Allwell Medicare Advantage 2023 Review

Now under the Wellcare name, Allwell falls behind other providers in ratings and member satisfaction.
Kate Ashford, CSA®
By Kate Ashford, CSA® 
Updated
Edited by Holly Carey

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Allwell Medicare Advantage

Allwell

3.05

CMS Star Rating

Allwell is a brand of Wellcare, which is owned by Centene. Wellcare by Allwell plans are available in only 19 states and get lower-than-average star ratings and poor member satisfaction scores.

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States available

19 states


Members in high-rated plans

Low (49% or less)


Member satisfaction

Below average


States available

19 states


Members in high-rated plans

Low (49% or less)


Member satisfaction

Below average


Pros

  • Company strength: Parent company Centene is the fifth-largest for-profit Medicare Advantage provider.
  • Some plans include extra benefits such as the Flex Card, which is preloaded with funds members can use on dental, vision and hearing benefits when they've exhausted plan coverage.

Cons

  • Lower-than-average star ratings from CMS.
  • Parent company Centene lands last in member satisfaction ratings of all major providers.
  • Wellcare by Allwell plans are available in only 19 states.

Allwell is a Medicare brand of Centene Corp., the sixth-largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans

. Allwell recently became a Medicare brand under Wellcare, which was acquired by Centene in 2020.

Though Allwell is part of a larger brand (Centene), Allwell’s ratings are far below average

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 2023 Star Ratings Data Table (ZIP). Accessed Jun 12, 2023.
. None of Allwell's 2023 contracts have a Medicare star rating above 3.5 stars. Allwell’s plans struggle in many categories, and member satisfaction places them behind other major Medicare Advantage providers.

Here’s what you should know about Allwell Medicare Advantage.

Allwell Medicare Advantage pros and cons

Allwell’s offerings have advantages and disadvantages.

Pros

Cons

Wellcare by Allwell Medicare star ratings

Average star rating, weighted by enrollment: 3.05

If you want Medicare’s take on Allwell’s plans, look no further than the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' own star ratings, which rank each plan from best (5 stars) to worst (1 star). The agency bases these ratings on plans’ quality of care and measurements of customer satisfaction, and ratings may change from year to year.

All Medicare Advantage plans are evaluated on health plan measures, and Medicare Advantage plans that include prescription drug coverage are also evaluated on drug plan measures.

Based on the most recent year of data and weighted by enrollment, Allwell’s 2023 Medicare Advantage plans get an average rating of 3.05 stars. There are no 2023 Wellcare by Allwell plans rated higher than 3.5 stars

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 2023 Star Ratings Data Table (ZIP). Accessed Jun 12, 2023.
.

For comparison, the average star rating for plans from all providers for 2023 is 4.15

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 2023 Medicare Star Ratings Fact Sheet (PDF). Accessed Jun 12, 2023.
.

Of Wellcare by Allwell members who are in contracts with a Medicare Star Rating, only 22% are in contracts rated 4.0 or above as of September 2022

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Monthly Enrollment by Contract, 2022-09. Accessed Jun 12, 2023.
.

You can find a plan’s rating with Medicare's plan finding tool.

What does Allwell Medicare Advantage cost?

Costs for Medicare Advantage plans will depend on your plan, your geographic location and your health needs.

Premiums

One of the costs to consider is the plan’s premium, and many Medicare Advantage plans have a $0 premium. Nearly 7 in 10 Wellcare by Allwell plans in 2023 have no premium

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 2023 MA Landscape Source File (v 10 14 2022) (ZIP). Accessed Jun 12, 2023.
.

For 2023 Allwell Medicare Advantage plans with a premium, the monthly consolidated premium (including Part C and Part D) ranges from $6.10 to $35

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 2023 MA Landscape Source File (v 10 14 2022) (ZIP). Accessed Jun 12, 2023.
. For special needs plans, or SNPs, monthly premiums range from $5.80 to $31.60.

Even as a Medicare Advantage user, you’ll still be responsible for paying your Medicare Part B premium, which is $164.90 per month in 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Costs. Accessed Jun 12, 2023.
, although some plans cover part or all of this cost.

Copays, coinsurance and deductibles

Requirements for copays, coinsurance and deductibles vary depending on your plan, location and the services you use. Other out-of-pocket costs to consider include:

  • Whether the plan covers any part of your monthly Medicare Part B premium.

  • The plan’s yearly deductibles and any other deductibles, such as a drug deductible.

  • Copayments and/or coinsurance for each visit or service. For instance, there may be a $10 copay for seeing your primary doctor and a $45 copay for seeing a specialist.

  • The plan’s in-network and out-of-network out-of-pocket maximums.

  • Whether your medical providers are in-network or out-of-network, or how often you may go out of network for care.

  • Whether you require extra benefits, and if the plan charges for them.

Here are examples of Wellcare by Allwell Medicare Advantage costs for the most popular plans in a mid-range city:

Wellcare by Allwell Medicare Advantage plan

Pricing

Wellcare No Premium Open (PPO)

Monthly premium: $0.

Out-of-pocket max: $4,500.

Copays:

  • Primary care: $0.

  • Specialist: $25.

  • Tier 1 prescription drugs: $0.

Wellcare No Premium (HMO)

Monthly premium: $0.

Out-of-pocket max: $5,000.

Copays:

  • Primary care: $0.

  • Specialist: $40.

  • Tier 1 prescription drugs: $0.

Wellcare Patriot Giveback Open (PPO)

Monthly premium: $0.

Out-of-pocket max: $4,400.

Copays:

  • Primary care: $0.

  • Specialist: $35.

  • Tier 1 prescription drugs: N/A.

Selected plans are available in ZIP code 66013.

To get a sense of costs, use Medicare’s plan finding tool to compare information among available plans in your area. You can select by insurance carrier to see only Allwell plans, or compare across carriers. You can also shop directly from Allwell’s website by entering your ZIP code.

Wellcare by Allwell Medicare Advantage plan types

Wellcare by Allwell offers a few kinds of Medicare Advantage plans, and they vary in structure, costs and benefits.

In general, Allwell offers Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plans, or MAPDs, as well as Medicare Advantage Plans without drug coverage.

Plan availability may vary by county. Other plan offerings may include the following types:

A health maintenance organization, or HMO, generally requires that you use a specific network of doctors and hospitals. You may need a referral from your primary doctor in order to see a specialist, and out-of-network benefits are usually very limited.

Preferred provider organization, or PPO, plans provide the most freedom, allowing you to see any provider that accepts the insurance. You may not need to choose a primary doctor, and you don’t need referrals to see specialists. You can seek out-of-network care, although it may cost more than seeing an in-network doctor.

Special needs plans restrict membership to people with certain diseases or characteristics. Hence, the benefits, network and drug formularies are tailored to the needs of those members. Allwell offers two types of SNPs:

  • Chronic Condition SNP: For people with one or more specific conditions, such as chronic heart failure, congestive heart failure or diabetes.

  • Dual-Eligible SNP: For people who are entitled to Medicare and who also qualify for assistance from a state Medicaid program.

Looking for Unbiased Medicare Advice?
Chapter saves people over $1,000/year on their Medicare plans. You can reach them at (855)480-7438
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Third-party ratings

There are a few companies that weigh in on health plans or on the strength of the company in question, and we’ve included two here:

J.D. Power Ranking: 9th out of 9

In its 2022 Medicare Advantage Study — the eighth it's done so far — J.D. Power measured member satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans based on six factors: coverage and benefits, provider choice, cost, customer service, information and communication, and billing and payment. On these measures, parent company Centene scored 773 points out of 1,000 and came in last out of the top nine Medicare Advantage providers

.

NCQA Score Range: 2.0 to 2.5 out of 5

The National Committee for Quality Assurance rates health insurance plans on a 5-point scale (with 5 being best) based on clinical quality, member satisfaction and results from the NCQA's accreditation survey. The ratings highlight the results of care and what patients say about their care.

In its September 2022 scoring of Allwell plans, the NCQA awarded ratings between 2.0 and 2.5 stars to the three Allwell plans with enough data reported

NCQA. Health Plans. Accessed Jun 12, 2023.
.

Allwell Medicare Advantage service area

Wellcare by Allwell offers Medicare Advantage plans in 19 states, according to a company representative.

Centene, Allwell’s parent company, is the fifth-largest Medicare Advantage provider among for-profit health plans

. More than 1.3 million Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in a Centene Medicare Advantage plan, but the company lost 66,000 members for the 2023 plan year.

About Allwell

Allwell is a Medicare brand of Centene Corp., which was founded in 1984

Centene Corporation. Our History. Accessed Jun 12, 2023.
. In 2020, Centene acquired Wellcare, and in 2022, Allwell became a Medicare brand under the Wellcare name. Centene headquarters are in St. Louis, Missouri. Centene offers coverage through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plans, as well as individual and family coverage through the health insurance marketplace. Centene covers more than 1.3 million Medicare beneficiaries.

Centene posted total revenues of $144.5 billion in 2022

Centene Corporation. CENTENE CORPORATION REPORTS 2022 RESULTS. Accessed Jun 12, 2023.
.

» MORE: Read our review of Wellcare Part D prescription drug plans

Customer service

Allwell Medicare Advantage members can contact their plan’s customer service in a couple of ways:

Looking for Unbiased Medicare Advice?
Chapter saves people over $1,000/year on their Medicare plans. You can reach them at (855)480-7438
Chapter (mobile image)

Compare Medicare Advantage providers

Get more information below about some of the major Medicare Advantage providers. These insurers offer plans in most states. The plans you can choose from will depend on your ZIP code and county.

Find the right Medicare Advantage plan

It’s important to do your research before selecting a Medicare Advantage plan for yourself. Here are some questions to consider asking:

  • What are the plan’s costs? Do you understand what the plan’s premium, deductibles, copays and/or coinsurance will be? Can you afford them?

  • Is your doctor in-network? If you have a preferred medical provider or providers, make sure they participate in the plan’s network.

  • Are your prescriptions covered? If you’re on medication, it’s crucial to understand how the plan covers it. What tier are your prescription drugs on, and are there any coverage rules that apply to them?

  • Is there dental coverage? Does the plan offer routine coverage for vision, dental and hearing needs?

  • Are there extras? Does the plan offer any extra benefits, such as fitness memberships, transportation benefits or meal delivery?

If you have additional questions about Medicare, visit Medicare.gov or call 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227, TTY 877-486-2048).
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