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  1. 🏠
  2. Medicare Advantage Plans
  3. Maryland
  4. Howard County

2026 Medicare Advantage Plans in Howard County, MD

Last update: September 2, 2026.

For 2026, Howard County, MD includes 20 Medicare Advantage plans. Enrollment across these plans totals approximately 7,280, with 9 $0 premium options and 25% rated 4 stars or higher.

This page and its statistics exclude Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans (SNPs). Special Needs Plans in Howard County, MD are summarized separately. Visit Medicare Options in Howard County, MD to see more options.

  • PPO Plans
  • HMO Plans
  • HMO-POS Plans

At a Glance

County-level summary of Medicare Advantage plan availability and enrollment based on CMS data.

  • Average Monthly Premium: $34.95/mo
  • $0 Premium Plans: 9
  • Average MOOP: $7,625 ($9,250 max. in 2026)
  • Star Ratings (Plan Mix): 4+ Stars: 25% · 3 Stars: 75% · Below 3: 0%
  • Average Part D Deductible: $272.33
  • Total MA/MAPD Enrollment: 7,280
  • Plans with the Highest Enrollment
    (as of September 8, 2026)
    1. CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Essential (PPO) — 1,543 enrollees
    2. Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Value 2 MD (HMO) — 836 enrollees
    3. Humana Gold Plus H6622-095 (HMO) — 742 enrollees

Medicare Advantage PPO Plans

Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans allow members to choose care from both in-network and out-of-network providers. Out-of-network care usually costs more, but PPOs offer greater flexibility in how members access care.

Total PPO Plans
6
Average Monthly Premium
$49.50/mo
Total PPO Enrollment
3,280
$0 Premium PPO Plans
2
Average MOOP
$7,358
Top PPO by Enrollment
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Essential (PPO) — 1,543 enrollees
PPO Plans Without Drug Coverage
1

2026 PPO Medicare Advantage plans in Howard County, Maryland (comparison chart)
PPO Plan Name Rating* Premium MOOP Rx Ded. Plan-ID
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Complete
☆☆☆☆☆
$42 $7,300 $0 H7379-002-0
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Essential
☆☆☆☆☆
$0 $8,300 $0 H7379-001-0
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Salute
☆☆☆☆☆
$0 $5,900 N/A H7379-003-0
Johns Hopkins Advantage MD
☆☆☆☆☆
$95 $7,550 $615 H3890-001-0
Johns Hopkins Advantage MD Plus
☆☆☆☆☆
$155 $7,550 $615 H3890-002-0
Johns Hopkins Advantage MD Primary
☆☆☆☆☆
$5 $7,550 $590 H3890-005-0

What is the average monthly premium for PPO plans in Howard?

PPO plans in Howard cost $49.50 per month on average.

Which PPO plan has the highest enrollment in Howard?

The most popular PPO plan in Howard is CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Essential (PPO), with 1,543 enrollees.

How many PPO plans in Howard do not include prescription drug coverage?

1 PPO plans in Howard do not include prescription drug coverage.

Medicare Advantage HMO Plans

Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans generally require members to use in-network doctors, hospitals, and other providers, except in emergencies. Because of this structure, HMOs often have lower premiums and out-of-pocket costs than other plan types.

  • Total HMO Plans 11
  • Average Monthly Premium $21.09/mo
  • Total HMO Enrollment 2,748
  • $0 Premium HMO Plans 7
  • Average MOOP $7,841
  • Top HMO by Enrollment Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Value 2 MD (HMO) — 836 enrollees
  • HMO Plans Without Drug Coverage 4

2026 HMO Medicare Advantage plans in Howard County, Maryland (comparison chart)
Plan Name Rating* Premium MOOP Rx Ded. Plan-ID
Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Liberty
☆☆☆☆☆
$0 $5,900 N/A H2172-005-0
Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Value 2 MD
☆☆☆☆☆
$0 $8,900 $0 H2172-026-0
Alterwood Advantage Choice
☆☆☆☆☆
$30 $7,500 $0 H9306-008-1
Alterwood Advantage Choice Plus
☆☆☆☆☆
$122 $6,500 $0 H9306-002-0
Alterwood Advantage Freedom
☆☆☆☆☆
$0 $9,250 N/A H9306-003-0
Alterwood Advantage Select
☆☆☆☆☆
$0 $7,500 $295 H9306-009-1
Humana Gold Plus H6622-081
☆☆☆☆☆
$35 $8,950 $615 H6622-081-0
Humana Gold Plus H6622-095
☆☆☆☆☆
$0 $9,250 $615 H6622-095-0
Humana USAA Honor Giveback
☆☆☆☆☆
$0 $6,750 N/A H6622-094-0
Johns Hopkins Advantage MD
☆☆☆☆☆
$45 $8,950 $590 H1225-001-0
Johns Hopkins Advantage MD Tribute
☆☆☆☆☆
$0 $6,800 N/A H1225-004-0
What is the top HMO by enrollment in Howard?

Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Value 2 MD (HMO) is the top HMO in Howard, with 836 enrollees.

What is the number of HMO plans without Part D coverage in Howard?

4 HMO plans in Howard do not include prescription drug coverage.

Medicare Advantage HMO-POS Plans

HMO-POS plans are structured like HMOs, requiring in-network care for the lowest costs, while allowing limited out-of-network access at higher cost. This provides added flexibility compared with standard HMO plans.

Total HMO-POS Plans
3
Average Monthly Premium
$56.67/mo
Total HMO-POS Enrollment
1,252
$0 Premium HMO-POS Plans
0
Average MOOP
$7,367
Top HMO-POS by Enrollment
Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Standard 2 MD (HMO-POS) — 577 enrollees
HMO-POS Plans Without Drug Coverage
0

2026 HMO-POS Medicare Advantage plans in Howard County, Maryland (comparison chart)
Plan Name Rating* Premium MOOP Rx Ded. Plan-ID
Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Care Plus MD
☆☆☆☆☆
$28 $7,500 $150 H2172-014-0
Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage High MD
☆☆☆☆☆
$104 $5,700 $0 H2172-002-0
Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Standard 2 MD
☆☆☆☆☆
$38 $8,900 $0 H2172-022-0

What is the typical premium for HMO-POS plans in Howard?

HMO-POS plans in Howard cost $56.67 per month on average.

Which HMO-POS plan has the most members in Howard?

The most popular HMO-POS plan in Howard is Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Standard 2 MD (HMO-POS), with 577 enrollees.

How many HMO-POS options are offered without prescription drug coverage in Howard?

There are 0 HMO-POS plans in Howard without prescription drug coverage.

CMS quality ratings for Medicare Advantage plans in Howard County, MD (2026) are summarized below.

Medicare Advantage Plan Ratings in Howard County, MD (2026)
Rating Category Number of Plans Percent of Plans
5 Stars No 5-star plans available. 0%
4 Stars (includes 5 Stars) 5 25%
3 Stars 15 75%
Below 3 Stars 0 0%
Not Rated 0 0%
Average Rating 3.68

* CMS assigns Medicare Advantage star ratings annually based on plan quality and performance measures.

  • CMS.gov, Medicare Advantage & Special Needs Plan Landscape Source Files — Version: 202608
  • CMS.gov, Medicare Part C & D Performance Data — Version: 2026
  • CMS.gov, Medicare Advantage & Part D Contract and Enrollment Data — Version: 2026-08

All plan counts, enrollment totals, averages, and percentage distributions are calculated at the county level using CMS data and include standard Medicare Advantage (MA/MAPD) plans only, based on a consistent aggregation methodology.

Data sources and methodology documentation .

  • Medicare.gov, "Understanding Medicare Advantage Plans" — Last accessed 25 May, 2025
  • Medicare.gov, "Compare Original Medicare & Medicare Advantage" — Last accessed 25 May, 2025
  • NCOA.org, "5 Steps to Choosing the Right Medicare Plan for You" — Last accessed 25 May, 2025

MedicarePlans.com is an independent, non-government informational resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Government or the federal Medicare program.

Data provenance is documented in accordance with the U.S. Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI) Provenance standard .

Page content independently curated and maintained by David W. Bynon, Editorial Steward, using a standardized, data-driven methodology for accurate, non-commercial Medicare plan interpretation and resolution.

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