October 9th 2024
By Ari Parker
In this guide, learn about top-rated Indiana Medicare Advantage plans and how to choose the right one based on your unique health and financial needs.
By Ari Parker
When you enroll in Medicare, you have the option to stay on Original Medicare or switch to Medicare Advantage. Nationwide, the average Medicare enrollee has over 40 plans to choose from. Depending on which county you live in, you can choose between 31-52 Medicare Advantage plans in Indiana.
Before you choose to enroll in an Indiana Medicare Advantage plan, you should understand the differences between Medicare and Medicare Advantage. Once you understand the key differences, you can make an informed choice about the best Indiana Medicare Advantage plan for your unique needs.
In this guide, we’ll give you all the information you need to choose between the Medicare Advantage plans in Indiana. We’ll cover the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage plans, provide information about the top-rated Medicare Advantage plans in Indiana, and discuss the steps to take to ensure you end up on the right plan.
While plan availability and enrollment rates vary by county, these important statistics about Indiana Medicare Advantage plans can give you a sense of the Medicare Advantage plan market.
In 2024, 52% of Indiana Medicare enrollees have chosen to enroll in Medicare Advantage plans.
Martin County, Dubois County, and Daviess County have low Medicare Advantage enrollment (below 30%).
There are a total of 108 Medicare Advantage plans in Indiana.
Hamilton County, IN, has the highest number of Medicare Advantage plans, with 52.
Wabash County, IN, has the lowest number of Medicare Advantage plans, with 31.
Indiana has several $0 Medicare Advantage plans available.
Medicare Advantage plans offer Medicare beneficiaries an alternative to Original Medicare. As such, many of the benefits of Medicare Advantage plans are the drawbacks of Original Medicare (and vice versa). Below, we’ll share the benefits and drawbacks of Medicare Advantage plans and details about when you can enroll in Medicare Advantage.
Medicare Advantage plans must cover the same services and equipment as Original Medicare, and they generally provide additional benefits. Most Medicare Advantage plans include Medicare Part D (prescription drug) coverage. They also tend to include some benefits for dental, vision, and hearing services. Most Medicare plans also include some of the following benefits:
Meal delivery services
Part B premium giveback
Bathroom safety devices
Medicare Advantage plans also come with an out-of-pocket maximum. This amount puts an upper limit on what you will pay for covered care in a year. For example, if you receive $100,000 worth of treatments in a year and you have a maximum out-of-pocket spending amount of $2,800, then you won’t pay more than $2,800 for the services you receive.
The benefits of Medicare Advantage plans are great. Unfortunately, the drawbacks of Medicare Advantage plans can lead to surprises that no one wants—especially when those surprises can affect your health and finances. Keep these drawbacks in mind when choosing between plans to ensure you avoid issues.
Prior authorization requirements and denials are some of the biggest culprits of Medicare Advantage nightmares. While prior authorization requirements are relatively common in the healthcare industry, Medicare Advantage plans are notorious for having frequent prior authorization requirements and denials. The prior authorization practices can lead to delays in receiving necessary care. In the worst cases, patients may be denied coverage for treatments they need.
The other main drawback of Medicare Advantage plans is their provider networks. Once again, provider networks are a common practice in health insurance. Unfortunately, however, these networks result in limited access to care for Medicare Advantage enrollees. While some Medicare Advantage enrollees simply can’t see all of their preferred providers due to these networks, others are unable to get appointments with specialists because they cannot find a provider who is in their plan’s network and accepting new patients.
Understanding the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage plans will help you figure out what to look for in your Medicare Advantage plan. In the following sections, we’ll cover a few more things to consider, so you can make sure you enroll in the best Indiana Medicare Advantage plan for your needs.
Every year, Medicare Advantage plans are given a rating from one to five stars, based on their member satisfaction, plan details, and information from healthcare providers. One star will signify that the plan is of lower quality, whereas a five-star rating indicates a high-quality plan.
Below are some carriers that offer top-rated Medicare Advantage plans in Indiana, with 4.5 or more stars:
Humana
Indiana University
Aetna
Medicare Advantage plan star ratings are only one factor to consider when choosing the right plan. Before you look at star ratings, you should think through the following three questions.
As we mentioned above, Medicare Advantage plans use provider networks. If you have doctors who you prefer to see, then you should look at plans that have those doctors in their networks.
Most, but not all, Indiana Medicare Advantage plans cover prescription drugs. These plans are called MAPD (Medicare Advantage + Prescription Drug) plans. If you’re looking at MAPD plans, it’s crucial to make sure you enroll in a plan that covers your prescriptions. Furthermore, some plans will provide better savings, so you should take a look at what your costs will be for each of your prescriptions to ensure you maximize your savings.
Many people choose to enroll in Medicare Advantage plans because they come with extra benefits. Take a look at the list of extra benefits we listed above and think through which ones are most important to you. Once you’ve narrowed down your options to those that cover your prescriptions and doctors, you can then maximize your value by choosing a plan that covers your favorite extra benefits.
The average Medicare beneficiary has over 40 Medicare Advantage plans to choose from. Comparing plans is difficult because each plan has its own premium, deductible, coinsurance amounts, prescription drug coverage, and extra benefits. We recommend working with a licensed Medicare agent to make sure you cover all of your bases. We can help you compare plans quickly and estimate your costs for the year. Give us a call at (855) 900-2427 or schedule a time to talk to get Medicare checked off your list today!
