Beyond the core benefits offered by Original Medicare, many Medicare Advantage plans provide added perks such as dental, vision, hearing, and fitness benefits. When evaluating your options, it’s important to factor in your current health status, financial considerations, and where you live to find the right fit.
If you’re also comparing supplemental benefits like hearing coverage, you may be researching related topics such as AARP hearing aid prices to better understand potential out-of-pocket costs. Many Medicare Advantage plans include hearing benefits, and understanding how these compare with standalone options can help you make a more informed decision about your overall healthcare expenses.
To simplify the often overwhelming Medicare landscape, we assessed numerous variables, including geographic reach and performance ratings, and carefully reviewed insurers to identify plans that meet a variety of healthcare needs.
A quick look at the top 2026 Medicare Advantage plan carriers
- Top for preventive services:HealthSpring (Cigna Medicare) | Skip to review
- Top for customer satisfaction:Humana | Skip to review
- Top for chronic (long-term) condition management:Devoted Health | Skip to review
- Most above-average ratings:UnitedHealthcare | Skip to review
How we chose
We evaluated several important criteria when selecting the leading Medicare Advantage plan carriers:
- Vetting: The private insurers highlighted here were reviewed to ensure alignment with HealthEH’s editorial standards and commitment to evidence-based wellness information. Learn more about our vetting process.
- CMS ratings: Using publicly available information from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), we examined rating metrics to ensure each insurer and its plans were represented accurately and fairly.
- Benefits: Because healthcare needs vary widely, we prioritized insurers that consistently scored well across multiple CMS performance categories and offer comprehensive benefits that support preventive care, chronic disease management, and overall well-being.
- Multi-state coverage: We included insurers with broad or national availability. While some plans may operate only in specific regions, comparable options are typically available within each insurer’s service states.
Remember…
Medicare Advantage plans are administered by private insurers that are approved by Medicare. Plan features can differ based on your state, health profile, insurer, and other variables.
Your healthcare needs are unique. To secure the most suitable coverage, conduct independent research and carefully weigh benefits, premiums, copayments, and potential unexpected medical expenses.
Medicare’s plan finder can guide you through comparing available options. You may also contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for unbiased, personalized counseling.
HealthEH’s picks of the top Medicare Advantage plan carriers
Medicare Advantage availability and costs depend on location. Even plans with the same name can differ in benefits, premiums, and CMS ratings across service areas. Always use your ZIP code when reviewing specific plan details to obtain accurate pricing and coverage information.
Top for preventive services: HealthSpring (Cigna Medicare)
Beginning in 2026, Cigna Healthcare Medicare will operate under the name HealthSpring.
HealthSpring’s Medicare Advantage offerings are available in 29 states and the District of Columbia and include:
- HMOs
- PPOs
- Dual-eligible special needs plans (D-SNPs)
- Chronic condition special needs plans (C-SNPs)
These plans have earned strong ratings for preventive healthcare services, including:
- breast cancer screenings
- colorectal cancer screenings
- annual flu vaccinations
- physical and mental health maintenance
- physical health monitoring
Many HealthSpring plans feature a $0 copayment for preventive services covered by Original Medicare. Covered services often include cancer screenings, cardiovascular disease screening, bone mass measurements, and diabetes screening.
Some plans also provide preventive and comprehensive dental coverage, vision services, and hearing benefits. For individuals comparing hearing coverage with standalone options or reviewing Hearing aid reviews AARP, these built-in benefits may influence overall value depending on cost-sharing and provider networks.
Additional perks may include advance care planning, caregiver support, and access to Silver&Fit fitness programs, which offer gym memberships and home fitness kits that may include wearable activity trackers.
Beyond preventive care, HealthSpring has received favorable customer satisfaction ratings. Enrollees report timely appointment access, coordinated care, and efficient resolution of appeals. The company also provides multilingual call center support.
Top for health plan customer satisfaction: Humana
In 2026, Humana plans to offer Medicare Advantage coverage in 46 states and Washington, D.C., reaching approximately 85% of U.S. counties. The insurer will introduce new plan types in select states and counties.
Humana performs strongly in customer service measures, including:
- timeliness of appeals decisions
- review of appeals
- call center accessibility
High ratings for complaint resolution and quality improvement reflect the company’s responsiveness to member concerns and its commitment to enhancing plan features.
Humana also scores above average for preventive services and chronic condition management, including appointment availability and access to quality healthcare providers.
Depending on your location, Humana Medicare Advantage plans may include:
- routine dental care with an annual allowance
- coverage for glasses or contact lenses
- hearing aid benefits
- flexibility to visit any Medicare-accepting provider
- nationwide emergency coverage
- transportation to medical visits
- over-the-counter (OTC) allowances
- SilverSneakers fitness membership
If hearing support is a priority, reviewing plan-specific coverage alongside Hearing aids recommended by AARP and understanding typical AARP hearing aid prices may help clarify total expected costs.
Top for chronic (long-term) condition management: Devoted Health
Devoted Health will offer plans in multiple counties across 29 states in 2026.
The insurer earns high marks for chronic condition management, including:
- overall care coordination
- 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 after emergency room visits for individuals with high-risk chronic conditions
Eligible beneficiaries may enroll in a C-SNP, D-SNP (for those qualifying for both Medicare and Medicaid), or choose from PPO and HMO plans, depending on residence.
Devoted Health also scores above average in appeals handling and call center accessibility.
For qualifying members, Devoted Health’s C-SNPs may provide:
- $0 copayments for outpatient consultations
- $0 copayments for inpatient care and diagnostic testing when coordinated with Medicaid
- hearing aids from TruHearing with up to around a $700 copayment
- up to $2,000 annually for in-network dental services
- up to $300 annually for eyewear
- expanded medical nutritional therapy
- $50 quarterly OTC allowance
- $406 per month toward eligible food, utility, rent, or mortgage costs
- SilverSneakers membership
Most above-average ratings: UnitedHealthcare
Based on CMS data, UnitedHealthcare performs slightly ahead in preventive care, chronic condition management, and overall member experience.
In 2026, the company reports that 94% of Medicare beneficiaries will have access to at least one of its Medicare Advantage plans.
Available plan types include HMO, HMO-POS, PPO, and several SNP options, many of which provide nationwide flexibility for travelers.
UnitedHealthcare partners with AARP, and certain plans are limited to AARP members, with memberships typically starting at around $15 per year. Some AARP-branded Medicare Advantage plans may also be available to nonmembers.
Depending on the plan, SNPs may cover:
- prescription medications
- dental allowances
- OTC, food, and utility benefits
- vision exams and eyewear
- hearing aid allowances
- transportation to medical and pharmacy visits
HMO, HMO-POS, and PPO plans may offer comparable services with varying cost-sharing structures.
For beneficiaries transitioning from Original Medicare, UnitedHealthcare plans may include additional benefits such as dental, vision, hearing coverage (copayments may apply), low or $0 monthly premiums, telehealth services, OTC allowances, Renew Active membership, foot care, and post-discharge meal delivery.
Medicare plan types at a glance
The bottom line
Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans are widely available across the United States, but coverage details and costs differ significantly by plan and location.
Selecting the right plan requires thoughtful comparison of premiums, provider networks, prescription drug coverage, and supplemental benefits such as dental, vision, and hearing services. For individuals concerned about hearing healthcare expenses or researching AARP hearing aid prices, reviewing plan-specific hearing benefits alongside standalone options can provide a clearer picture of long-term affordability.
If your needs change, you can modify your coverage during the annual Medicare open enrollment period from October 15 through December 7.
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