HealthPartners Journey Smart (PPO)

HealthPartners Journey Smart (PPO) is a PPO plan offered by Healthpartners, Inc. available for the 2026 plan year to people living in Metro and Central MN Counties. This plan received an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars in 2026.

It's important to know that HealthPartners Journey Smart (PPO) is a Medicare Advantage (MA) Plan with drug coverage. That means that this plan covers both medical services and prescription drugs.

Key Plan Facts

Below are a few key facts and commonly-asked questions about HealthPartners Journey Smart (PPO).

Plan Costs:

The cost of a Medicare Advantage Plan is made up of four main parts.

• First, the monthly premium — the amount you pay every month.
• Second, the deductible — the amount you pay out of pocket for covered services before the plan starts paying.
• Third, the copayments and coinsurance — the amounts you pay out of pocket for covered services, usually after meeting the deductible (if applicable). Copays are fixed dollar amounts; coinsurance is a percentage of the cost.
• Fourth, the Out-of-Pocket Maximum — the maximum amount you could have to pay out of pocket in a year. This may be different for in-network and out-of-network services.

You can see below for the coinsurance and specific copayments for in the Additional Benefits section below, or refer to our Plan Details page for more details.

Common Services:

Drug Coverage

The HealthPartners Journey Smart (PPO) plan features an annual prescription drug deductible of $400. Tier 1 preferred generic drugs are highly affordable, offering no copay for 1-month and 3-month supplies at standard pharmacies and through mail order. Tier 2 generic medications require a $5 copay for a 1-month supply, with 3-month supplies costing $15 at standard pharmacies or a reduced $10 through preferred mail order. For brand-name and specialty medications, the plan uses coinsurance instead of flat copays. Tier 3 preferred brand drugs require a 20% coinsurance, while Tier 4 non-preferred drugs have a 38% coinsurance for both short- and long-term supplies. Specialty drugs in Tier 5 are covered with a 25% coinsurance for a 1-month supply through standard pharmacies and mail-order options.

Additional Benefits

The HealthPartners Journey Smart (PPO) plan offers comprehensive coverage for core medical needs, featuring no copay and no coinsurance for primary care visits and preventive care. For specialized treatment, members pay a $50 copay for specialist visits and physical therapy, while emergency room visits carry a $130 copay. Inpatient hospital stays require a $450 daily copay for the first five days with no copay for subsequent days, and outpatient hospital services have a $500 copay. Supplemental benefits are also highly accessible, including dental care with no copay and no coinsurance up to a $2,000 annual maximum. Routine eye and hearing exams are available for a $50 copay, with eyewear covered up to $250 and prescription hearing aids requiring copays starting at $499. Additionally, home health services are provided with no copay, and skilled nursing facility stays feature no copay for the first 20 days.

Plan Providers

Medicare Advantage and Part D plans and benefits offered by the following carriers: Aetna Medicare, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Aspire Health Plan, Dean Health Plan, Devoted Health, Florida Blue Medicare, Freedom Health, Health Care Service Corporation, HealthSpring^SM, HealthSun, Healthy Blue, Humana, Molina Healthcare, Mutual of Omaha, Medica Central Health Plan, Optimum HealthCare, Premera Blue Cross, SCAN Health Plan, Simply, UnitedHealthcare(R), Wellcare, WellPoint.