Humana Health Insurance 2023: Great for Medicare Advantage Plans
Humana sells Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement and Medicaid policies, as well as vision and dental insurance plans. It no longer offers group and individual health insurance plans.
Humana doesn't offer the cheapest policies on the market, although its wide range of plans and robust benefits might make it a worthwhile choice for some.
Humana plans and options
Humana offers a variety of products and services, including Medicare, Medicaid and supplemental insurance policies. Humana used to offer individual and group health insurance plans, although it has discontinued both product lines. If you're in the market for a cheap health insurance plan, we recommend Kaiser Permanente or Aetna.
Note that Humana no longer offers individual health insurance policies. The company removed all of these health insurance plans from the state and government exchanges beginning with the 2018 enrollment period.
Humana discontinued its group health plans earlier this year.
Humana Medicare Advantage plans
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 provider network options. Humana has three different provider options to choose from:
Provider network | Details |
---|---|
Humana HMO | Limits your coverage to only in-network doctors. Will be the cheapest options available. |
Humana PPO | More flexibility for using out-of-network doctors and hospitals. Will be more expensive, but provide wider coverage options. |
Humana indemnity plans | Most expensive options, but you will have your choice of doctors. |
Find Cheap Medicare Plans in Your Area
Medicare and Medicaid
Medicare and Medicaid are government-run health insurance programs. However, the government works with private insurance companies like Humana to provide certain types of health coverage, such as Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans.
Humana's Medicare Advantage plans are available in all 50 states. Many offer extra benefits like prescription drug coverage, wellness programs and acupuncture. Nearly four out of five Humana Medicare Advantage plans are rated four stars or better.
In 2022, Humana came in second in a J.D. Power Medicare Advantage customer satisfaction survey. As with most Medicare Advantage providers, Humana offers a range of $0 plans.
You still have to pay your Medicare Part B monthly premium when enrolled in a Medicare Advantage $0 plan.
Humana Medicare Supplement plans
Humana offers all Medicare Supplement Plans except Plans D and M, although specific plan availability varies by state. To qualify for a Medigap policy, you must first be 65 or older and enrolled in Original Medicare (Parts A and B).
All 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 for a Plan G policy compared to the national average.
In addition to not being cheap, Humana receives close to 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 Medicaid plans
You can also get Medicaid coverage through Humana. Although Medicaid is a public health plan, some states choose to partner with private health insurance companies to provide added benefits to their enrollees.
Humana Medicaid offers extras such as wellness programs, transportation services and prescription drug coverage. Humana Medicaid is currently available in the following states:
- Kentucky
- Florida
- Louisiana
- Ohio
- South Carolina
Dental insurance
Humana offers eight separate dental plans, including one that offers exclusive discounts for veterans.
The Complete Dental plan offers the greatest coverage with the lowest deductible.
A 30-year-old man in California pays $60 per month for a Complete Dental policy with a $50 individual deductible and a $0 copay for routine maintenance and X-rays. You'll pay a 20% coinsurance for fillings and a 50% coinsurance for extractions, oral surgery, crowns, root canals and dentures.
What Humana dental covers
- Routine cleaning and exam
- X-rays
- Fillings
- Simple extractions
- Oral surgery
- Root canals
- Crowns
- Dentures
This policy comes with a six-month waiting period for basic services and a 12-month waiting period for major services. 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.
Not all Humana dental plans cover orthodontics. Check your policy details before buying if you or a family member need braces.
Humana vision insurance
Humana only offers one vision insurance plan: Humana Vision Plus. However, you also have the option to bundle dental, vision and hearing supplemental insurance for a discount.
The policy has a monthly rate of $13.99, with a one-time enrollment fee of $35. Humana's vision insurance helps pay for services such as routine eye exams, contact lenses and frames.
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 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.
All plans come with a $75 deductible, which is waived for preventative services, and a waiting period before you can access most services.
Member benefits and resources
By becoming a Humana member, you gain access to 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 premium, locate a doctor and even find additional information like a guide to drug pricing.
The MyHumana App is available for download on the App Store and Google Play, where it has average to above-average star ratings.
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 health insurance premiums by participating in healthy activities such as exercising or eating fruits and vegetables.
Customer reviews and complaints
Humana receives 38% fewer customer complaints compared to the average insurance company when adjusted for size. However, its Medicare Supplement division gets almost five times as many complaints as a typical Medigap provider, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). That means you're more likely to run into claim filing problems as a Medicare Supplement policyholder with Humana.
In 2022, Humana was ranked second in a J.D. Power customer satisfaction survey for Medicare Advantage plans.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Humana Medicare Advantage PPO plan?
Humana's preferred provider organization (PPO) plan lets you visit doctors outside of the company's Medicare Advantage network of doctors. While PPO policies usually costs more than a health maintenance organization (HMO) policy, Humana offers more PPO plans than HMO plans because many consumers prefer the greater flexibility of a PPO.
Is Humana insurance good or bad?
Humana is good for Medicare Advantage plans, which score well on customer satisfaction surveys. However, its Medicare Supplement plans are expensive and score poorly on customer service.
Does Humana offer extra benefits?
Many Humana policies give you access to extra benefits like wellness programs, chiropractics, acupuncture, massage therapy and pharmacy tools that can help you find the cheapest prescription drugs. However, Humana's Medicare Supplement plans do not offer extra benefits since all Medigap coverage details are standardized by law.
Sources and methodology
ValuePenguin compiled average Medicare Supplement rates using information from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Medicare.gov. Customer satisfaction details are 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.
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Invitations for application for insurance may be made through QW Insurance Solutions, LLC ("QWIS"), a subsidiary of QuoteWizard.com, LLC ("QuoteWizard"), a LendingTree subsidiary, or through its designated agents, only where licensed and appointed. Licensing information for QWIS can be found here. QWIS is a non-government licensed health insurance agency. Not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency.
Callers to QWIS will be directed to a licensed and certified representative of Medicare Supplement insurance and/or Medicare Advantage HMO, HMO SNP, PPO, PPO SNP and PFFS organizations. Calls to QWIS will be routed to a licensed agent who can provide you with further information about the insurance plans offered by one or more third-party partners of QWIS. Each of the organizations they represent has a Medicare contract. Enrollment in any plan depends on contract renewal.
Availability of benefits and plans varies by carrier and location and may be limited to certain times of the year unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. QWIS does not offer every plan available in your area. Any information provided is limited to those plans offered in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.
Deductibles, copays, coinsurance, limitations, and exclusions may apply.
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