UnitedHealthcare Medicare Review

Pros Explained

• Select plans offer additional gap coverage: Most UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage and stand-alone prescription drug plans provide additional coverage during the donut hole phase. This is a great option for people with extensive medication needs.
• Affordable Medicare Supplement plans: UnitedHealthcare offers the best pricing for Medigap plans of the providers we reviewed, with an average monthly Plan G cost of $166 across both genders in Florida, Texas, California, and Illinois. 
• Largest national provider network: UnitedHealthcare National Network offers access to the largest provider networks for medical and dental services.

Cons Explained

• Below average J.D. Power score for some regions: UnitedHealthcare scored well in the J.D. Power 2023 Medicare Advantage Study for Florida and Texas, but below average in California, Pennsylvania, and New York. 
• Doesn’t offer high-deductible Plan G: About half of the Medicare providers we surveyed offer high-deductible Plan G policies, but UnitedHealthcare doesn’t. 
• AARP membership is sometimes required: You must join AARP to enroll in an AARP Medicare Supplement Plan from UnitedHealthcare. However, membership isn’t required for Medicare Advantage or Part D plans.

Third-Party Ratings

UnitedHealthcare has high financial strength ratings, and many of the company’s customer satisfaction ratings are above average.

The company gets high marks for financial stability, with a grade of A+ (Superior) from AM Best, an independent credit ratings agency that evaluates insurance companies. This is the highest grade received by any of the Medicare Advantage providers we reviewed, and it indicates that UnitedHealthcare has a superior financial ability to pay claims.

Policies Available

Medicare Advantage (Part C) Plans

UnitedHealthcare was our top pick for the Best Medicare Advantage Provider. Medicare Advantage plans are one way to receive Medicare Part A and Part B coverage with extra benefits, including a limit on out-of-pocket expenses. The company boasts the country’s largest Medicare Advantage provider network.

Most MA plans, including UnitedHealthcare’s, include prescription drug coverage. And most of UnitedHealthcare’s MA plans feature additional drug coverage during the gap phase, which is important if you anticipate entering the coverage gap. In 2024, you enter the coverage gap if you spend more than $5,030 on covered drugs.  

UnitedHealthcare offers one of the largest pharmacy networks, with home delivery options available. 

UnitedHealthcare’s MA plans can come with additional benefits, including: 

• Preventive and comprehensive dental coverage
• Routine eye exams and an allowance for eyewear 
• Routine hearing exams and hearing aid discounts
• Free gym membership, social events, and activities
• Over-the-counter medication credit

The plan’s ID card, the UCard, makes it easy to access your benefits, spend your rewards, buy over-the-counter products, and more. 

UnitedHealthcare offers a variety of plan types, including HMOs, PPOs, and Special Needs Plans (SNPs). All standard plans come with $0 copays for virtual visits, mammograms and colonoscopies, and routine dental, vision, and hearing exams.

Part D Prescription Drug Plans

Part D plans offer prescription medication coverage for people with Original Medicare and certain Medicare Advantage plans without prescription coverage. UnitedHealthcare’s plans offer above-average value overall when considering premiums and deductibles. 

In general, UnitedHealthcare offers three AARP Medicare Rx plans: 

• Walgreens from UHC (PDP)
• Basic from UHC (PDP)
• Preferred from UHC (PDP)

The Walgreens plan is the least expensive and the best option for those filling prescriptions primarily at Walgreens pharmacies.

Before selecting a plan, use UnitedHealthcare’s online medications tool to estimate the annual price for your specific medication needs. Compare pricing with other providers, as affordability depends on the drugs you take. 

Your health insurance member ID card allows you to pay for prescriptions, spend earned rewards, check in at the gym, and more. You can also use the UnitedHealthcare mobile app to scan products in-store and determine benefit eligibility. 

Medicare Supplement Plans (Medigap)

UnitedHealthcare earned the top spot on our list of the Best Medicare Supplement Insurance Providers. Medigap plans help cover costs like copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles not covered by Part A or Part B. 

Medigap plans are standardized and must follow federal and state laws. UnitedHealthcare offers Plans A, B, C, F, G, K, L, and N. UnitedHealthcare doesn’t offer a high-deductible Plan G. 

You must be an AARP member to enroll in an AARP Medicare Supplement Plan, and membership costs $16 annually in 2023. 

On average, the company offers better pricing for the popular Plan G than any other companies we reviewed. However, plans in your state may be less or more expensive than other providers.

Cost

UnitedHealthcare’s average premiums across plans are below average, though some competitors offer cheaper plans. Considering UnitedHealthcare’s plans' benefits, they’re a relatively good value. 

Medicare Advantage premiums average $17.37 per month for 2024, slightly cheaper than the industry average of $22.41. 

UnitedHealthcare’s average drug deductible is $103.31, less than the national average of $127.98. The average out-of-pocket drug plan maximum is $5,579.73, which is also lower than the national average of $5,762.69. 

UnitedHealthcare’s three prescription drug plan choices are priced competitively, on average. The company’s Medicare Supplement Plan G is priced better than any other provider we reviewed. 

Customer Service

UnitedHealthcare offers a member portal for each plan so you can complete many actions online. A mobile app can help you manage your policy and is available through Google Play and the App Store. 

The company also offers technical support from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT, seven days per week. You can reach UnitedHealthcare at one of the following phone numbers if you have technical issues:

• Medicare Advantage and Part D members: 1-800-721-0627
• Medicare Supplement members: 1-800-523-5800

For general plan information, call the number on your member ID card.

Bottom Line

UnitedHealthcare is a great choice for Medicare coverage, especially since it has the largest provider network in the nation. It offers significant benefits, from in-home visits to affordable supplement plans and extra Medigap coverage. The company also has high third-party ratings from J.D. Power, AM Best, NCQA, and CMS.

While UnitedHealthcare provides well-rounded Medicare plans, it does run on the more expensive side. Therefore, if you need a lower-cost plan, you may have to look elsewhere.

What Is the Rating for UnitedHealthcare Medicare?

UnitedHealthcare Medicare has several third-party ratings. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rated the company 4.2 out of 5 stars and the National Association for Quality Assurance rated it 3.9 out of 5 stars. When it comes to financial strength, UnitedHealthcare was rated A+ (Superior) by AM Best.  

Does UnitedHealthcare Have a Good Reputation?

Yes, UnitedHealthcare is one of the most well-known insurance providers and has the largest provider network in the U.S. Additionally, it has high third-party ratings and an average Medicare star rating of 4.2.

Does AARP Recommend UnitedHealthcare?

Yes, UnitedHealthcare is endorsed by the American Assiociation of Retired Persons (AARP), which lends its brand name to UHC Medicare plans. The partnership is in place until at least 2025.

Methodology

We identified top companies by market share within the industry offering Medicare Advantage plans from various 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.

Our data was collected 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 care 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. 15-29, 2023.

We then developed a quantitative model that scores each Medicare plan based on five major categories and 22 criteria that are crucial in evaluating the plan’s offerings and benefits.

Data was verified to ensure data integrity and accuracy by cross-referencing the records and adding citations that correspond to each data point with our primary sources.

Read our full methodology for reviewing Medicare insurance providers.