UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage 2024-2025 Review

UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage pros and cons

Our full review

UHC Medicare Advantage star ratings

Average star rating, weighted by enrollment: 3.82

UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans are rated slightly below the industry average, receiving an average rating of 3.82 stars out of 5 from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for 2025, weighted by enrollment. For comparison, the average weighted star rating for plans from all providers is 3.92^[0]

Of UHC members who are in Medicare Advantage plans with a star rating, 69% are in plans that have been rated 4 stars or above for 2025. UHC has no 5-star plans in 2025^[0]

CMS maintains a database of star ratings on every Medicare Advantage and Medicare prescription drug plan, ranging from best (5 stars) to worst (1 star). The agency bases these ratings on plans’ quality of care and measurements of customer satisfaction, and ratings may change from year to year.

All Medicare Advantage plans are evaluated on health plan measures, and Medicare Advantage plans that include prescription drug coverage are also evaluated on drug plan measures.

You can find a plan’s rating with the Medicare plan finding tool.

What does UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage cost?

In 2025, 61% of UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage plans are $0-premium plans, and plans with a monthly cost have an average premium of $62.59. You’ll also be responsible for paying your Medicare Part B premium, which is at least $174.70 per month in 2024 ($185 in 2025)^[0]

(Most people pay this standard amount, but if your income is above a certain threshold, you’ll pay the income-related monthly adjustment amount (IRMAA). Some Medicare Advantage plans pay some or all of your Part B premium.)

Requirements for copays, coinsurance and deductibles vary depending on your plan, location and the services you use. Other out-of-pocket costs to consider include:

• Whether the plan covers any part of your monthly Medicare Part B premium.

• The plan’s yearly deductibles and other deductibles, such as a drug deductible.

• Copayments and/or coinsurance for each visit or service. For instance, there may be a $10 copay for seeing your primary doctor and a $45 copay for seeing a specialist.

• The plan’s in-network and out-of-network out-of-pocket maximums.

• Whether your medical providers are in network or out of network, or how often you may go out of network for care.

• Whether you require extra benefits, and whether the plan charges for them.

Here are some examples of UHC Medicare Advantage costs for the most popular plans in a mid-range city:

To get a sense of costs, use Medicare’s plan-finding tool to compare information among available plans in your area. You can select by insurance carrier to see only UnitedHealthcare plans or compare across carriers.

Additional benefits

UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage offers most plan members access to dental care (and the largest Medicare Advantage dental network) and hearing aids. Many of its plans offer other benefits as well. Here are a few standouts:

• Fitness benefits: UnitedHealthcare’s Renew Active fitness program gives members access to a large network of gyms and fitness facilities, as well as local classes and events. Members can also access a library of online workout videos and an online brain health program from AARP Staying Sharp.

• Food and over-the-counter allowance: Some dual health plan members may get an allowance they can put toward their choice of healthy foods, over-the-counter items and utility bills.

• Healthy rewards: Members may be able to earn rewards for completing health-related tasks, such as getting their annual physical.

• Home health visits: Some plans include HouseCalls, a program that offers members an annual visit with a licensed clinician in their home, which can be used to help manage care.

• Telehealth: Many members have access to plans offering $0 copays for telehealth visits.

UHC Medicare Advantage plan types

UnitedHealthcare offers Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans and plans without drug coverage, as well as stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plans. UHC also offers Medicare Advantage Patriot Plans, which are geared toward veterans and other people with existing drug coverage^[0]

Other plan offerings include the following types:

Third-party ratings

AM Best Financial Strength Rating: A+ (Superior)

AM Best is a credit rating agency that specializes in the insurance industry. In December 2023, AM Best affirmed its Financial Strength Rating of A+ (Superior) for the companies collectively referred to as UnitedHealthcare. An A+ rating in this category indicates that AM Best believes UnitedHealthcare has a superior ability to meet its ongoing insurance obligations^[0]

J.D. Power Ranking

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 state Medicare markets, and here’s how UnitedHealthcare ranked out of all major providers^[0]

• California: 5th out of 8.

• Florida: 1st out of 6. 

• Georgia: 1st out of 4.

• Illinois: 1st out of 5.

• New York: 3rd out of 5.

• North Carolina: 1st out of 4.

• Ohio: 4th out of 4.

• Pennsylvania: 5th out of 7. 

• Texas: 4th out of 6.

NCQA Score Range: 3.0 to 4.0 out of 5

The National Committee for Quality Assurance rates health insurance plans on a 5-point scale (with 5 being best) based on quality of care, patient satisfaction and health plans’ efforts to keep improving.

In its September 2024 ratings of UnitedHealthcare plans, NCQA awarded ratings between 3.0 and 4.0 stars. Among the company’s plans with ratings, more than half received scores of 4.0 or above, and there were only two plans with 3.0 stars: Care Improvement Plus South Central Insurance Company and UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic^[0]

UnitedHealthcare Medicare service area

UnitedHealthcare offers Medicare Advantage plans in 49 states and Washington, D.C. Ninety-six percent of Medicare beneficiaries have the option of a UnitedHealthcare plan.

UnitedHealthcare is the largest for-profit Medicare Advantage provider in the country, with more than 9.4 million Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in a UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plan. The company added 478,000 members for the 2024 plan year, according to a report from health care analytics firm The Chartis Group^[0]

Read the NerdWallet reviews of these other UnitedHealthcare Medicare offerings:

• AARP Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) from UnitedHealthcare.

• AARP Medicare Rx Medicare Part D plans from UnitedHealthcare.

UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage customer service

UnitedHealthcare members can contact their plan’s customer service in the following ways:

• Call the number on your member ID card.

• Chat with a service advocate in the UHC app for members.

• Chat with a service advocate in your member account online.

Is AARP Medicare Advantage the same as UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage?

AARP and UnitedHealthcare are partners — UnitedHealthcare sells AARP-branded Medicare plans. AARP is not a health insurer, but it sells Medicare plans that are insured by UnitedHealthcare.

Methodology