Comparing 2024 Medicare Advantage Plans

• by Christian Worstell
• December 4, 2023
• Reviewed by John Krahnert

There are 3,959 2024 Medicare Advantage plans available in the United States, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF).¹

With so many options to choose from, you can consider factors such as the following when comparing Medicare Advantage plans:

1. Type of plan
2. Plan benefits
3. Star rating²
4. Out-of-pocket costs

Type of plan

There are several types of Medicare Advantage plans. The type of plan can affect things like your health care provider options and whether you need a referral to see a specialist for covered care.

You should compare all of the major types of plans, understand their pros and cons, and choose the one that is best for you.

Plan benefits

All Medicare Advantage plans must provide Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Part B) benefits, but plans can provide more benefits Original Medicare doesn’t cover such as prescription drug, vision, and/or dental coverage.

You should choose a plan with the benefits that you need most. For example, if you need several prescriptions, you should find out which Medicare Advantage plans offer prescription drug coverage and whether any plans in your area cover your drugs.

Star rating

Medicare assigns star ratings to every Medicare Advantage plan each year, and the star ratings can change each year.² 

Medicare Advantage plan star ratings can help give you an idea of the plan’s quality and performance. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) determine star ratings based on information from member satisfaction surveys, plans, and health care providers.

Ratings range from 1 star (poor performance) to 5 stars (excellent performance).

In 2024, approximately 73 percent of beneficiaries of Medicare Advantage plans that include prescription drug coverage are enrolled in plans rated 4 stars or higher.³

Out-of-pocket costs

Medicare Advantage plans can include monthly premiums and other costs such as copayments and deductibles.

Some plans have zero-dollar monthly premiums, but others may have monthly premiums that can vary widely from plan to plan. Also, Medicare Advantage plans with $0 premium monthly plans may not be available where you live. Keep in mind you must continue to pay your Part B premium.

To learn more about Medicare Advantage plans and to compare plans available in your area, call a licensed insurance agent today or compare plans online.

We represent carriers such as Humana, UnitedHealthcare^®, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna Healthcare, Wellcare, or Kaiser Permanente.

About the author

Christian Worstell is a senior Medicare and health insurance writer with MedicareAdvantage.com. He is also a licensed health insurance agent. Christian is well-known in the insurance industry for the thousands of educational articles he’s written, helping Americans better understand their health insurance and Medicare coverage.

Christian’s work as a Medicare expert has appeared in several top-tier and trade news outlets including Forbes, MarketWatch, WebMD and Yahoo! Finance.

Christian has written hundreds of articles for MedicareAvantage.com that teach Medicare beneficiaries the best practices for navigating Medicare. His articles are read by thousands of older Americans each month. By better understanding their health care coverage, readers may hopefully learn how to limit their out-of-pocket Medicare spending and access quality medical care.

Christian’s passion for his role stems from his desire to make a difference in the senior community. He strongly believes that the more beneficiaries know about their Medicare coverage, the better their overall health and wellness is as a result.

A current resident of Raleigh, Christian is a graduate of Shippensburg University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

If you’re a member of the media looking to connect with Christian, please don’t hesitate to email our public relations team at Mike@tzhealthmedia.com.

 

 

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