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South Dakota · 2027 plan year

Medicare Advantage PPO plans in South Dakota

There are 20 Medicare Advantage PPO plans in South Dakota from 4 carriers, averaging 4.08 out of 5 stars across the 20 plans CMS has rated. 40% of those with a published premium charge $0 a month (8 of 20); beyond the premium, what separates them is network, drug coverage and how much you could owe in a bad year.

20
PPO plans
4
Carriers
47
Counties covered
4.1
Average stars
$7,150
Median out-of-pocket max

Across the 20 PPO plans in South Dakota that publish one, the in-network out-of-pocket maximum has a median of $7,150 and tops out at $9,850 — the ceiling on what you pay in a year for covered in-network care. The mean is $7,388, which sits above the median — the spread is not symmetric, so the median is the better guide.

A $0 plan premium is not a free plan. You still pay your Part B premium to Medicare, plus copays and coinsurance as you use care. Star ratings are published by CMS per contract, so every plan a carrier files under the same contract shares one rating — it describes the carrier’s performance, not this specific plan’s benefits. Estimate your real costs.

Most PPO plans in South Dakota rate 4 stars or better.

20 of 20 plans here carry an overall rating of at least 4 stars. Where ratings cluster this high they stop being a useful way to sort plans — network, drug coverage and out-of-pocket limits will separate these more than the star count will.

South Dakota PPO plans rank 13th of 51 on star rating.

Across the 20 rated plans here the average overall rating is 4.08 stars, 13th highest of the 51 states with PPO plans. Ratings apply to the contract, so every plan a carrier files under one contract shares the same score.

Not sure whether Medicare Advantage suits you at all? Medicare Advantage vs Original Medicare covers the trade in plain language.

Highest rated

Top-rated PPO plans in South Dakota

PlanStarsOut-of-pocket maxPremium / mo
AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot No Rx SI-MA2 (PPO)UnitedHealthcare4.5★$7,150$0
UHC Dual Complete SD-Q1 (PPO D-SNP)UnitedHealthcare · Dual-Eligible SNP4.5★$9,850$24.60
UHC Dual Complete SD-S2 (PPO D-SNP)UnitedHealthcare · Dual-Eligible SNP4.5★$9,850$24.60
Medica Advantage Preferred (PPO)Medica4★$4,450$247
Medica Advantage Salute (PPO)Medica4★$4,450$0

Showing 5 of 20. See all South DakotaMedicare Advantage plans →

Who sells here

PPO plans by carrier

CarrierPlansAvg starsSNPs
Aetna MedicareCVS Health Corporation84.03
MedicaMedica Holding Company74.0—
UnitedHealthcareUnitedHealth Group, Inc.34.52
Align powered by Sanford Health PlanSanford Health24.0—
Other plan types in South Dakota

How PPO compares

HMO
Not rated · 1 carriers
2 plans
PPO
4.1★ avg · 4 carriers
20 plans · you are here

All South DakotaMedicare Advantage plans →

Nearby on quality

States with similar PPO star ratings

Michigan
4.08★ average
83 PPO plans
North Dakota
4.07★ average
15 PPO plans
Connecticut
4.06★ average
28 PPO plans
Common questions

South Dakota Medicare Advantage PPO plans, answered

How much do Medicare Advantage PPO plans cost in South Dakota?
Of the South Dakota PPO plans with a published premium, 40% charge $0 a month. The monthly premium is what you pay the plan for its medical (Part C) and drug (Part D) coverage together. A $0 premium does not mean the plan is free: you still pay your Part B premium to Medicare, plus copays and coinsurance as you use care. The number that actually caps a bad year is the in-network out-of-pocket maximum, with a median of $7,150 across these plans.
What are the star ratings for South Dakota PPO plans?
The 20 rated PPO plans in South Dakota average 4.08 out of 5 stars, with 20 rating 4 or better. CMS rates a contract rather than an individual plan, so every plan a carrier files under the same contract shares one score. A contract that is too new or has too little data is not rated at all, which is different from rating badly.
How many Medicare Advantage PPO plans are available in South Dakota?
There are 20 PPO plans from 4 carriers, sold across 47 counties. Availability is set by county, so the plans you can actually join depend on where you live — the full list is rarely available in any one place. 5 of them are Special Needs Plans with extra eligibility rules (see below).
Do South Dakota PPO plans include prescription drug coverage?
17 of the 20 PPO plans here bundle Part D drug coverage into the plan. That is the usual arrangement for Medicare Advantage, and you pay one monthly premium to the plan — but that premium has a medical (Part C) part and a drug (Part D) part, and the drug part is often what makes it more than $0. Each plan's page shows both. If you join a Medicare Advantage plan without drug coverage, you generally cannot add a standalone Part D plan alongside it.
What is a Special Needs Plan, and are there any in South Dakota?
5 of the 20 PPO plans in South Dakota are Special Needs Plans. SNPs limit enrollment to people who also have Medicaid, live in a nursing home or similar institution, or have a qualifying chronic condition. They often carry richer benefits for that group, but if you do not meet the criteria you cannot join one — so the real number of plans open to you may be lower than the total.

A $0 premium is not the whole cost.
See what a year really looks like.

Simplivera models your actual annual costs across South Dakota Medicare Advantage plans.

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