Best Medicare Supplement Plans in Massachusetts 2024
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There are about 939,000 Massachusetts residents with Original Medicare, and Medicare Supplement Insurance companies compete for their business. Just one insurance company that serves Massachusetts scored at the top of NerdWallet’s Medigap rankings — but you could also consider various smaller companies we haven’t ranked.
Massachusetts residents with Medicare Part A and Part B can purchase Medicare Supplement Insurance, or Medigap, to help cover certain out-of-pocket expenses like copays, coinsurance and deductibles left over after Medicare pays for covered services. More than 340,000 people in Massachusetts had Medigap coverage as of the end of 2022.
Here’s what you need to know about finding the best Medigap policy for you in Massachusetts.
Why trust NerdWallet
Compare the best Medicare Supplement plans in Massachusetts
Top-rated Medicare Supplement plans in Massachusetts
The federal government doesn’t calculate official star ratings for Medicare Supplement Insurance, so NerdWallet developed our own data-driven ratings. Just one company offering plans in Massachusetts topped NerdWallet’s 2024 Medigap rubric. (See our ratings methodology for more on how we evaluate Medicare Supplement Insurance companies.)
5-star plans (NerdWallet rating)
Most of NerdWallet’s top-ranked Medicare Supplement Insurance companies don’t sell plans in Massachusetts — probably because Medigap plans in Massachusetts use different standards than plans in other states.
There are a number of other companies that sell Medigap policies in Massachusetts. Some are larger companies we’ve reviewed but that haven’t earned top star ratings according to our rubric. Others are smaller regional companies that we haven’t reviewed.
We recommend getting multiple quotes, doing your research and potentially working with a licensed insurance agent to find the best fit for your finances and circumstances.
Largest Medicare Supplement Insurance companies in MA
Medigap plans are regulated by the government, but they’re sold by private insurance companies. Here are the five Medicare Supplement Insurance companies in Massachusetts with the most members as of the end of 2022:
Insurance company | Share of Massachusetts Medigap members |
|---|---|
69.6%. | |
2. Harvard Pilgrim Health Care | 15.2%. |
12.3%. | |
4. Health New England | 1.3%. |
5. Humana | 0.6%. |
Medicare Supplement Insurance prices in Massachusetts
Here are the five largest companies’ price estimates for the Core Plan and Supplement 1A Plan, the two plan types available for new Medicare members in Massachusetts, as filed with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Note that Massachusetts state law requires community-rated pricing for Medicare Supplement Insurance, so the prices are the same for all enrollees regardless of age.
Insurance company | Core Plan monthly premiums | Supplement 1A Plan monthly premiums |
|---|---|---|
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts | $119. | $196. |
Humana | $150. | $215. |
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care | $150. | $215. |
Health New England | $151. | $216. |
AARP/UnitedHealthcare | $163. | $228. |
For reference, here are the lowest estimated premiums for the two plans from any company that filed prices:
Core Plan: $119 per month.
Supplement 1A Plan: $196 per month.
From our Nerds: Who offers the best Medicare Supplement plans in Massachusetts?
"Among companies that sell Medicare Supplement Insurance in Massachusetts, AARP Medicare Supplement Insurance from UnitedHealthcare is the only option that scores 4 stars or better on NerdWallet’s Medigap rubric. None of the other companies that scored well in our evaluations sell Medigap policies in Massachusetts."
Note: We can’t review every Medigap company, and a company not among our top rankings might be a great fit for you. It’s a good idea to do your research, compare multiple quotes and consider working with a licensed insurance agent for more personalized recommendations.
— Alex Rosenberg, lead writer covering Medicare
How Medicare Supplement Insurance works in Massachusetts
In most states, there are 10 standard Medigap plan types, but Massachusetts uses its own different standardized system.
There are three plan types in Massachusetts. The Core Plan covers the basic benefits included in all Massachusetts Medicare Supplement Insurance plans, and the other two plans offer additional coverage on top of those basic benefits.
Core Plan
Here are the benefits of the Core Plan:
Part A coinsurance and hospital costs up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are used up.
Part B coinsurance.
Blood transfusion (first three pints).
Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment.
Inpatient days in mental health hospitals up to an additional 60 days per calendar year in addition to Medicare’s mental health coverage.
State-mandated benefits including yearly Pap tests and mammograms.
Supplement 1A Plan
A higher-coverage option, the Supplement 1A Plan, includes everything in the Core Plan, plus coverage for these additional benefits:
Part A deductible.
Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance.
Medicare-covered services needed while traveling abroad.
Inpatient days in mental health hospitals up to an additional 120 days per benefit period in addition to Medicare’s coverage (replaces the Core Plan’s 60 additional days per calendar year).
A benefit period starts the day you’re admitted for an inpatient hospital stay. It ends when you haven’t received inpatient hospital care for 60 days in a row. If you’re admitted after that, you’ve started a new benefit period.
Supplement 1 Plan
Medicare beneficiaries who became eligible on or before Jan. 1, 2020, can purchase another plan, the Supplement 1 Plan, which includes coverage for the Medicare Part B deductible in addition to everything in the Supplement 1A Plan. However, Medigap plans aren’t allowed to cover the Medicare Part B deductible for beneficiaries who become eligible for Medicare on or after Jan. 1, 2020, so those beneficiaries can only purchase the Core or Supplement 1A plans.
Medicare resources in Massachusetts
State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP: Massachusetts’ Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Everyone program, or SHINE, is the State Health Insurance Assistance Program. It provides free information and counseling about Medicare options, processes and costs.
Executive Office of Elder Affairs: Provides information for Massachusetts seniors and caregivers to access resources and services, including help with Medicare.
Massachusetts Division of Insurance: Maintains records of Massachusetts Medigap companies and their rates and offers resources for consumers to learn about insurance and file complaints.
Find the right Medicare Supplement Insurance plan
Because Medigap plans are standardized, you can get precisely the same Medicare benefits from any company offering the plan. So when you shop, keep these considerations in mind to find the best policy to fit your needs:
Is your preferred plan available? Health insurance companies don’t always sell every plan, so check who sells the plan you want to buy in your area.
What are the premiums? Prices for the same plan can vary between companies, so check to find the most competitive rates.
Will your premiums change over time? Most policies cost more as you age, but some companies offer policies that let you lock in a price when you sign up.
Are there extras? Medigap plans’ core benefits are standardized, but in certain cases, some companies include such perks as discount programs or gym memberships.
Looking for more insurance in Massachusetts? Check out these resources:
Medicare Supplement Insurance ratings methodology
NerdWallet’s Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) ratings are based on pricing, discounts, plan types offered, complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, consumer experience, additional perks and benefits, and more. To calculate each health insurance company's rating, we adjusted the scores to a curved 5-point scale, rounded to the nearest half star.
NerdWallet reviewed 15 Medicare Supplement Insurance companies based on highest enrollment and greatest online search volume. At the national level, our scored reviews include companies covering about two-thirds of all Medigap beneficiaries. At the state level, our research includes at least one of the two largest Medigap insurance companies in 48 of the 50 states, plus Washington, D.C.
These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes 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 Supplement Insurance.
Insurer complaints methodology
We examined complaints received by state insurance regulators and reported to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. To assess how insurers compare to one another, the NAIC calculates a complaint index each year for each subsidiary, measuring its share of total complaints relative to its size, or share of total premiums in the industry. To evaluate a company’s complaint history, we calculated a similar index for each insurance company, weighted by market shares of each subsidiary. We score companies based on this index of how many complaints the company receives relative to its market share. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC.
This roundup includes only insurance companies that sell Medicare Supplement Insurance in Massachusetts.
