Humana Medicare Insurance Review (2024)

Pros Explained

• Medicare Advantage plans rank highly for customer satisfaction: Humana is ranked above average by J.D. Power for customer satisfaction for its Medicare Advantage plans in almost every state studied. This is one reason it’s featured among our picks for the Best Medicare Advantage Companies.
• Most widely available plans: Humana offers Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D plans, Special Needs Plans, and Medigap plans (including high-deductible Plan G) in nearly every state. You can choose between a health maintenance organization (HMO), preferred provider organization (PPO), or private fee-for-service (PFFS) Medicare Advantage plan, depending on where you live.
• Low-cost, high-deductible plan G: Humana offers a high-deductible Plan G Medicare Supplement, which is not widely available among insurers and may be good for people who don’t use services often. Plus, Humana had the cheapest average premium for high-deductible Plan G of the Medicare providers we reviewed.
• High Medicare star rating: Humana’s Medicare Advantage plans have the second-highest average Medicare star rating out of the companies we reviewed, scoring 4.25 out of 5 stars.

Cons Explained

• Few Medicare Advantage plans with additional coverage during the gap: Humana offers several Part D prescription drug plans that include coverage in the Medicare donut hole, but only about half of its Medicare Advantage plans offer additional drug coverage during the gap.
• High average drug deductible for Medicare Advantage plans: Humana has the second-highest average drug deductible of the insurers we reviewed.
• High out-of-pocket annual expenditure for Medicare Advantage plans: Humana has the second-highest average out-of-pocket annual expenditure of the insurers we reviewed. You would end up paying more when you get care than you might with other insurers.

Third-Party Ratings

Humana gets high ratings for customer satisfaction—it was rated above average for overall customer satisfaction in four out of five states in J.D. Power’s 2023 U.S. Medicare Advantage Study. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) gives Humana’s Medicare Advantage plans an average rating of 4.25 out of 5 stars, which is one of the best scores we found when reviewing Medicare providers.

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) gives Humana plans 3.6 out of 5 stars, on average. The NCQA measures member experiences across Medicare plans, based on factors like quality of care and patient satisfaction. Humana’s NCQA rating is less impressive than the other scores, but still good.

Policies Available

Medicare Advantage (Part C) Plans

Many of Humana’s MA plans include prescription drug coverage, along with dental, vision, hearing, fitness (SilverSneakers), and over-the-counter supplies benefits. In fact, according to a survey of Medicare Advantage plans by the Kaiser Family Foundation, more Humana enrollees are in plans that offer meals, acupuncture, over-the-counter supplies, and transportation benefits than receive those benefits from the other top MA provider, UnitedHealthcare.

With Humana MA plans, you can choose between these types of plans:

• HMO, which requires you to use in-network doctors
• PPO, which allows you to see out-of-network providers for a higher out-of-pocket cost.
• PFFS (private fee-for-service plan), which allows you to see almost any Medicare-approved provider, as long as they accept Humana’s payment conditions

Humana offers plans with $0 primary care copays, and some also offer $0 specialist copays. However, only a few of Humana’s MA plans with drug coverage offer additional coverage during the Medicare donut hole or coverage gap.

Humana Medicare Advantage enrollees may receive a Humana Spending Account Card to use like a debit card for the following:

• Healthy Options Allowance: Use a quarterly allowance for over-the-counter health and wellness supplies—or rent, utilities, or pet supplies.
• OTC Allowance: Use the quarterly allowance for over-the-counter medicine, vitamins, and other health supplies.
• Flex Allowance: Use an allowance for covered dental, hearing, or vision services.

Part D Prescription Drug Plans

Humana’s prescription drug plans have a decent Medicare star rating and are widely available, earning Humana a spot in our review of the Best Medicare Part D Providers. Humana offers three plans.

• Humana Basic Rx Plan: If you qualify for Medicare Extra Help, this affordable plan could be a good choice.
• Humana Walmart Value Rx Plan: This is a budget-friendly option for people who take generics, with a low premium and low copays for Tier 1 and Tier 2 drugs.
• Humana Premier Rx Plan: This is the most comprehensive plan, with additional coverage in the gap for generic medications.

Medicare Supplement Plans (Medigap)

Medigap policies are used to fill the gaps in Original Medicare and pay some out-of-pocket expenses, such as copays, coinsurance, and Part A and B deductibles. Plan benefits are standardized across insurers and, in most states, are identified by letters.

Humana offers 10 Medigap plans: A, B, C, F, G, K, L, and N, and thehigh-deductible versions of F and G. But plans C and F aren’t available to people who became eligible for Medicare after 2020 (regardless of which insurer you choose).

Cost

From a pure cost perspective, Humana’s Medicare Advantage plans are pricier than average. The average monthly premium across major insurers is just over $22 per month for 2023. Humana’s plans average about $31 per month.

Humana’s average drug deductible for its Medicare Advantage plans is $197.57 versus the overall average of $127.98. On average, MA customers pay $6,151.64 per year out of pocket with Humana, which is also more than they would with most of its competitors. Still, cost doesn’t tell the whole story. Humana offers plan options that not all insurers do, is more widely available, and scores better than most in terms of customer satisfaction.

The cost of Humana’s Part D plans is about average. Its average Medigap plan G rate is much higher than its competitors’ rates. You may also be eligible for a 6% discount on your Humana Medigap A or B premium if you enroll online.

Customer Service

Humana maintains customer service hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday. You can reach Medicare support at 1-800-457-4708. Humana also has a live web chat and an online portal for members to complete many self-service actions online.

The Bottom Line

Humana Medicare is a good choice if you're looking for flexibility. The company offers a wealth of plans that are widely available across the country. This includes a Plan G high-deductible Medicare supplement, which can be hard to find from other insurers. While Humana's costs are higher than some of its competitors, it is highly ranked for customer satisfaction with its Medicare Advantage plans by J.D. Power, and it has one of the best Medicare star ratings from the CMS out of the insurers we reviewed.

How Does Humana Medicare Compare With Other Plans?

Humana Medicare Advantage plans have a higher average out-of-pocket expenditure (meaning, customers pay more on average in a year) and average monthly premiums than most competitors. The company's average deductible is also higher than the industry average. However, Humana offers greater flexibility and more extras than some competitors due to the wealth of plans available. It also has higher customer satisfaction ratings for its Medicare Advantage Plans than other companies we reviewed.

What Is the Monthly Cost of a Humana Medicare Advantage Plan?

Humana's average monthly premium is $31.08. Some Humana Medicare Advantage plans have a monthly premium of $0.

Does Humana Medicare Have a Copay?

Yes, Humana Medicare Advantage HMO plans feature copays, while Humana Medicare PPO plans have copays and coinsurance. Copay amounts depend on the plan and service provided. For example, in Florida, you might pay up to $50 for a mental health therapy appointment with an HMO, or $10 to $25 to see a medical specialist. You’ll continue to pay your copays until you reach your annual maximum out-of-pocket costs.

Humana’s Part D and Medigap plans may have copays, too, though Humana prescription drug plans also have $0 copays for select prescriptions filled at specific pharmacies. You need to study your policy’s specific details to see the out-of-pocket costs.

What Is the Deductible for Humana?

Humana deductibles vary. For example, Humana's average deductible for drugs is $197.57. However, you may find Humana Medicare Advantage plans with a $0 medical deductible.

How We Review Medicare Providers

To identify which Medicare insurance companies to review, we analyzed business and market insight databases including Statistia, Plunkett, and Gale. We also considered user-generated data from Google to determine public interest and trends in Medicare plans.

We collected data from third-party rating agencies like the credit rating agency AM Best and the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), an independent organization that rates health insurance plans on quality and customer satisfaction. We also gathered data from government websites and databases provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) such as CMS.gov and Healthcare.gov, and directly from companies via websites, media contacts, and existing partnerships. The data collection process spanned Sept. 15 to Sept. 29, 2023.

We then developed a quantitative model that scores each Medicare Advantage provider based on four major categories and 22 criteria that are crucial in evaluating the company's offerings and benefits.

We weighted the four categories as follows for this article:

• Plan features: 35%
• Plan quality and customer satisfaction: 30%
• Cost: 20%
• Availability: 15%

Read our full methodology for reviewing Medicare insurance providers.