UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage Plans Review
UnitedHealthcare offers Medicare Advantage plans that can work in tandem with AARP benefits.
SeniorLiving.org is supported by commissions from providers listed on our site. Read our Editorial Guidelines
If you are an AARP member, you might have already heard of UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage plans. AARP works exclusively with UnitedHealthcare to offer Part C plans to millions of older adults across the country. You do not, however, have to be an AARP member to apply for a UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plan.
You can apply through AARP or directly through UnitedHealthcare. In either case, UnitedHealthcare has a wide range of affordable Part C plans that include Medicare Part A, B and D coverage, plus extra benefits such as discounts on hearing aids, free yearly eye exams and $0 copays on preventative dental care. In this review, we will examine UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage plans and evaluate their pros and cons for older adults and other beneficiaries.
Our research team spent 50 hours researching and evaluating UnitedHealthcare’s plans and comparing them to our other top picks for Medicare Advantage. In this review, we will examine the carrier’s plans and evaluate their pros and cons for older adults and other beneficiaries.
Pros About UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage
- $0 premiums: The majority of UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage plans do not charge premiums. When combined with relatively low deductibles and fewer copays, a UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plan can greatly reduce your out-of-pocket costs.
- Reduced copays: Many common types of doctor’s visits do not require a copay under most UnitedHealthcare plans. If you need to visit your primary-care physician, get a lab test or get a prescription for certain medications, for example, you typically won’t have to pay to see the doctor. The number of mandatory copays varies by plan, but some plans also allow the $0 copay provision for certain types of dental care and routine hearing exams.
- OTC credits: Even with comprehensive Part D coverage, you will not get any discounts on over-the-counter (OTC) medications through Original Medicare. UnitedHealthcare offers many Medicare Advantage plans with an OTC credits program that gives you credits to help pay for common OTC drugs, such as painkillers and cold medicine.
- Free gym membership: UnitedHealthcare offers fitness benefits with many of its plans. The primary benefit is a free gym membership and access to on-demand workout videos. You can also participate in local health and wellness activities and earn reward points.
Cons About UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage
- Significant plan variations: Plan availability varies substantially from one location to another. You may only have access to certain HMO or PPO plans in your area. Although UnitedHealthcare has competitive pricing, your location may have access only to plans with higher deductibles, more copays and fewer additional benefits.
- Limited hearing coverage: The company’s vision coverage and dental benefits will likely cover the majority of your needs, but UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage plans cover only routine hearing exams and a portion of hearing aid costs. For any other hearing-related care, you will probably have to pay out of pocket.
- Prior authorizations: Prior authorizations from UnitedHealthcare are often required before you can get many routine treatments and tests. This can slow down the process and make it more complicated to get routine treatments. The need for prior authorizations varies (some plans do not require authorization at all).
Did You Know? They may sound similar, but Medigap and Medicare Advantage are not the same. Find out how they differ in our Medicare Advantage vs. Medigap guide.
Available UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage Plans
UnitedHealthcare contracts directly with more than 1.5 million physicians and care professionals, as well as 7,000 hospitals and other care facilities, nationwide.1 The carrier offers standard Medicare Advantage plan types. Like most Part C plans, you can expect to get Part A, Part B and Part D coverage. Most plans also include some coverage for hearing, vision and dental care. Below, we will break down all of the plan types currently available through UnitedHealthcare.
HMO
As with a health maintenance organization (HMO) plan from any carrier, UnitedHealthcare requires you to get most of your nonemergency care within a network of doctors and hospitals. An HMO plan also requires you to choose a primary-care physician. Although most of the carrier’s HMOs include Part D and extra benefits, they do not provide health coverage for nonemergency treatments outside of your network. An HMO plan is best for seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries who travel infrequently and do not mind being limited to a preset network of health-care providers.
HMO-POS
HMO point-of-service (POS) is a variation of the traditional HMO plan that provides some out-of-network coverage. You can use your plan to cover many nonemergency treatments outside of your current network, but you will pay more than you would if you got the same treatments within your network.
UnitedHealthcare’s HMO-POS plans do not require you to choose a primary-care physician.
Like UnitedHealthcare’s HMO plans, HMO-POS plans usually have low or no premiums, Part D coverage and extras such as dental, vision and hearing coverage. An HMO-POS is best for older adults who want the security of knowing they still have some coverage outside of their health-care network and benefit from many of the plan’s extras.
PPO
Preferred provider organization (PPO) plans allow you to see any physician who accepts Medicare. Unlike HMO and HMO-POS plans, PPO plans do not require prior authorizations to receive treatments or see specialists. Many people assume that PPOs do not have a network, but they do still have a network, albeit a very large one. Like HMOs, you will have to pay more for out-of-network treatment, but PPOs are best for seniors and other beneficiaries who like to travel and want to avoid the need for prior authorizations.
PFFS
Private fee-for-service (PFFS) is a Medicare Advantage plan with no network. Like a PPO, you can see any physician who accepts Medicare. A PFFS plan offers more freedom to choose any doctor or clinic, but it often costs twice as much as a comparable HMO or PPO plan. It is important to note that UnitedHealthcare PFFS plans do not always include prescription drug coverage.
Pro Tip: If you choose a Medicare Advantage plan without Part D benefits but still want prescription coverage, check out SeniorLiving.org’s recommended Medicare Part D plans.
For plans without prescription coverage, you would have to pay for a standalone Part D plan to receive coverage. PFFS plans are usually best for older adults who have low prescription drug costs and do not want to worry about dealing with a network of health-care providers.
SNP
A special needs plan (SNP) is a unique type of Medicare Advantage plan available to those who are eligible based on certain health-care requirements or financial conditions. If you have a disability or your income is below a certain threshold, for example, you may qualify for one of UnitedHealthcare’s SNP plans. The plans have in-network and out-of-network distinctions, but they provide additional coverage for disability-related treatments that most other plans do not cover.
UnitedHealthcare also offers dual special needs plans (D-SNPs), chronic special needs plans (C-SNPs) for members with qualifying conditions and institutional special needs plans (I-SNPs) for members who live in skilled nursing or assisted living facilities.
Extra Perks and Benefits
We have already covered many of the extras UnitedHealthcare offers on top of the benefits of Original Medicare, including Part D coverage, vision, dental, hearing and OTC credits. Many UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans also offer additional perks, including:
- 24/7 nurse helpline
- Annual at-home wellness visit
- Insulin copays for $25 or less
- Rewards for healthy activities
- A UCard can be used to help pay for OTC products, food and utilities on some plans
- Some plans include a set number of foot-care visits and rides to doctor or pharmacy visits (the number varies by plan)
All of the aforementioned benefits, however, do not come with every UnitedHealthcare Part C plan. Access to some or all of the benefits depends on your location. Consult with UnitedHealthcare to see which perks apply to the plans available in your area before making a decision.
How Much Do UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage Plans Cost?
UnitedHealthcare Part C plan costs will vary based on many factors, including your location and the type of free copays your plan offers. When we searched for plans, for example, we found 18 plan choices for residents of Miami, most of which had $0 monthly premiums and copays. Some plans had monthly premiums ranging from $0 to $20.
Your costs can also fluctuate over time based on your medical needs. We have compiled some of the most important considerations when calculating the cost of your coverage, as well as some statistics to help you gauge costs.
- Premium: Most UnitedHealthcare Part C plans have $0 or low premiums. If your plan requires a premium, you will pay the amount that UnitedHealthcare charges per month, plus your Part B premium (assuming your Part A premium is waived). As of 2025, the minimum Part B premium is $185 per month.
- Deductible: Some UnitedHealthcare plans have $0 deductibles, but most do not. You may need to pay, on average, more than $1,676 per year for your Part A deductible and $257 for your Part B deductible (as of 2025).2 Once you have met your deductibles, UnitedHealthcare splits the cost of care 80/20, which means you pay 20 percent of the cost.
- Copay: UnitedHealthcare offers $0 copays on many types of routine medical visits. For visits that do not qualify for the $0 copay provision, you can expect to pay up to $20 per visit.
- Part D: Most plans come with Part D coverage included, which can save you a lot on the cost of prescription drugs. If your plan does not come with Part D, however, you will need to pay for a stand-alone plan, which costs roughly $36.78 per month (as of 2025).3
- Out-of-network costs: Assuming your plan has a network, you will need to consider the additional costs of getting treatments outside of your network.
- AARP premium: If you choose to get your UnitedHealthcare Part C plan through AARP (rather than directly from UnitedHealthcare), you will need to pay for an AARP membership. It will cost only about $20 per year, but it will still add to the overall cost of your insurance.
Did You Know? There are many perks to being an AARP member. You get lots of discounts on restaurants, travel, rental cars, flights, cruises, hotels and gas.
Where Are UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage Plans Available?
UnitedHealthcare is the nation’s largest Medicare Advantage, D-SNP and Medicare Supplement carrier. They serve 1 in 5 Medicare beneficiaries, which equates to over 13 million people.4 UnitedHealthcare has Part C plans available in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia. That means it is very easy for the vast majority of seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries to access a UnitedHealthcare Part C plan.
FYI: A UnitedHealthcare Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan can greatly reduce your out-of-pocket expenses. Unfortunately, you cannot combine Medigap with a Medicare Advantage plan; Medigap can be used only in tandem with Original Medicare.
Reviews and Ratings
It is always a good idea to research an insurance carrier before enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan. Fortunately, there are many legitimate review agencies that specialize in health insurance and Medicare Advantage carriers. These agencies rank companies based on various factors, from the breadth of their plan offerings to the overall cost of their services. As you can see below, UnitedHealthcare has scored well across the board:
- AM Best: A++
- Better Business Bureau (BBB): C
- National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA): 3 to 4 out of 5 stars
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS): 3.93 out of 5 stars
Customer Service
UnitedHealthcare’s customer-support center is available by phone seven days a week, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. If you don’t want to wait on hold to speak to an agent, you can send a message online or schedule an in-person meeting. Regardless of the route you choose, you can find all of the relevant customer-service contact information right here.
UnitedHealthcare vs. the Competition
UnitedHealthcare is a well-known name, but there are many other carriers that also offer affordable Medicare Advantage plans. Below is a look at a few of them.
UnitedHealthcare vs. Aetna
Aetna Medicare Advantage operates under CVS Health, providing members with benefits such as convenient access to walk-in MinuteClinics at CVS locations across the country. Aetna similarly includes dental, hearing and vision on most plans, as well as extra perks such as transportation. Both companies have plans available nationwide, but Aetna’s Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans are available in only 44 states.
UnitedHealthcare vs. Blue Cross Blue Shield
Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Advantage has plans in 49 states, as well as Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. But they don’t offer as many SNP plans as UnitedHealthcare, which offers D-SNP and C-SNP plans. Blue Cross Blue Shield offers good benefits, such as the SilverSneakers and Blue365 discount program on some plans, but UnitedHealthcare offers more benefits for members overall.
UnitedHealthcare vs. Kaiser
Kaiser Medicare Advantage offers only HMO and SNP plans and some PPOs, whereas UnitedHealthcare offers a variety of plans, including D-SNP and C-SNP. UnitedHealthcare offers plans for members nationwide, unlike Kaiser’s Medicare Advantage plans, which are available in only eight states and Washington, D.C. One great perk that Kaiser offers is the ability to choose another available Kaiser Permanente doctor at any time.
Our Methodology
Our team of experts dedicated over 50 hours to an in-depth analysis of UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans. We assessed key factors such as insurer reliability, plan diversity, premium and copay affordability, and additional benefits. Below we provide a detailed breakdown of our evaluation criteria.
- Plan options and coverage: We evaluated a range of plans, including PPO, HMO, PFFS and SNP, analyzing their hospital and medical benefits, prescription drug coverage, and additional benefits such as vision and wellness programs.
- Pricing and affordability: We analyzed the overall impact of the plans, including monthly premiums, deductibles, copays and coinsurance. We looked at out-of-pocket limits and potential expenses for hospital stays and other essential health necessities to determine overall value.
- Member experience and support: We analyzed plan ratings using trusted sources such as CMS and BBB, including customer ratings and reviews. We also considered the accessibility of customer support, contact methods available and claim processing responsiveness.
- Added benefits and perks: Members appreciate little extras, such as fitness and health programs, transportation services, meal delivery, and telehealth access, so those perks were evaluated and assessed for overall value.
Final Thoughts on UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage Plans
UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage plans are difficult to beat. With plenty of $0 premium plans, $0 copay options and relatively low deductibles, UnitedHealthcare can help you save on treatment costs. Plus, most plans come with Part D, as well as some vision, dental and hearing coverage. That said, prices and plan availability vary widely by location, so you will need to contact a UnitedHealthcare agent or view your options online to see exactly what is available. UnitedHealthcare offers great Medicare Advantage plans that can also be accessed via an AARP membership, which offers its own unique benefits to older Americans.
>> Related Reading: DevotedHealth Medicare Advantage Plans Review
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Is a Medicare Advantage plan from UnitedHealthcare a good option?
Yes, the carrier has good Medicare Advantage plans with mostly $0 monthly premiums and copays, as well as several great benefits.
-
Is AARP Medicare Advantage the same as UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage?
Yes, UnitedHealthcare partners with AARP, offering numerous plans and perks for subscribers.
-
DoMedicare Advantage plans have dental benefits?
Unlike Original Medicare, the majority of Medicare Advantage plans offer benefits such as dental, hearing and vision care, including eye exams, eyeglasses and corrective lenses.
-
Is Medicare Advantage different from Medicare Part D?
Yes. Many Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug benefits, but Medicare Part D prescription drug plans can be added to Original Medicare.
UnitedHealthcare. (2024). UnitedHealthcare 2025 Medicare Advantage Plans Deliver Choice, Stability.
NCOA. (2024). What Is the Deductible for Parts A and B?
Medicare. (2025). Fact Sheet: 2025 Medicare Costs.
UnitedHealthcare. (2024). UH 2025 Medicare Advantage Plans.