicare Advantage PPOs available. You can check plan availability using the Medicare plan finder tool. You’ll be able to filter the results by plan type; if PPOs are available, that will be one of the options you can select.