Humana Medicare Advantage and Medigap Review (2024)

Humana medicare plans and options

Humana offers a variety of products and services, including Medicare, Medicaid and supplemental insurance policies. However, it's best known for its highly rated Medicare Advantage plans, such as the Humana Gold Plus plan.

Humana used to offer individual and group health insurance plans but has discontinued both product lines. If you're in the market for a cheap health insurance plan, Kaiser Permanente or Aetna are both top options.

Humana Medicare Advantage plans

Humana has a 4.3 out of 5 star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) for its $0 Medicare Advantage plans. CMS star ratings measure a number of important factors like customer satisfaction and plan quality.

You can enroll in a Humana Medicare Advantage plan if you're already enrolled in Original Medicare (Parts A and B). When choosing between Humana's Medicare Advantage policies, you should take note of the network options. Humana has three different options to choose from:

Humana's Medicare Advantage plans are available in 49 states . Many offer extra benefits like prescription drug coverage, wellness programs and acupuncture. More than 86% of Humana Medicare Advantage plans are rated four stars or better.

You still have to pay your $174.70 per month Medicare Part B monthly rate when enrolled in a Medicare Advantage $0 plan. However, some plans like Humana Gold Plus have a giveback benefit that will reduce that monthly cost.

Humana Medicare Supplement plans

Humana offers every Medicare Supplement Plan except Plans D and M, although some plans are not available in certain states. All Humana Medicare Supplement benefits are standardized by plan letter.

Across the board, Humana's Medigap policies cost slightly more than the nationwide average. When looking at specific plan types, that difference can become more dramatic. Humana charges an average of $11 per month more than average for a Plan G policy.

In addition to not being cheap, Humana gets nearly five times as many complaints as a similar-sized insurance company for its Medicare Supplement plans according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).

Humana Part D plans

Humana Medicare Part D offers three stand-alone prescription drug coverage plans. You can also have a Part D plan if you buy a Medicare Supplement plan.

Keep in mind that you can only buy a Part D plan if you have Original Medicare. You can't buy a Part D plan if you have Medicare Advantage.

Humana Part D plans cost an average of $51 per month, which is 4% higher than the national average of $49 per month. Humana offers three Part D plans, which range from $33 per month to $82 per month.

Cheaper plans like the Humana Walmart Value Rx cover fewer drugs and have higher out-of-pocket costs. More expensive plans like the Humana Premier Rx cover more drugs and you'll pay less when you get your prescription filled.

Before your health insurance will start paying for your drugs, you will have to reach your drug deductible. After you hit that amount, the Humana Part D plan will pay for the full cost of your prescription drugs.

You'll pay anywhere from $0 to $545 before your Part D insurance kicks in for generic drugs. For brand-name drugs, you can expect to pay $200 to $545 out of pocket before your Humana Part D plan coverage begins.

Humana Medicaid plans

Humana also offers Medicaid plans in some states. That means if you're eligible for Medicaid, you may have the option to get your care through Humana. Although Medicaid is a public health plan, some states choose to partner with private health insurance companies to offer added benefits to their enrollees.

Humana Medicaid offers extras with its Medicaid coverage, such as wellness programs, transportation services and prescription drug coverage. You can get Humana Medicaid plans in six states.

Dental insurance

Humana offers eight separate dental plans.

A 30-year-old man in California pays $60 per month for a Complete Dental policy. You'll pay $50 before your insurance kicks in and nothing out of pocket for routine maintenance and X-rays.

You'll also pay 20% of the cost for fillings, coinsurance , and half the cost of extractions, oral surgery, crowns, root canals and dentures.

What Humana dental covers

The Complete Dental policy comes with a six-month waiting period for basic check-ups and a one-year waiting period for major procedures. Waiting periods are standard for many dental policies. This encourages people to sign up for dental care before they need it.

If you're in dire need of care, you can purchase a dental plan through Humana without a waiting period. However, you should prepare to pay more for this type of policy.

Humana vision insurance

Humana's vision insurance helps pay for services such as routine eye exams, contact lenses and frames.

Humana only offers one vision insurance plan: Humana Vision Plus. However, you also have the option to bundle supplemental insurance plans like dental, vision and hearing for a discount.

Humana bundled vision, dental and hearing plans

Humana lets you bundle your vision, dental and hearing insurance. Plans run from roughly $40 to $99 per month, depending on the coverage level. You can choose from the Humana Extend 1250, 2500 and 5000 plans.

The numbers that come after "Humana Extend" refer to the most your policy will pay in a year, called your annual benefit limit. For example, the Humana Extend 1250 plan pays a maximum of $1,250 in benefits per year, while the Humana Extend 5000 plan pays up to $5,000 per year.

Member benefits and resources

By becoming a Humana healthcare member, you can use the online MyHumana portal. This is available online and can also be accessed through the company's app. On this platform, you can pay your monthly bill, locate a doctor and even find additional information like a guide to drug pricing.

In addition to the MyHumana platform, the company offers all members access to the Go365 wellness program. The program allows members to save on their monthly rate by participating in healthy activities such as exercising or eating fruits and vegetables.

Customer reviews and complaints

Humana gets 13% fewer customer complaints compared to an average insurance company of the same size. However, its Medicare Supplement division gets almost five times as many complaints as a typical Medigap company, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). That could mean you're more likely to experience delays and poor customer service when filing a claim if you have a Humana Medigap policy.

In 2023, J.D. Power ranked Humana first in Florida and second in California for overall Medicare Advantage customer satisfaction. Humana came in third in Texas and New York, but it only placed seventh in Pennsylvania.

Frequently asked questions

Is Humana Medicare Advantage good?

Humana has some of the best Medicare Advantage plans for 2024. It offers highly rated $0 Medicare Advantage plans that come with extra benefits like wellness programs and a Part B giveback.

What is a Humana Medicare Advantage PPO plan?

Humana's PPO (preferred provider organization) plan lets you visit doctors outside of the company's Medicare Advantage network of doctors. While PPO policies usually cost more than a HMO (health maintenance organization) policy, Humana offers more PPO plans than HMO plans because many consumers prefer the greater flexibility of a PPO.

Is Humana Gold Plus a Medicare Advantage plan?

Yes, Humana Gold Plus is a $0 Medicare Advantage plan. It comes with several desirable benefits like prescription drug coverage, no deductible , a limit on how much you'll pay for medical care each year and a reduction of up to $100 on your Medicare Part B monthly rate.

When can I buy a Humana Medicare Advantage plan?

You can buy a Humana Gold Plus plan during the annual enrollment period, also known as open enrollment. During open enrollment, you can shop for Medicare Advantage plan offerings if you're eligible for Medicare.

Sources and methodology

ValuePenguin found average Medicare Supplement rates using information from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Medicare.gov. Customer satisfaction information is from J.D. Power survey results and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). All price quotes are for a 65-year-old woman who does not smoke.

Medicare Part D rates are also based on data from CMS. Employer plans and sanctioned plans are excluded from average rates.