Tufts Medicare Preferred 2027: Massachusetts Medicare Advantage Plans

KEY TAKEAWAY

For 2027, Tufts Medicare Preferred sells HMO and PPO plans in 10 Massachusetts counties. The $0 Access PPO is gone, the replacement PPO RX carries a county-based premium, and Tufts’s HMO contract is not among the 15 plans rated 5 stars for 2027. Check the exact plan and rating sold in your ZIP code.

MEMBERS WERE NOT MOVED AUTOMATICALLY

Point32Health discontinued the $0 premium Tufts Medicare Preferred Access (PPO) plan. Members were notified that it would not be offered and told to choose another plan themselves during open enrollment. Nobody was auto-enrolled into the replacement. If you held that plan and did not act, you did not roll into the new PPO by default.

These are the figures that applied when the plan replaced the discontinued $0 PPO. Tufts Medicare Preferred PPO RX is offered again for 2027 across most of Tufts’s Massachusetts counties, and its 2027 premium and benefits may differ from these. Check your own ZIP code for what is actually available to you.

HMO Basic Rx and Basic No Rx. The entry plans. Basic No Rx has no built-in prescription drug coverage and is intended for people who get drug coverage elsewhere, such as through an employer or the VA.

HMO Smart Saver Rx. A lower-premium HMO with drug coverage included and higher cost sharing when you use care.

HMO Value Rx and Value No Rx. The middle tier, with and without built-in drug coverage.

HMO Prime Rx, Prime Rx Plus and Prime No Rx. The richer HMOs, with lower cost sharing at the point of care in exchange for a higher premium.

PPO RX. The out-of-network option, priced by county as shown above.

2027 STAR RATINGS

CMS released the 2027 star ratings on October 8, 2026. Tufts’s main HMO contract (H2256) was for years one of New England’s 5-star plans, but it is not among the 15 contracts rated 5 stars for 2027. That does not make it a weak plan, but it does mean the 5-Star Special Enrollment Period does not apply to it. Check the exact 2027 rating on any Tufts plan you are considering, and see the full 2027 Medicare Advantage star ratings.

CHECK BY ZIP CODE, NOT BY STATE

Medicare Advantage service areas are defined county by county, not state by state. Two neighbouring towns in the same Massachusetts county can have different plans available and different premiums — the PPO pricing above is the clearest example. Enter your ZIP code to see what Tufts actually offers where you live.

➤ What is Tufts Medicare Preferred?

Tufts Medicare Preferred is the Medicare Advantage product line sold by Point32Health, the parent company created when Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care merged. For 2027 it offers HMO and PPO Medicare Advantage plans in 10 Massachusetts counties, along with Senior Care Options coverage for people who qualify for both Medicare and MassHealth.

➤ Did Tufts discontinue its $0 PPO plan?

Yes. The $0 premium Tufts Medicare Preferred Access (PPO) plan was discontinued and replaced with Tufts Medicare Preferred PPO RX, which carries a monthly premium that varies by county — $60 in Suffolk County, $40 in Middlesex County and $20 in all other counties. Members of the discontinued plan were not automatically enrolled in the replacement; they were notified and told to choose a plan themselves during open enrollment.

➤ What states does Tufts Medicare Preferred cover?

Massachusetts. For 2027, CMS plan data lists Tufts Medicare Preferred plans in 10 Massachusetts counties and none in Rhode Island. Tufts Medicare Preferred is a regional plan and does not sell Medicare Advantage outside New England. If you live in New Hampshire or Maine, the equivalent plan from the same parent company is Harvard Pilgrim Stride, which has its own separate network and service area.

➤ What is the difference between HMO Prime Rx and Smart Saver Rx?

Both include prescription drug coverage. Smart Saver Rx carries a lower monthly premium with higher cost sharing when you actually use care, while Prime Rx costs more each month and charges you less at the point of care. If you see doctors often or take several prescriptions, the richer plan usually works out cheaper across a full year. HMO Basic No Rx is a third option without built-in drug coverage, intended for people who already have creditable drug coverage elsewhere.

➤ Is Tufts Medicare Preferred the same as Tufts Health Plan?

Tufts Medicare Preferred is the Medicare Advantage brand within Tufts Health Plan, which is itself now part of Point32Health following the merger with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. If you are shopping Medicare, Tufts Medicare Preferred is the name on the plans you want. Tufts Health Plan also sells commercial and Medicaid coverage that has nothing to do with Medicare.

➤ What are Tufts Health Plan Senior Care Options?

Senior Care Options is a Massachusetts program for people aged 65 and over who qualify for both Medicare and MassHealth. It combines both sets of benefits into a single plan with care coordination built in, and typically carries no premium for those who qualify. It is a different product from the standard Tufts Medicare Preferred HMO and PPO plans, and you have to be dually eligible to enrol.

➤ When can I enroll in a Tufts Medicare Preferred plan for 2027?

The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, and coverage you choose during it begins January 1, 2027. You can also enroll when you first become eligible for Medicare, or during a Special Enrollment Period if you move, lose other coverage, or your current plan is discontinued. If your Tufts plan is ending, that discontinuation itself opens a Special Enrollment Period.