Best Medicare Advantage Plans in Pennsylvania 2024
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More than 2.8 million people in Pennsylvania are signed up for Medicare, making it the fifth-largest U.S. state for Medicare beneficiaries.
Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people age 65 and older. Medicare Advantage is a bundled alternative to Medicare sold by private companies. It offers all the same benefits and usually some extras, such as cost savings on dental and vision coverage.
Medicare Advantage plans offer more benefits than Original Medicare, and they can be cheaper than paying for Medicare and a Medicare Supplement plan. However, they offer less flexibility since you’ll need to get care from within the plan’s network of providers. Weigh your options to determine which plan best suits your needs.
Compare Medicare Advantage plans in Pennsylvania
What to know about Medicare in Pennsylvania
About 1 in 5 people in Pennsylvania are 65 and older, and there are a variety of Medicare Advantage plans in the state.
The average monthly premium in 2024 for a Medicare Advantage plan in Pennsylvania is $27.94. (It was $30.28 in 2023.)
There are 281 Medicare Advantage plans available in Pennsylvania in 2024. (This is up from 262 plans in 2023.)
All Medicare-eligible people in Pennsylvania have access to a $0-premium Medicare Advantage plan.
Medicare Advantage companies in Pennsylvania
The following providers offer Medicare Advantage plans in Pennsylvania:
Geisinger Gold.
Jefferson Health Plans.
Top-rated Medicare Advantage plans in Pennsylvania
Each year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awards every Medicare Advantage plan a star rating on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being a top-rated plan. Below are companies with plans that received top marks in Pennsylvania for the 2024 plan year. (Check out more information about Medicare star ratings.)
5-star plans
The companies below offer plans in Pennsylvania that are rated 5 out of 5 stars by CMS:
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield.
UnitedHealthcare.
UPMC for Life.
4.5-star plans
The companies below offer plans in Pennsylvania that are rated 4.5 out of 5 stars by CMS:
Aetna Medicare.
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Humana.
Independence Blue Cross.
This list doesn’t include special needs plans, which restrict membership to people with certain diseases or characteristics, such as having a chronic illness or living in a nursing home.
Third-party ratings
In its 2023 U.S. Medicare Advantage Study — the ninth it's done so far — J.D. Power measured member satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans based on eight factors ranging from level of trust to how well a provider resolves problems or complaints. The study was fielded in the five biggest Medicare markets: California, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas.
In Pennsylvania, these Medicare Advantage providers scored above the regional average (678 points) on measures of member satisfaction (based on a 1,000-point scale):
UPMC For Life (709 points).
Highmark (706 points).
Medicare resources in Pennsylvania
State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP: Pennsylvania Medicare Education and Decision Insight program, or PA MEDI, is the State Health Insurance Assistance Program. It provides free information and counseling about Medicare options, processes and costs.
Pennsylvania Insurance Department: Provides information about Medicare and maintains listings of Medigap companies in the state.
Pennsylvania Area Agencies on Aging: They provide information and assistance for Pennsylvanians older than 60 and their caregivers to access various community services.
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?
Medicare Advantage companies
Get more information below about some of the major Medicare Advantage companies. These insurance companies offer plans in most states. The plans you can choose from will depend on your ZIP code and county.
Looking for more insurance in Pennsylvania? Check out these resources:
Medicare Advantage Plan Review Methodology
The Medicare Advantage marketplace is concentrated among just a handful of companies; in many places, one insurer serves more than half of the market. NerdWallet reviewed 26 Medicare Advantage brands, with some insurers having more than one brand under their umbrella. (For example, Blue Cross Blue Shield includes the brands Anthem and Highmark.) At the national level, these reviews include nine of the 10 largest brands by enrollment. At the state level, our research includes at least one major insurer in 47 of the 49 states that offer Medicare Advantage plans, and includes the top two insurers in 35 of those states. (Alaska doesn't offer Medicare Advantage plans.) We also look at online search volume to identify regional and other notable players in the space.
NerdWallet’s Medicare Advantage reviews are based on ratings data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, as well as pricing, plan availability by state, plan types available, consumer experience, extra benefits offered and more. These reviews are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several plans to find the best coverage and rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines for additional information.
This roundup includes only insurers that sell Medicare Advantage in Pennsylvania.
