Humana Medicare Supplement Insurance 2022 Review

Humana offers a lot of options for Medigap plan types, membership perks and extra insurance coverage beyond the Medicare benefits. However, its prices can be expensive, and complaint rates about Humana policies are significantly higher than the market average.

Here’s what you should know about Humana Medicare Supplement Insurance.

Humana Medicare Supplement Insurance pros and cons

Humana’s Medigap offerings have advantages and disadvantages.

Available Medicare Supplement Insurance plans

• Medigap Plan A — the basic benefits included in every Medigap plan without any extras.

• Medigap Plan B — basic benefits plus coverage for the Medicare Part A deductible.

• Medigap Plan G — the highest-coverage option available to new Medicare members. Available as either a standard plan or a high-deductible option in some locations.

• Medigap Plan K — the lowest-cost Medigap plan, with 50% coverage for most benefits.

• Medigap Plan L — a low-cost option with 75% coverage for most benefits.

Humana also offers Medigap Plan C, Medigap Plan F and the high-deductible version of Plan F in certain locations for qualifying beneficiaries who were eligible to enroll in Medicare prior to 2020. Newer Medicare members can’t buy these plans from any insurer.

In addition, Humana offers plans in Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin according to each state’s Medigap plan standards, which differ from the standardization system used in the majority of the country.

Humana’s plan offerings vary by state. Enter your ZIP code on Humana’s website to see a breakdown of the options available where you live.

In addition to the standardized Medicare coverage, Humana’s “Healthy Living” plans also include some cost sharing for dental cleanings, extractions, fillings, oral exams and oral cancer screenings, as well as routine eye exams and an allowance for eyeglasses or contact lenses. These plans cost more than the same plan type without the extras.

Medigap plans have standardized Medicare benefits, but insurers can offer additional perks. Here are examples of extras included with some Humana Medicare Supplement Insurance policies:

• Fitness program: The SilverSneakers program gives qualifying members access to participating gyms, including group classes and work with trainers.

• Meal delivery: Qualifying members can have precooked frozen meals delivered to their homes after they come back from an overnight stay in a hospital or nursing facility.

• Discount program: Humana offers discounts on prescriptions, vision and hearing products and services, and the LifeLine medical alert service to qualifying members.

• Nurse line: A 24/7 toll-free nurse line has registered nurses on staff to answer questions and help members handle health issues.

Humana Medicare Supplement Insurance service area

Humana offers Medicare Supplement Insurance plans in 49 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. (Humana doesn’t offer Medigap policies in Virginia.)

Humana covers about 324,000 Medicare Supplement Insurance beneficiaries and has about a 2% share of the total Medicare Supplement Insurance market as of the end of 2020

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The following price quotes were obtained for three states representing above-average, average and below-average costs for Medicare Supplement Insurance, when compared across all plans and providers using pricing data from Medicare.gov

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• Nevada: More expensive than average.

• North Carolina: Average cost for the U.S.

• Ohio: Less expensive than average.

The sections below show pricing information from Humana for a 65-year-old female nonsmoker and reflect “base” pricing with discounts removed or factored out whenever the option was available. (Note: Some Medigap prices may be higher for males.)

For comparison, each table also includes the price for the least-expensive option to buy the same plan from other providers, based on information from Medicare.gov. For example, Humana’s price for Medigap Plan A in Sandusky, Ohio, appears alongside the lowest price on Medicare.gov for all Plan A policies available in Sandusky to an applicant with identical demographics.

On average, Humana’s lowest quoted prices for Medigap Plan A were about 80% higher than the least-expensive Plan A policy in the area.

On average, Humana’s quoted prices for Medigap Plan B were about 55% higher than the least-expensive Plan B policy in the area.

On average, Humana’s quoted prices for Medigap Plan G were about 92% higher than the least-expensive Plan G policy in the area.

On average, Humana’s quoted prices for the high-deductible version of Plan G were about 76% higher than the least-expensive high-deductible Plan G policy in the area.

On average, Humana’s lowest quoted prices for Medigap Plan K were about 122% higher than the least-expensive Plan K policy in the area.

On average, Humana’s quoted prices for Medigap Plan L were about 108% higher than the least-expensive Plan L policy in the area.

On average, Humana’s lowest quoted prices for Medigap Plan N were about 78% higher than the least-expensive Plan N policy in the area.

Here are a few examples of discounts Humana offers to qualifying Medicare Supplement Insurance applicants:

• Online application: New applicants in most states can qualify for a 6% discount for applying online.

• Household: Qualifying applicants can receive a 5% discount if more than one household member has a Humana Medigap policy.

• Recurring payments: Qualifying members can receive $2 per month off of premiums for setting up automatic recurring payments using a credit card or bank account.

Available discounts can vary according to factors such as your location, household status and how you apply for a policy.

Humana’s spending on care

Medicare Supplement Insurance providers must report data on the premiums they collect and how much they spend to provide benefits for members.

Based on the most recent year of data, Humana Medicare Supplement Insurance plans spend about 77% of premiums on member benefits

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For comparison, the average for all providers is 72.3%. The minimum required by law for individual Medigap policies is 60%

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Members file complaints about Humana Medicare Supplement Insurance plans about 335% more often than the average for all Medigap plans. This is according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners for Humana and its subsidiaries that sell Medigap policies

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Other insurance offerings from Humana and those subsidiaries don’t have as high complaint rates, with a complaint rate for all policy types about 11% above the average for all insurers over the same three years of data.

Here’s how Humana Medigap members can contact customer service:

• Call Humana’s Medicare customer service line at 800-457-4708, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in your local time zone, seven days a week. (TTY dial 711 and follow the prompts.)

There are a few companies that weigh in on customers’ experiences with insurers or the strength of the company in question, and we’ve included two here:

Humana is a health insurance company headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. Its insurance offerings include Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare prescription drug plans, Medicare Supplement Insurance, employer-sponsored policies, Medicaid coverage and dental and vision plans. As of June 2021, Humana has about 8.6 million members across all of its Medicare products. Humana posted annual revenue of $83.1 billion in 2021.

Find the right Medicare Supplement Insurance plan

Because Medigap plans are standardized, you can get precisely the same Medicare benefits from any insurer 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? Insurers 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 insurers, so check to find the most competitive rates.

• Will your premiums change over time? Most policies cost more as you age, but some insurers offer policies that let you lock in a price when you sign up.

• Are there extras? Medigap plans’ core benefits are standardized, but some insurers include such perks as discount programs or gym memberships.