The bottom line: UnitedHealthcare, which also insures AARP Medicare Advantage plans, is the giant of the Medicare world. It’s the largest for-profit insurance company in the industry — and it’s not even a close competition. That size can be an advantage, as you can find an array of plans from UHC nearly everywhere in the country.
While UnitedHealthcare stands out for its wide range of available options, you might be able to find a better fit from more narrowly focused competitors. There are plans with lower costs, plans with higher care quality and plans with stronger member experience to be found. So while UHC is probably worth a look, also be sure to compare its offerings against other strong plans available where you live.
Pros: In a word: options. UnitedHealthcare sells plans in nearly every state, so it’s probably an option where you live. It offers every type of Medicare Advantage plan: HMOs, HMO-POS plans, PPOs and PFFS plans. And there are special needs plans for people with chronic conditions, people eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, and people who need institutional care.
Cons: UnitedHealthcare’s quality ratings from the federal government are just so-so, and its scores on measures of member experience are below average. Its average costs for hospital stays are higher than average, too.
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NerdWallet’s Medicare content, including articles, reviews and recommendations, is produced by a team of writers and editors who specialize in Medicare. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, Washington Post, Nasdaq, MSN, MarketWatch, Yahoo! Finance and other national and regional media outlets. They have been cited in publications including Healthline, and appeared on NerdWallet's "Smart Money" podcast.
NerdWallet star rating for UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage
UnitedHealthcare earned 3.8 out of 5 stars in our analysis. That’s a drop compared to previous years. You can probably find plans available in your area that outperform UHC when it comes to cost, quality and/or customer service. But the company’s giant size is an asset — its plans are available nearly everywhere, and it may offer a wider variety of plan types than competitors.
Because of its ubiquity and breadth of options, UnitedHealthcare is on our national list of the best Medicare Advantage plans in 2027. While many of the smaller regional insurance companies scored higher this year, UHC is still a good basis for comparison.
How we score companies
NerdWallet's editorial team uses huge quantities of data to score Medicare Advantage companies. Unlike the government's quality ratings, we include costs as a factor in our scoring. And compared with review sites across the web, NerdWallet's editorial assessments are more comprehensive in a range of areas:
More data: Our analysis includes hundreds of thousands of rows of data. We incorporate data from all 45 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) quality measures — and that’s just the start. We’ve also built and analyzed our own measures for customer service, premiums, prescription drug costs, and out-of-pocket costs for emergency visits, ambulance rides and hospital stays to provide a more well-rounded picture of plans’ performance.
More plans and companies: We don’t just stick to a few big names. We've analyzed and assigned scores to every single one of over 5,000 commercial Medicare Advantage plan offerings, down to individual plans offered state-by-state. Our reviews span 23 companies covering about 31.5 million enrollees. That’s about 87% of all Medicare Advantage members.
More timely updates: You don’t want to rely on out-of-date reviews when shopping for your coverage. Our team grabs the new year’s data as soon as it’s released in September and October, delivering the freshest updates for open enrollment season.
More detail: We’re not just providing surface-level summaries. We publish multiple roundups of the best plans, individual deep-dive reviews of nearly two dozen Medicare Advantage companies, 50 state roundups with information specific to the best plans available in each state, and data-driven head-to-head comparisons for many of the big companies you might be choosing between.
CMS quality measures
C01: Breast Cancer Screening.
C02: Colorectal Cancer Screening.
C03: Annual Flu Vaccine.
C04: Improving or Maintaining Physical Health.
C05: Improving or Maintaining Mental Health.
C06: Monitoring Physical Activity.
C07: Special Needs Plan (SNP) Care Management.
C08: Care for Older Adults – Medication Review.
C09: Care for Older Adults - Functional Status Assessment.
C10: Osteoporosis Management in Women who had a Fracture.
C11: Diabetes Care – Eye Exam.
C12: Diabetes Care – Blood Sugar Controlled.
C13: Kidney Health Evaluation for Patients with Diabetes.
C14: Controlling High Blood Pressure.
C15: Reducing the Risk of Falling.
C16: Improving Bladder Control.
C17: Plan All-Cause Readmissions.
C18: Statin Therapy for Patients with Cardiovascular Disease.
C19: Transitions of Care.
C20: Follow-up after Emergency Department Visit for People with Multiple High-Risk Chronic Conditions.
C21: Getting Needed Care.*
C22: Getting Appointments and Care Quickly.*
C23: Customer Service.*
C24: Rating of Health Care Quality.*
C25: Rating of Health Plan.*
C26: Care Coordination.*
C27: Complaints about the Health Plan.
C28: Members Choosing to Leave the Plan.
C29: Health Plan Quality Improvement.
C30: Plan Makes Timely Decisions about Appeals.
C31: Reviewing Appeals Decisions.
C32: Call Center – Foreign Language Interpreter and TTY Availability.
D01: Call Center – Foreign Language Interpreter and TTY Availability.
D02: Complaints about the Drug Plan.
D03: Members Choosing to Leave the Plan.
D04: Drug Plan Quality Improvement.
D05: Rating of Drug Plan.
D06: Getting Needed Prescription Drugs.
D07: MPF Price Accuracy.
D08: Medication Adherence for Diabetes Medications.
D09: Medication Adherence for Hypertension (RAS antagonists).
D10: Medication Adherence for Cholesterol (Statins).
D11: Statin Use in Persons with Diabetes (SUPD).
D12: Concurrent Use of Opioids and Benzodiazepines (COB).
D13: Polypharmacy: Use of Multiple Anticholinergic Medications in Older Adults (Poly-ACH).
* Also used to calculate NerdWallet's Member Experience sub-score for Medicare Advantage plans.
NerdWallet's unique measures
Percentage of plans with $0 premiums.
Percentage of members in plans with $0 premiums.
Average non-$0 premium.
Average maximum out-of-pocket cost.
Percentage of plans offering prescription drug coverage. Percentage of plans with no deductible for Tier 1 prescription drugs.
Percentage of plans with no deductible for Tier 2 prescription drugs.
Percentage of plans with no deductible for Tier 3 prescription drugs.
Average non-$0 deductible for Tier 1 prescription drugs.
Average non-$0 deductible for Tier 2 prescription drugs.
Average non-$0 deductible for Tier 3 prescription drugs.
Average cost of a typical emergency department visit.
Average cost of a typical ambulance ride.
Average cost of a typical hospital stay.
Plan disenrollment reasons index.
Percentage of plans rated 4 stars or higher.
Percentage of members in plans rated 4 stars or higher.
Prevalence of "Giveback" plans.
CMS quality ratings for UHC Medicare Advantage
Average CMS star rating, weighted by enrollment: 3.83
UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans are rated at about the industry average, receiving an average rating of 3.83 out of 5 from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), weighted by enrollment for plans available in 2027. For comparison, the weighted average for all 2027 plans is 3.92 out of 5.
Of UHC members who are in Medicare Advantage plans with a star rating, 63% are in plans that have been rated 4 stars or above for 2027.
CMS maintains its own database of 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.
You can find a plan’s rating with Medicare's plan finding tool.
NerdWallet star ratings are different from CMS ratings for Medicare plans.
Our data-driven, consumer-first scoring rubric for Medicare Advantage plans includes crucial metrics like cost and a wider range of data sources for quality and customer satisfaction in addition to the information incorporated into CMS ratings.
What does UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage cost?
About 68% of UHC Medicare Advantage plans have a $0 premium.
UnitedHealthcare plans with a monthly premium cost about $39.82 per month, on average, weighted by enrollment. The weighted average among all Medicare Advantage plans is $49.28 for 2027.
With any Medicare Advantage plan, you'll still be responsible for paying your Medicare Part B premium, which is $202.90 per month in 2026.
Most people pay this standard Part B amount, but if your income is above a certain threshold, you'll pay the income-related monthly adjustment amount (IRMAA). Some Medicare Advantage plans cover part or all of your Part B premium.
Prescription drug costs for UHC Medicare Advantage
About 90% of UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug coverage.
Here's what you might pay for prescription drugs at some common price points.
Tier 1 (Preferred generics) 96.6% of UHC Medicare Advantage plans have $0 copays/coinsurance.
$3.21: Average out-of-pocket cost for a drug with a $15 retail price, among UHC plans with copays or coinsurance.
Tier 2 (Most generics) 39.8% of UHC Medicare Advantage plans have $0 copays/coinsurance.
$6.76: Average out-of-pocket cost for a drug with a $50 retail price, among UHC plans with copays or coinsurance.
Tier 3 (Preferred brands) 11.7% of UHC Medicare Advantage plans have $0 copays/coinsurance.
$44.74: Average out-of-pocket cost for a drug with a $200 retail price, among UHC plans with copays or coinsurance.
Formulary tiers
We evaluate Medicare Advantage plans based on their prices for the first three tiers on their formulary, the list of covered drugs. Many plans have five-tier formularies:
Tier 1: Preferred generic drugs.
Tier 2: Most generic drugs.
Tier 3: Preferred brand-name drugs.
Tier 4: Non-preferred brand-name drugs.
Tier 5: Specialty drugs.
We evaluate Tiers 1–3 individually based on their out-of-pocket costs and whether a prescription drug deductible applies.
We don't compare plans based on higher tiers because there are fewer significant differences in plan design. Nearly all plans charge coinsurance for Tier 4 and Tier 5 drugs, so what you'll pay depends mostly on the retail price of the drug.
Scoring
Plans get the highest scores for offering the lowest out-of-pocket costs. Plans get a perfect score for the tier if they offer $0 copays.
We evaluate plans that do charge copays or coinsurance based on reference prices:
Tier 1: $15.
Tier 2: $50.
Tier 3: $200.
Using reference prices lets us compare plans with copays and coinsurance. For example, with a copay, you might owe a flat $40 for a Tier 3 drug. An 18% coinsurance could work out slightly cheaper, at $36 for a $200 drug. But a plan with a 25% coinsurance would cost you $50 — and we'd score it lower.
Plans also earn points based on whether a prescription drug deductible applies at each of the first three tiers. We prefer plans that start covering your medications immediately, rather than after you've met a deductible.
Plan details
We give two numbers in the boxes above. First, the percentage of the company's plans with $0 copays for the tier. These percentages are often pretty high for Tier 1, but can drop off sharply afterward. Second, we list averages of what plans that do charge copays or coinsurance would cost. We don't include the plans with $0 copays in these averages because we want to give a realistic sense of what you might actually pay. The averages are estimates based on our reference prices, after you've met your prescription drug deductible, if any.
Medicare Advantage plans that don't include prescription drug coverage don't get scored on these measures. They're not penalized for the lack of coverage, but their scores for other cost factors like premiums and out-of-pocket costs for medical care get higher weight in their overall ratings.
Medical costs with UnitedHealthcare
While many Medicare Advantage plans have $0 or low premiums, you should also keep an eye on out-of-pocket costs when comparing plans. We calculated average potential out-of-pocket costs for a few kinds of unexpected medical care: emergency department visits, ambulance rides and hospital stays.
🏥 Emergency department
$130: Average out-of-pocket cost for a typical emergency visit.
The weighted average among all 2027 plans is about $124.
🚑 Ambulance
$286: Average out-of-pocket cost for a typical ambulance ride.
The weighted average among all 2027 plans is about $278.
🛌🏽 Hospital stay
$2,151: Average out-of-pocket costs for a 7-day hospitalization.
The weighted average among all 2027 plans is about $1,801.
Services
We evaluate Medicare Advantage plans based on the out-of-pocket costs they charge for three services: a visit to the emergency department, an ambulance ride and a seven-day hospital stay.
We chose these services for several reasons:
They’re all reasonably common.
They could result in unexpected healthcare costs.
Plans can differ significantly in terms of their out-of-pocket costs for these services.
Emergency and ambulance charges
We extracted plan-level cost information from CMS’ “MPF Benefit Summary,” a giant spreadsheet that lays out whether and how plans cover an array of healthcare services.
Emergency visits and ambulance rides often have coinsurance, which means you owe a percentage of Medicare’s allowed cost. To put plans on a level playing field, we used reference prices for these services. We used $1,200 as a round reference price for an ambulance ride, based on numbers from MedPAC’s June 2026 report to Congress.
For an emergency department visit, we used $800 to represent the allowed amounts for a high-severity visit that doesn’t result in an admission to the hospital for inpatient care. That’s based on the sum of Medicare’s physician payment rate for CPT 99285 and facility fee for APC 5025.
We used these reference prices to calculate out-of-pocket costs for plans that charge coinsurance for either of the services above. That allows us to compare plans with copays against plans with coinsurance on an even playing field.
Hospital stays
Out-of-pocket costs for hospital stays are typically copays per day for a certain number of days. We used a seven-day hospital stay to compare costs. The average length of stay for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries is 7.1 days, according to a study published by the American Medical Association in 2025. Using this reference length of stay allows us to compare plans that charge out-of-pocket costs on a per-day basis against ones that charge per stay, regardless of length.
Scoring
For each service, we score plans more highly when they have lower out-of-pocket costs. Company-level averages are weighted by plan enrollment within the company.
Maximum out-of-pocket costs
UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans have an average maximum out-of-pocket (MOOP) spending cap of $6,860, weighted by enrollment. The weighted average among all Medicare Advantage plans is about $6,505 for 2027.
The MOOP is the annual limit on what you’ll owe for out-of-pocket costs like copays, coinsurance and deductibles. If you expect to use a lot of medical care, it’s worth looking for a plan with a relatively low MOOP. But if you don’t use much medical care, this number might not be very important.
Compare against other providers
» More options in our roundup of the best Medicare Advantage plans
Compare against other providers
» More options in our roundup of the best Medicare Advantage plans
Why do people leave UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans?
CMS surveys people who voluntarily leave their Medicare plans about their reasons for leaving. Here’s the breakdown of problems people identified with their former UHC Medicare plans.
Problems getting covered care: 14% (All-company average: 16%).
Problems with doctor/hospital networks: 20% (All-company average: 21%).
Financial issues: 19% (All-company average: 19%).
Problems with prescription drug benefits: 8% (All-company average: 9%).
Problems getting information from the plan: 11% (All-company average: 12%).
(Members can indicate multiple reasons for leaving on the survey and might leave plans for other reasons, so the categories won’t add up to 100%.)
UHC Medicare Advantage plan types
UnitedHealthcare offers Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans and plans without drug coverage. Its plan offerings include the following types:
A health maintenance organization (HMO) generally requires that you use a specific network of doctors and hospitals. You may need a referral from your primary doctor to see a specialist, and out-of-network benefits are usually limited.
HMO point-of-service plans are HMO plans that allow members to get some out-of-network services, but you’ll pay more for those services.
Preferred provider organization (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.
UnitedHealthcare’s private fee-for-service (PFFS) plans allow you to see any Medicare-approved provider who accepts your UnitedHealthcare plan. You won’t have to pick a primary doctor, and you won’t need a referral to see a specialist.
Special needs plans (SNPs) restrict membership to people with certain diseases or characteristics. The benefits, network and drug formularies are tailored to the needs of those members. UnitedHealthcare offers three types of SNPs:
Chronic Condition SNP: Designed to meet the needs of members living with certain chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disorders, diabetes or chronic heart failure.
Dual-Eligible SNP: For people who are entitled to Medicare and who also qualify for assistance from a state Medicaid program.
Institutional plans: Provide specialized care to members who live in skilled nursing or assisted living facilities and need an institutional level of care.
Third-party ratings of UHC
AM Best Financial Strength Rating: A (Excellent)
AM Best is a credit rating agency that specializes in the insurance industry. In August 2026, AM Best affirmed its Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) for the companies collectively referred to as UnitedHealthcare.
An A rating in this category indicates that AM Best believes UnitedHealthcare has an excellent ability to meet its ongoing insurance obligations.
JD Power Ranking
JD Power releases an annual study measuring member satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans. It uses eight factors, such as level of trust, ability to get health services, ease of doing business and resolving problems or complaints.
Here’s how UnitedHealthcare ranked among major companies in the 12 Medicare markets surveyed:
California: 7th out of 8.
Florida: 1st out of 6.
Georgia: 1st out of 3.
Illinois: 2nd out of 4.
Kentucky: 2nd out of 3.
Michigan: 5th out of 5.
New York: 4th out of 5.
North Carolina: 1st out of 4.
Ohio: 3rd out of 4.
Pennsylvania: 6th out of 7.
Tennessee: 3rd out of 4.
Texas: 2nd out of 6.
UnitedHealthcare Medicare service area
UnitedHealthcare offers Medicare Advantage plans in 47 states and Washington, D.C. More than 94% of Medicare beneficiaries have the option of a UnitedHealthcare plan.
UnitedHealthcare is the largest Medicare Advantage insurance company in the country. About 9.3 million Medicare beneficiaries have UHC Medicare Advantage plans.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is part of UnitedHealth Group, which is headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. It's the largest health insurance company in the U.S. The company offers individual- and employer-based health insurance plans, Medicare and Medicaid plans, dental and vision plans, and other types of supplemental insurance.
Read the NerdWallet reviews of these other UnitedHealthcare Medicare offerings:
AARP Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) from UnitedHealthcare.
AARP Medicare Rx Medicare Part D plans from UnitedHealthcare.
Read the NerdWallet reviews of these other AARP insurance products:
Compare Medicare Advantage companies
Get more information below about some of the major Medicare Advantage insurance companies. These insurers offer plans in most states. The plans you can choose from will depend on your ZIP code and county.
Check out NerdWallet's roundups of the best Medicare Advantage options in each state: | |||
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 preferred medical 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).
- Available with $0 premiums in 47 states and Washington, D.C.
- Offers many plan types to choose from, including all types of special needs plans.
- So-so government quality ratings.
- Below-average scores for member experience.
- Hospital copays could be cheaper.
NerdWallet writers are subject matter authorities who use primary, trustworthy sources to inform their work, including peer-reviewed studies, government websites, academic research and interviews with industry experts. All content is fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness and relevance. You can learn more about NerdWallet's high standards for journalism by reading our editorial guidelines.
- 1.NerdWallet analysis of CMS data. 2027 Star Ratings Data Tables. Accessed Oct 15, 2026.
- 2.NerdWallet analysis of CMS data. Monthly Enrollment by Plan. Accessed Oct 15, 2026.
- 3.NerdWallet analysis of CMS data. CY2027 Landscape 202609. Accessed Oct 15, 2026.
- 4.NerdWallet analysis of CMS data. Beneficiary Cost File. Accessed Oct 15, 2026.
- 5.NerdWallet analysis of CMS data. PBP Benefits-2027. Accessed Oct 15, 2026.
- 6.NerdWallet analysis of CMS data. Star Ratings Data Tables — Disenrollment Reasons. Accessed Oct 15, 2026.
- 7.AM Best. AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated and Its Subsidiaries. Accessed Oct 15, 2026.
- 8.JD Power. Medicare Advantage Plan Members Seek Stronger Patient Advocacy, Care Coordination. Accessed Oct 15, 2026.
- 9.HealthScape. Medicare Advantage Enrollment Depicts Industry at a Crossroads. Accessed Oct 15, 2026.
Medicare Advantage review methodology
NerdWallet’s Medicare Advantage ratings are based on premiums, out-of-pocket costs, prescription drug coverage, quality data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, consumer experience and more. We analyze and calculate ratings for every Medicare Advantage plan sold throughout the U.S. on a curved 5-point scale.
At the national level, we calculate ratings for companies as the average of their plans’ scores, weighted by enrollment.
NerdWallet’s editorial team analyzed companies covering about 87% of all Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in the United States. We reviewed 23 Medicare Advantage brands, with some insurance companies having more than one brand under their umbrella. (For example, Blue Cross Blue Shield includes the brands Anthem and Highmark.)
The Medicare Advantage marketplace is concentrated among just a handful of companies. In many places, one company serves more than half of the market. At the national level, NerdWallet’s reviews include each of the 10 largest brands by enrollment.
We research and analyze all commercial Medicare Advantage plans and publish reviews for selected companies. At the state level, we review at least one major insurer in every state where Medicare Advantage plans are sold, and we review both of the top two insurers in 40 of those 49 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.
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 and full ratings methodology for Medicare Advantage.
Compare Medicare Advantage plans
Insurance company | NerdWallet rating | $0 plan availability | Members in high-quality plans | Member experience | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(855) 432-0512 / TTY 711 M-F 9AM-9PM, Sat 10AM-6PM ETSpeak to a licensed insurance agent on askchapter.orgon NerdWallet | 3.8/5 | 68% (Average) | Medium (50% to 84%) | 3.26 (Below average) | (855) 432-0512 / TTY 711 M-F 9AM-9PM, Sat 10AM-6PM ETSpeak to a licensed insurance agent on askchapter.orgon NerdWallet |
 (855) 432-0512 / TTY 711 M-F 9AM-9PM, Sat 10AM-6PM ETSpeak to a licensed insurance agent on askchapter.orgon NerdWallet | 4.6/5 | 80% (Above average) | High (85% to 100%) | 3.86 (Above average) | (855) 432-0512 / TTY 711 M-F 9AM-9PM, Sat 10AM-6PM ETSpeak to a licensed insurance agent on askchapter.orgon NerdWallet |
 (855) 432-0512 / TTY 711 M-F 9AM-9PM, Sat 10AM-6PM ETSpeak to a licensed insurance agent on askchapter.orgon NerdWallet | 4.2/5 | 78% (Above average) | Medium (50% to 84%) | 3.4 (Average) | (855) 432-0512 / TTY 711 M-F 9AM-9PM, Sat 10AM-6PM ETSpeak to a licensed insurance agent on askchapter.orgon NerdWallet |