Top Medicare Advantage Plan Carriers in 2026

In addition to Original Medicare’s benefits, Medicare Advantage plans often include extras, like dental, vision, and fitness. Consider your overall health, budget, and location when choosing a plan.

To help you navigate the often complex world of Medicare, we’ve considered multiple factors, including geographic availability and ratings, and vetted insurance providers to find options based on different needs.

A quick look at the top 2026 Medicare Advantage plan carriers

Top for preventive services: HealthSpring (Cigna Medicare)
Top for customer satisfaction: Humana
Top for chronic (long-term) condition management: Devoted Health
Most above-average ratings: UnitedHealthcare

How we chose

We considered the following factors when deciding on the top Medicare Advantage plan carriers:

Vetting: The private insurers in this article have been vetted to ensure they align with Healthline’s brand integrity standards and approach to well-being. You can read more about our vetting process.
CMS ratings: Using publicly available information from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), we reviewed the different rating criteria to ensure each private insurance company and its plan offerings are fairly reflected.
Benefits: Everyone is different and has different health conditions and needs. We selected private insurers that consistently rated highly in the multiple CMS rating categories. We carefully selected insurance carriers that offer a range of services and benefits essential for your healthcare journey.
Multi-state coverage: We have included health insurers with national or wide coverage areas. Some of the companies highlighted may only administer plans in specific local regions. However, similar plans can typically be acquired through each insurer in the state they serve.

Healthline’s picks of the top Medicare Advantage plan carriers

Medicare Advantage plans vary by location. Plans of the same name may have varying costs and provide varying benefits in different service areas. They may also have differing CMS ratings. Always check using your ZIP code for the most accurate cost information.

Top for preventive services: HealthSpring (Cigna Medicare)

New for 2026, Cigna Healthcare Medicare is now called HeathSpring.

HealthSpring’s Medicare Advantage plans are available in 29 states and the District of Columbia, and will include the following Medicare Advantage plan types:

HMOs
PPOs
Dual-eligible special needs plans (D-SNPs)
Chronic condition special needs plans (C-SNPs)

These plans have achieved some of the highest ratings for preventive care, such as:

breast cancer screenings
colorectal cancer screenings
annual flu vaccinations
physical and mental health maintenance
physical health monitoring

Many HealthSpring plans have a $0 copayment for preventive care services that Original Medicare covers. The list is extensive, but coverage includes various cancer screenings, cardiovascular disease screening, bone mass measurements, and diabetes screening.

Coverage may also be available for preventive and comprehensive dental care, vision care, and hearing aids. Depending on the plan available in your area, exact benefits and cost-sharing may apply.

HealthSpring plans offer additional benefits, such as advance care planning and caregiver support. It also has Silver&Fit fitness programs, which are healthy aging exercise programs that provide fitness center memberships and a home fitness kit, which may include a wearable fitness tracker.

In addition to rating highly for preventive care, HealthSpring plans have also received high ratings for customer satisfaction, with people stating they can get appointments and care quickly and receive good care coordination. The company also received good ratings for the time it took them to resolve claim appeals, and for having multiple language options available when contacting its call center.

Top for health plan customer satisfaction: Humana

In 2026, Humana will offer Medicare Advantage plans in 46 states and Washington, D.C. The company advises that this includes coverage for 85% of U.S. counties. It will also offer new plan types in four states and 177 counties.

Humana rates highly for customer service, specifically with:

the time it takes to make appeals decisions
the time it takes to review appeals decisions
call center accessibility

The company also received high ratings for health plan complaints and quality improvements, indicating that it responded to customer complaints in a timely manner and made plan improvements that customers would have found beneficial.

Humana rated reasonably well in its preventive and long-term condition management, with an above-average score for getting appointments and care quickly and receiving quality healthcare.

Depending on where you live, Humana Medicare Advantage plans may offer:

routine dental care with a set dental allowance
allowance for glasses or contact lenses
hearing aid coverage
freedom to visit any healthcare professional or facility that accepts Medicare
emergency benefits throughout the United States
allowance for transportation to medical appointments
over-the-counter (OTC) item allowance
membership in the SilverSneakers fitness program

Top for chronic (long-term) condition management: Devoted Health

In 2026, Devoted Health offers plans in multiple counties in 29 different states.

Devoted Health rates highly for chronic condition care management, specifically:

overall care management
medication review and reconciliation
pain assessment
osteoporosis management in females who have experienced a fracture
diabetes management, including blood sugar, blood pressure, and kidney health control
statin therapy for people with cardiovascular disease
follow-up care after an emergency room visit for people with numerous high-risk chronic conditions

Depending on where you live, you could benefit from a C-SNP from Devoted Health, a D-SNP if you are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, or various PPO and HMO options.

The company also rates above average for the way it manages and reviews appeals, and its overall customer service and call center accessibility.

If you live in a plan’s service area and meet the qualifying criteria, as well as Original Medicare-covered services, Devoted Health’s C-SNPs may include:

$0 copayments for outpatient consultations
$0 copayments for inpatient care and diagnostic tests when also using Medicaid benefits
hearing aids from TruHearing with up to around a $700 copayment
up to $2,000 per year for many in-network dental services
up to $300 per year for in-network eyewear
medical nutritional therapy above Original Medicare’s coverage
$50 per quarter for OTC items
$406 per month toward eligible food, utility, or rent or mortgage costs
SilverSneakers membership

Most above-average ratings: UnitedHealthcare

Examining the broad CMS data, UnitedHealthcare sits marginally ahead in areas including preventive care, chronic condition management, and customer experience.

In 2026, UnitedHealthcare states that 94% of Medicare beneficiaries will have access to one of its Medicare Advantage plans, meaning nationwide coverage.

The company offers HMO, HMO-POS, PPO, and multiple SNP plans, with many options for taking your coverage with you if you travel within the United States.

It has a partnership with AARP, and some plans are only available to people with an AARP membership, which typically begins at around $15 per year. However, nonmembers may be eligible to apply for some AARP Medicare Advantage plans.

SNPs from UnitedHealthcare may typically cover some of the following services:

prescription medications
allowance for eligible dental services
OTC, food, and utility benefit
eyewear allowance and eye exam benefit
hearing aid allowance
allowance for transportation to doctor and pharmacy visits

HMO, HMO-POS, and PPOs from UnitedHealthcare may cover many of the same benefits, but with different limits and cost-sharing options.

If you have Original Medicare and are considering switching to Medicare Advantage, a plan from UnitedHealthcare may include some of the following added benefits:

dental care
vision benefits
hearing benefits, including the cost of hearing aids (copayments may apply)
low cost or $0 monthly premiums
rewards for physical activity
telehealth services
$0 or low copay options
allowance for OTC items
$0 copayment for Renew Active membership
foot care
meal benefit, which includes a set number of home-delivered meals right after an inpatient hospital or skilled nursing facility stay

Medicare plan types at a glance

Enrolling in Medicare Advantage

There are several dates to keep in mind for jumping into the Medicare pool:

Medicare initial enrollment period (IEP): This is the 7-month window surrounding your 65th birthday. It begins 3 months before your birth month and 3 months after your birthday month.
Medicare Advantage open enrollment period: If you already have a Medicare Advantage plan, you can switch plans during the Medicare Advantage open enrollment period that runs from January 1 through March 31.
Medicare open enrollment period: If you’ve missed your initial enrollment period, you can sign up or make changes to your Medicare benefits from October 15 through December 7. If you don’t qualify for a special enrollment period, late enrollment penalties may apply.

Viewing your eligible plans

Private insurance companies administer Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans, and specific plan availability varies between states, cities, and local areas.

At Medicare.gov, you can determine your eligibility and start reviewing plans by entering your ZIP code. This will bring up a list of Medicare Advantage plans available in your area.

You’ll then have the option of comparing plan attributes, such as:

monthly premium cost
covered services, such as hearing, dental, and vision
copays and coinsurance (your out-of-pocket costs per medical visit or treatment)
annual deductibles (the amount you pay out of pocket before your plan starts to pay. Your plan may have one deductible for health services and another for prescription drug costs.

Premiums

Medicare Advantage plan premiums don’t include the standard Part B monthly premium. In 2025, the standard monthly premium for Part B is $185. This may increase in 2026.

Part B premiums are typically deducted from your monthly Social Security checks. If you do not receive Social Security benefits, you can deduct your Medicare premiums when calculating your total medical expenses for your taxes.

Prescriptions

When you’re researching Medicare Advantage plans, you’ll be given the option of entering any prescription medications you currently take.

Not every Medicare Advantage plan includes Part D drug coverage, but many do. Those that include coverage or prescriptions publish a drug list called a formulary. The formulary provides information about the drugs each plan pays for and the out-of-pocket costs you can expect to pay for your prescriptions.