Information about Medicare Advantage Plans in Alabama

Quick links:

• Average 2021 Costs
• Eligibility & Enrollment
• Finding Top-Rated Plans
• List of Plans Available
  • Plans by Carrier
  • Plans by County
  • Plans by Type
• Local Resources

There are 51 different Alabama Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MAPD) plans in 2021.¹ Not every plan is available in each county, so it's important to find out which ones are offered where you live.

A licensed insurance agent can help you compare the availability, benefits and costs of Medicare Advantage plans in your area of Alabama. Read below to learn more about Medicare in your state.

Average costs of Medicare Advantage in Alabama

The average premium for an Alabama Medicare Advantage plan with prescription drug coverage in 2021 is $24 per month.

• Average monthly premium cost in 2021 (weighted): $24
• Average in-network out-of-pocket spending limit: $4,855
• Average plan drug deductible in 2021 (weighted): $138¹

The cost of plan premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket costs may vary greatly depending on where you live and the plan you have.

2021 Alabama Medicare Advantage plan monthly premiums by county are listed below in this guide.

A licensed insurance agent can help you compare Medicare Advantage plan costs in your area.

Or call 1-800-557-6059 1-800-557-6059 TTY Users: 711 to speak with a licensed insurance agent. We accept calls 24/7!

Medicare Eligibility & Enrollment

If you want to enroll in Medicare Advantage in Alabama, you must first be enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B, often referred to as Original Medicare.

To be eligible for Original Medicare at age 65, you must meet the following requirements:

• You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident who has lived in the U.S. for five continuous years.
  
  
• You or your spouse must have worked long enough to be eligible for Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits.
  
  
• You or your spouse must be government employees or retirees who have not paid into Social Security but have paid Medicare payroll taxes.

You may also be eligible for Medicare benefits under 65 if:

• You have been receiving Social Security disability benefits or certain Railroad Retirement Board disability benefits for at least 24 months.
  
  
• You have ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease).
  
  
• You have End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), and you or your spouse have paid Social Security taxes for a certain length of time.

If you have ESRD, you may be able to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan or an Alabama Medicare Special Needs Plan (SNP) that is specifically designed to help meet your health care needs.

How to sign up for a Medicare Advantage Plan in Alabama

Your first opportunity to enroll in a Alabama Medicare Part C plan is during your Medicare Initial Enrollment Period (IEP).

Your seven-month Medicare IEP starts three months before you turn 65. It includes the month of your 65^th birthday and then continues for another three months after turn 65.

Additional enrollment periods during which you may sign up for a Medicare Advantage plan include:

Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period: January 1 – March 31

From January 1 to March 31 every year, you may switch Medicare Advantage plans or drop your Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare if you're currently enrolled in a Part C plan.

If you return to Original Medicare during the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, you'll be able to enroll in a Medicare standalone prescription drug plan (Medicare Part D).

Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP): October 15 – December 7

You may enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan or switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another from October 15 to December 7 every year.

You may also drop your existing Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare.

You may also join, switch or drop a Medicare Part D plan during Medicare AEP. 

Medicare Special Enrollment Periods (SEP)

You could potentially be granted a Medicare Special Enrollment Period (SEP) at any time during the year, depending on your individual circumstances.

A licensed insurance agent can help you find out if you qualify for a Medicare Special Enrollment Period.

Or call 1-800-557-6059 1-800-557-6059 TTY Users: 711 to speak with a licensed insurance agent. We accept calls 24/7!

Top-rated Medicare Advantage Plans in Alabama 2021

Each year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issues star ratings for all Medicare Advantage plans using a system of one to five stars.²

In order for a Medicare Advantage plan to be designated as a top-rated plan, it must have four or more stars out of five stars.

There are 26 top-rated 2021 MAPD plans in Alabama that are rated four stars or higher.

Medicare Advantage plans are rated based on their performance in the following five categories:

• Preventive care and health maintenance (screenings, tests, vaccines, etc.)
• Management of chronic conditions
• Member experiences and ratings of the plan
• Member complaints, problems receiving services and member retention
• Customer service

The information for the star ratings is gathered from information that is submitted to Medicare, Medicare’s regular monitoring activities and member surveys.

List of Medicare Advantage Plans Available in Alabama in 2021

To view a list of plans offered in your area within Alabama, use our plan comparison tool.

Or call 1-800-557-6059 1-800-557-6059 TTY Users: 711 to speak with a licensed insurance agent. We accept calls 24/7!

Private insurance companies offer Medicare Advantage plans in Alabama

Multiple insurance carriers may offer Medicare Advantage plans in Alabama, depending on the county in which you live.

Private insurance companies offer Medicare Advantage plans that may be unique to the plan area they serve, and your plan options may vary.

Call to speak with a licensed insurance agent who can help you compare the Medicare Advantage plans that are sold by insurance companies in your area.

When you’re shopping for Medicare Advantage plans in Alabama, you can use some of the following information as you compare plans from several different carriers:

• The Medicare Star Ratings can give you an sense of a plan’s overall quality.
  
  
• Agencies such as A.M. Best, Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s provide information about the credit rating and financial standing of an insurance company.
  
  
• You can read through Medicare Advantage plan reviews and testimonials from customers

Alabama Medicare Advantage plans by county

The chart below provides some more information about 2021 Alabama Medicare Advantage plans by county.¹

• Bibb County and Blount County have the MAPD plans with the lowest average monthly premiums in 2021.
  
  
• Cherokee and Dekalb Counties have the highest percentage of MAPD plans that are top rated in 2021.

AL Medicare Advantage plans by plan type

The major types of Medicare Advantage plans include:

• HMO
  A Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) usually requires patients to use health care providers and pharmacies that are part of the plan’s network (except in the case of emergencies) while also typically requiring a referral from a primary care doctor in order to see a specialist.
  
  
• PPO
  Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) are able to see providers outside of their plan’s network, often at a higher cost.
  
  Beneficiaries in this type of plan typically pay less out of pocket if they choose to receive medical services from providers within their plan’s network.
  
  PPO plans typically do not require patients to acquire a referral before visiting with a specialist.
  
  
• PFFS
  A Private Fee-For-Service (PFFS) plan determines how much it will pay to health care providers and how much the patient will pay when care is received.
  
  With a PFFS plan, you can typically receive care from any doctor, hospital or health care provider that accepts your plan’s terms. Not all providers will accept these terms, however.
  
  
• SNP
  A Special Needs Plan (SNP) is a type of Medicare Advantage plan limited to people with certain chronic conditions and  other specific characteristics.
  
  Typically, you must receive care from health care providers and hospitals within your SNP network, except for in cases when you need emergency or urgent care and when someone who has End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) needs out-of-area kidney dialysis.

Not all of these types of plans may be available in your area. A licensed insurance agent can help you compare the types of 2021 Alabama Medicare Advantage plans that are available where you live.

Local health insurance resources in Alabama

• The state of Alabama staffs a group of SHIP volunteers who provide counseling and educational materials to older adults living in Alabama.
  
  This program can help Medicare beneficiaries better understand their Medicare coverage, rights and costs in order to get the most out of their benefits. You can contact Alabama’s SHIP program at 800-243-5463.

• You can also explore more information about the insurance industry in Alabama by visiting the state’s Department of Insurance

• Alabama Prescription Drug Assistance Programs
  The state of Alabama has a number of programs designed to help with the cost of prescription drugs.
  
  There are programs for both Medicare beneficiaries and non-Medicare beneficiaries alike that can cover the cost of premiums and cost-sharing or even lower the cost of the drugs themselves.

¹ MedicareAdvantage.com's The Best States for Medicare in 2021 report. (Oct. 27, 2020).

² Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5- star rating system.