Complete Guide to Medicare Advantage Plans in Kansas
Written by Ari Parker — Updated: Thursday, September 19, 2024
Medicare Advantage is an alternative to Original Medicare. When you first sign up for Medicare, you’ll enroll in Original Medicare, which is made up of Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B. After you’re enrolled, you’re able to add supplemental coverage or switch to Medicare Advantage, which is also commonly called Medicare Part C.
If you’re interested in Medicare Advantage, it’s important to understand how it works, including the pros and cons and the right steps to take to avoid common Medicare Advantage nightmares. In this guide, we’ll explain the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage plans. We’ll also share details about Medicare Advantage plans in Kansas, including key facts and information about the top-rated Kansas Medicare Advantage plans.
Key Takeaways:
35% of Kansas Medicare beneficiaries are on a Medicare Advantage plan, which is low compared to the national average.
There are a total of 74 Medicare Advantage plans in Kansas, but plan availability varies by county.
Medicare Advantage plans can provide extra benefits, but they can also limit your access to care. Know the pros and cons before you enroll.
Plan ratings are one thing you can consider when choosing the best Kansas Medicare Advantage plan for your needs, but you should focus on your priorities first.
The easiest way to enroll in the right plan and feel confident in your coverage is to work with a Chapter Medicare agent.
Quick facts about Medicare Advantage plans in Kansas
Before we go into some key facts about the Kansas Medicare Advantage market, it’s important to know that plan availability and enrollment numbers vary by county. For detailed information about the specific plans available in your county, reach out to a Chapter Medicare agent. You can give us a call at (855) 900-2427 or schedule a time to talk.
35% of Kansas Medicare enrollees have a Medicare Advantage plan. This is lower than the national average of 54%.
Most Kansas counties have Medicare Advantage enrollment below 20%.
A few counties have enrollment over 50%, including Wyandotte County, which has the highest Medicare Advantage enrollment at 65%.
There are a total of 74 Kansas Medicare Advantage plans.
Johnson County, KS, has the most Medicare Advantage options of any Kansas County with 40 plans.
Several Kansas counties have fewer than 5 Medicare Advantage plans available.
Overview of Medicare Advantage pros and cons
When deciding if you should have Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage, it’s incredibly important to understand the pros and cons.
Pros of Medicare Advantage plans
The two key advantages of Medicare Advantage plans are that they limit your out-of-pocket costs and provide extra benefits.
Limited out-of-pocket costs
Original Medicare only covers about 80% of the costs of healthcare services—the rest you owe out of pocket (this is your coinsurance). More importantly, Original Medicare has no out-of-pocket maximum. This means that if you need frequent or expensive care, you could owe a lot of money. Medicare Advantage plans also have coinsurance (amounts vary between plans), but they come with an out-of-pocket maximum that prevents you from being responsible for astronomical medical bills. It’s worth noting that many people who choose to stay on Original Medicare add a Medicare Supplement plan to their coverage, which significantly reduces out-of-pocket costs. Learn more about Medicare Supplement plans.
Extra benefits
One of the main reasons people choose Medicare Advantage is because the plans come with extra benefits, which can include:
Dental, vision, and hearing coverage
Prescription drug coverage
Part B premium reduction (through rebate)
This list is not conclusive, but it gives you a good sense of some of the benefits you can receive through your Medicare Advantage plan. Keep in mind that extra benefits vary between plans, and the value provided by these benefits will also vary.
Cons of Medicare Advantage plans
There are two key disadvantages to Medicare Advantage plans that can cause delays to the care you need or even limit your access to care.
Prior authorization requirements
Prior authorization requirements are a common practice among health plans. They help prevent high insurance costs by ensuring people don’t receive care they don’t actually need. That said, Medicare Advantage plans are notorious for frequently requiring prior authorization and denying coverage for services that patients need. Doctors and patients are fed up with the prior authorization practices of Medicare Advantage plans because they cause delays to care that can be detrimental to the best health outcomes. Furthermore, in some cases, patients are forced to skip or delay treatment due to denial of coverage from their plan.
Original Medicare doesn’t require prior authorization for covered services. This means that patients can receive the care they need when they need it—without worrying about coverage.
Provider networks
Provider networks are another common practice among health plans. That said, they do limit patients’ access to care. Medicare Advantage networks are also local, meaning you won’t be able to see a doctor in another state (exceptions exist for emergencies). Original Medicare doesn’t use provider networks. If you have Original Medicare, you can see any doctor who accepts Medicare, which is the vast majority of providers nationwide. For people who want full control over the doctors and specialists they see, this is an important factor to consider.
Top-rated Medicare Advantage plans in Kansas
Before we explore some of the top-rated Medicare Advantage plans in Kansas, we have a couple notes. First, just because a plan has a high rating, it doesn’t mean it’s the right plan for you. We’ll share tips for choosing the best Medicare Advantage plan for your needs below, but generally, you should focus on your priorities and needs and not solely on a plan’s rating. Second, as we’ve said before, plan availability varies by county. To give you an idea of some of the highly-rated Medicare Advantage plans in Kansas, we’ll share information about top plans in two counties. For detailed plan information for your county, get in contact with a Chapter Medicare agent, who can help you understand and compare all of your options!
Johnson County, KS, has one 5-star Medicare Advantage plan offered by UnitedHealthcare. It also has a handful of 4.5-star Medicare Advantage plans offered by Aetna and Humana.
Wyandotte County, KS, doesn’t have any 5-star Medicare Advantage plans. It has quite a few 4.5-star plans offered by Humana and Aetna.
How to choose the best Kansas Medicare Advantage plan
The best Kansas Medicare Advantage plan is different for everyone because the best plan should cover your needs and priorities while saving you the most money. Below are three key factors to consider to ensure you pick the best Medicare Advantage plan for you!
Make a note of your preferred doctors and other healthcare providers. This list will help you ensure the plan you choose has all of your preferred providers in its network.
Jot down all of the prescriptions you take, including the frequency and dose. This will help ensure that, if your Medicare Advantage plan includes prescription coverage, you’ll get the most savings from your plan.
Think through the different extra benefits that Medicare Advantage plans can provide, and make a note of those that are the most valuable to you.
Once you’ve made note of all of your needs and priorities, the easiest way to compare your options and choose the best Medicare Advantage plan in Kansas is to call a Chapter Medicare agent. We’ll help you find a plan that has your doctors in its network, covers your prescriptions, has the benefits you want most, and saves you the most money. Give us a call at (855) 900-2427 or schedule a time to talk to get Medicare checked off your list today!