Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Protect (PPO) in Collin County, Texas — 2026 plan details
Last updated Jul 18, 2026
Reviewed by Jason Burns, Editorial Steward
Published by Senior Direct Answers · Licensed under Citation License 1.0
Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Protect (PPO) (H8634-026) is a $0-premium Medicare Advantage PPO from Health Care Service Corporation available in Collin County, Texas in 2026, with a 3.0-star overall rating, a $6,950 in-network out-of-pocket maximum, and a $0 annual Part D drug deductible.
Plan facts (CMS CY2026 Landscape file)
| Organization | Health Care Service Corporation |
|---|---|
| Plan name | Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Protect (PPO) |
| Contract ID | H8634 |
| Plan ID | 026 |
| Segment ID | 0 |
| Contract year | 2026 |
| Contract category | MA |
| Plan type | PPO |
| SNP | No |
| Monthly consolidated premium | — |
| Part C premium | $0.00 |
| Part D basic premium | — |
| Part D total premium | — |
| Annual Part D deductible | — |
| Maximum out-of-pocket (in-network) | $6950.00 |
| Overall star rating | 3.0 |
How this plan is structured
- $0 consolidated premium. A $0 or near-$0 consolidated premium does not remove the Part B premium — the standard 2026 Part B premium is $202.90 per month and still applies. See the 2026 Medicare Part B premium.
- PPO plan type. Plan-type rules determine in-network use and referrals. See how Medicare Advantage HMO and PPO plans differ.
- $6,950 in-network out-of-pocket maximum. The MOOP is the annual cap on what a member pays in-network for covered Part A and Part B services. See how the Medicare Advantage MOOP works.
- Service area = Collin County. Medicare Advantage plans are sold by service area; moving out of the plan's service area triggers a Special Enrollment Period to switch plans. See how moving changes your Medicare options.
How it compares in Collin County
The CMS CY2026 Landscape file lists 97 Medicare Advantage plans in Collin County, Texas, of which 6 carry a 5.0-star overall rating and 61 have a $0 consolidated monthly premium. Consolidated premiums range from $0.00 to $182.00 per month, and in-network out-of-pocket maximums range from $1000.00 to $9250.00.
Other 5.0-star Medicare Advantage plans in Collin County (first three alphabetically):
| Plan | Organization | Premium | MOOP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erickson Advantage Champion (HMO-POS C-SNP) | UnitedHealth Group, Inc. | $182.00 | $3400.00 |
| Erickson Advantage Freedom (HMO-POS) | UnitedHealth Group, Inc. | $89.00 | $4900.00 |
| Erickson Advantage Guardian (HMO-POS I-SNP) | UnitedHealth Group, Inc. | $0.00 | $1000.00 |
For the full county plan directory, see all Medicare plans in Collin County, Texas.
How to verify your doctors take this plan
Network participation changes throughout the year; we hold no provider-network data, so verify directly with these three sources before you decide:
- Open the plan's official Medicare.gov page and use its provider-directory link: Medicare.gov Plan Finder — H8634-026.
- Call the plan (Health Care Service Corporation) using the member-services number listed on that plan page and ask whether each doctor, hospital, and pharmacy is in-network for 2026.
- Get free, unbiased help from your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) — see free unbiased Medicare help from SHIP.
What H8634-026 means
CMS assigns every Medicare Advantage and Part D offering a plan identifier made of three parts. In H8634-026, the leading H marks the contract type (H = Medicare Advantage / Part C contract), the four digits 8634 are the contract number issued to the organization, and the three-digit 026 is the plan benefit package under that contract. The segment ID 0 identifies the service-area segment within the plan (0 = the default single segment).
Frequently asked questions
Is Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Protect (PPO) an HMO or PPO?
Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Protect (PPO) is a PPO Medicare Advantage plan.
Does Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Protect (PPO) include prescription drug coverage?
Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Protect (PPO) does not include Part D prescription drug coverage in its consolidated benefits.
What is the maximum out-of-pocket cost for Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Protect (PPO)?
The 2026 in-network maximum out-of-pocket limit for Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Protect (PPO) is $6950.00, per the CMS CY2026 Landscape file.
What counties offer Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Protect (PPO) (H8634-026)?
Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Protect (PPO) (H8634-026) is offered in 113 Texas counties: Anderson County, Aransas County, Archer County, Armstrong County, Baylor County, Bee County, Bell County, Blanco County, Borden County, Bosque County, Brazos County, Brewster County, Briscoe County, Burleson County, Calhoun County, Camp County, Castro County, Childress County, Clay County, Coleman County, Collin County, Concho County, Coryell County, Crane County, Crosby County, Culberson County, Dallas County, Dawson County, Deaf Smith County, Delta County, DeWitt County, Dimmit County, Duval County, Ector County, Edwards County, Fisher County, Floyd County, Foard County, Frio County, Garza County, Glasscock County, Goliad County, Grayson County, Hale County, Hall County, Hamilton County, Hansford County, Hartley County, Haskell County, Henderson County, Houston County, Howard County, Hudspeth County, Hunt County, Hutchinson County, Jack County, Jackson County, Jim Hogg County, Jim Wells County, Kenedy County, Kent County, Kimble County, Kinney County, Kleberg County, Knox County, La Salle County, Lavaca County, Live Oak County, Loving County, Lynn County, Martin County, Maverick County, McCulloch County, Menard County, Mills County, Montague County, Moore County, Morris County, Motley County, Oldham County, Panola County, Potter County, Randall County, Red River County, Roberts County, Runnels County, Rusk County, San Augustine County, San Jacinto County, San Patricio County, Schleicher County, Shackelford County, Shelby County, Sherman County, Stephens County, Sterling County, Stonewall County, Sutton County, Swisher County, Terry County, Throckmorton County, Titus County, Trinity County, Tyler County, Upton County, Van Zandt County, Webb County, Wheeler County, Willacy County, Yoakum County, Young County, Zapata County, and Zavala County.
Sources
- CMS, Plan Year 2026 Medicare Advantage & Part D Landscape source file (March 2026) — retrieved 2026-07-18. Overall star rating year: 2026.
- Medicare.gov Plan Finder — compare plans and enroll.