Best Medicare Advantage Plans in Pennsylvania 2025
Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who compensate us when you take certain actions on our website or click to take an action on their website. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.
More than 2.9 million people in Pennsylvania are signed up for Medicare, making it the fifth-largest U.S. state for Medicare beneficiaries.
Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people age 65 and older. Medicare Advantage is a bundled alternative to Medicare sold by private companies. It offers all the same benefits and usually some extras, such as cost savings on dental and vision coverage.
Medicare Advantage plans offer more benefits than Original Medicare, and they can be cheaper than paying for Medicare and a Medicare Supplement plan. However, they offer less flexibility since you’ll need to get care from within the plan’s network of providers. Weigh your options to determine which plan best suits your needs.
Why trust NerdWallet
Compare the best Medicare Advantage plans in Pennsylvania
Top-rated Medicare Advantage plans in Pennsylvania
Each year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awards every Medicare Advantage plan a star rating on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being a top-rated plan. Below are companies with plans that received top marks in Pennsylvania for the 2025 plan year. (Check out more information about Medicare star ratings.)
5-star plans
The company below offers plans in Pennsylvania that are rated 5 out of 5 stars by CMS:
4.5-star plans
The companies below offer plans in Pennsylvania that are rated 4.5 out of 5 stars by CMS:
Capital Blue Cross.
Geisinger Gold.
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield.
4-star plans
The companies below offer plans in Pennsylvania that are rated 4 out of 5 stars by CMS:
Independence Blue Cross.
UnitedHealthcare.
This list doesn’t include special needs plans, which restrict membership to people with certain diseases or characteristics, such as having a chronic illness or living in a nursing home.
What to know about Medicare Advantage in Pennsylvania
About 1 in 5 people in Pennsylvania are 65 and older, and there are a variety of Medicare Advantage plans in the state.
The average monthly premium in 2025 for a Medicare Advantage plan in Pennsylvania is $25.39. (It was $27.40 in 2024.)
There are 281 Medicare Advantage plans available in Pennsylvania in 2025. (There were 316 plans in 2024.)
All Medicare-eligible people in Pennsylvania have access to a $0-premium Medicare Advantage plan.
Third-party ratings
In its 2024 U.S. Medicare Advantage Study — the 10th it's done so far — J.D. Power measured member satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans based on eight factors ranging from level of trust to how well a provider resolves problems or complaints. The study was fielded in the 10 biggest Medicare markets, including Pennsylvania.
In Pennsylvania, these Medicare Advantage providers scored above the regional average (675 points) on measures of member satisfaction (based on a 1,000-point scale):
UPMC For Life (699 points).
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield (691 points).
Independence Blue Cross (678 points).
Geisinger Gold (677 points).
Medicare resources in Pennsylvania
State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP: Pennsylvania Medicare Education and Decision Insight program, or PA MEDI, is the State Health Insurance Assistance Program. It provides free information and counseling about Medicare options, processes and costs.
Pennsylvania Insurance Department: Provides information about Medicare and maintains listings of Medigap companies in the state.
Pennsylvania Area Agencies on Aging: They provide information and assistance for Pennsylvanians older than 60 and their caregivers to access various community services.
💬 From our Nerds: What Medicare Advantage plans are rated the best in Pennsylvania?
“In Pennsylvania, you can find 5-star Medicare Advantage plans from Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and 4.5-star plans from Aetna, Capital Blue Cross, Geisinger Gold, Highmark, Independence Blue Cross, UHC and UPMC for Life.
“That said, not every plan from these companies gets high ratings, and even a plan with a high rating may not be the right fit for you. Compare your options and keep your doctors and prescriptions in mind.”
— Kate Ashford, lead writer covering Medicare
Find the right Medicare Advantage plan
It’s important to do your research before selecting a Medicare Advantage plan for yourself. Here are some questions to consider asking:
What are the plan’s costs? Do you understand what the plan’s premium, deductibles, copays and/or coinsurance will be? Can you afford them?
Is your doctor in-network? If you have a preferred medical provider or providers, make sure they participate in the plan’s network.
Are your prescriptions covered? If you’re on medication, it’s crucial to understand how the plan covers it. What tier are your prescription drugs on, and are there any coverage rules that apply to them?
Is there dental coverage? Does the plan offer routine coverage for vision, dental and hearing needs?
Are there extras? Does the plan offer any extra benefits, such as fitness memberships, transportation benefits or meal delivery?
Looking for more insurance in Pennsylvania? Check out these resources:
Medicare Advantage review methodology
The Medicare Advantage marketplace is concentrated among just a handful of companies; in many places, one insurer serves more than half of the market. NerdWallet reviewed 26 Medicare Advantage brands, with some insurers having more than one brand under their umbrella. (For example, Blue Cross Blue Shield includes the brands Anthem and Highmark.) At the national level, these reviews include nine of the 10 largest brands by enrollment. At the state level, our research includes at least one major insurer in 47 of the 49 states that offer Medicare Advantage plans, and includes the top two insurers in 35 of those states. (Alaska doesn't offer Medicare Advantage plans.) We also look at online search volume to identify regional and other notable players in the space.
NerdWallet’s Medicare Advantage reviews are based on ratings data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, as well as pricing, plan availability by state, plan types available, consumer experience, extra benefits offered and more. These reviews are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several plans to find the best coverage and rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines for additional information.
This roundup includes only insurers that sell Medicare Advantage in Pennsylvania.
