Wellabe
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Wellabe (formerly Medico) Medicare Supplement Insurance 2024 Review
Wellabe, formerly Medico, has low premiums and multiple discount options, but gets more customer complaints than average.
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Written by Alex Rosenberg
Lead Writer
The bottom line: Wellabe (formerly Medico) Medicare Supplement Insurance policies stand out for their inexpensive premiums — among the lowest of any company NerdWallet reviewed for 2024, on average. But other aspects, such as complaint rates, plan types and extras offered, aren’t as strong as competitors. Jump to: Full Review
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Wellabe Medicare Supplement pros and cons
Pros
Low prices: Wellabe’s Medigap premiums are among the lowest on the market.
Cons
Complaints: Wellabe has more member complaints than the average Medigap company.
Availability: Plans are available in only about half of states.
Discount details: While there are several discounts available, information about how large they are isn't published online.
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Our full review
Why trust NerdWallet
Wellabe (Medico) Medicare Supplement Insurance rating
Wellabe (Medico) Medicare Supplement Insurance earned 3.5 stars out of 5 for overall performance. NerdWallet’s ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account pricing, coverage options, online quote availability, complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and more.
Wellabe (Medico) Medicare Supplement plan types
Here are the Medicare Supplement Insurance plan types Wellabe offers for any Medicare member:
Medigap Plan A — the basic benefits included in every Medigap plan without any extras.
Medigap Plan N — a plan with lower premiums but higher copays.
Medigap Plan G — the highest-coverage option available to new Medicare members. Available as a high-deductible plan in certain locations.
Wellabe also offers Medigap Plan F and the high-deductible version of Plan F (in certain locations) for individuals who were first eligible for Medicare before 2020. Newer Medicare members can't buy these plans from any insurance company.
In addition, Wellabe offers plans in Wisconsin that fit the state’s standards. (Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin don't use the same Medigap standardization system as the rest of the country.)
Wellabe Medigap policies were formerly sold under the name Medico. While the Medico-to-Wellabe rebranding is ongoing, you might still see the Medico name on shopping tools and certain official materials.
💬 From our Nerds: Is Wellabe (formerly Medico) a good Medicare Supplement Insurance company?
“If price is your top concern, Wellabe might be a winner. Wellabe’s premiums are lower than any other company we reviewed in 2024. But Wellabe scored below average on every other factor on NerdWallet’s Medigap rubric, so competitors might offer better experiences despite higher prices.”
Note: Since Medigap plan options can vary by location, it’s a good idea to do your research, compare multiple quotes and consider working with a licensed insurance agent for more personalized recommendations.
— Alex Rosenberg, lead writer covering Medicare
Cost for Wellabe (Medico) Medicare Supplement Insurance
Wellabe has the lowest average Medigap premiums of any company NerdWallet reviewed in 2024. In estimates obtained for this review, Wellabe’s Medigap Plan G premiums were about 9% more expensive than the cheapest alternative in the same location. Plan N premiums were also about 9% higher.
How we evaluate Medigap companies’ prices
Plan G
Wellabe (Medico) price | Medicare.gov lowest price | |
|---|---|---|
Philadelphia | $142. | $126. |
Atlanta | $130. | $125. |
Dallas | $120. | $109. |
Plan N
Wellabe (Medico) price | Medicare.gov lowest price | |
|---|---|---|
Philadelphia | $109. | $95. |
Atlanta | $96. | $95. |
Dallas | $92. | $82. |
Discounts
Wellabe offers several possible discounts for qualifying members who:
Don’t smoke.
Pay by automatic bank account withdrawals.
Live with another person age 50 or older.
Discount amounts and availability may vary according to factors such as your location, household status and how you apply for a policy.
Wellabe member complaints
23% more complaints than average
Members file complaints about Medicare Supplement Insurance plans from Wellabe at a rate about 23% higher than the average for all Medigap plans, according to 2022 and 2023 data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners for Wellabe (Medico) and its subsidiaries that sell Medicare Supplement Insurance policies.
NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC.
Wellabe’s spending on care
77.1% for member benefits
Wellabe (Medico) Medigap plans spent about 77.1% of premiums on member benefits, according to the most recent annual data. (The other 22.9% went to overhead expenses like administrative costs, marketing, salaries and commissions.) For comparison, the average for all companies is 80.4%.
Medicare Supplement Insurance providers must report data on the premiums they collect and how much they spend to provide benefits for members. The minimum required by law for individual Medigap policies is 60%.
Additional benefits
Medigap plans are standardized, but companies can offer extras on top of the Medicare benefits.
Beneficiaries with a Wellabe (Medico) Medicare Supplement Insurance policy might earn a $100 statement credit if they get inpatient care at a hospital in the USA Senior Care Network. You’ll need to contact the USA Senior Care Network to find participating facilities.
Wellabe Medicare Supplement Insurance service area
Wellabe (Medico) Medicare Supplement Insurance plans are offered in 27 states.
Wellabe covers about 90,000 Medigap beneficiaries and has about a 0.7% share of the total Medicare Supplement Insurance market.
Compare Medicare Supplement Insurance companies
Get more information below about some of the major Medicare Supplement Insurance companies. These insurers offer Medigap plans in most states, but specifics may vary depending on your location.
Find the right Medicare Supplement Insurance plan
Because Medigap plans are standardized, you can get precisely the same Medicare benefits from any company offering the plan. So when you shop, keep these considerations in mind to find the best policy to fit your needs:
Is your preferred plan available? Health insurance companies don’t always sell every plan, so check who sells the plan you want to buy in your area.
What are the premiums? Prices for the same plan can vary between companies, so check to find the most competitive rates.
Will your premiums change over time? Most policies cost more as you age, but some companies offer policies that let you lock in a price when you sign up.
Are there extras? Medigap plans’ core benefits are standardized, but in certain cases, some companies include such perks as discount programs or gym memberships.
If you have additional questions about Medicare, visit Medicare.gov or call 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227, TTY 877-486-2048).
Wellabe
Wellabe (formerly Medico) offers Medigap plans with rock-bottom prices and several available discounts, but availability is limited and complaint rates aren't ideal.
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Plan types offered
A, F, G and N.
NAIC complaint rate
More than expected
Premium discounts available
Below average
Plan types offered
A, F, G and N.
NAIC complaint rate
More than expected
Premium discounts available
Below average
Pros
- Lower prices than almost all competitors.
Cons
- Higher-than-average complaint rates.
- Limited state footprint.
- Discount amounts aren't published online.
Medicare Supplement Insurance ratings methodology
NerdWallet’s Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) ratings are based on pricing, discounts, plan types offered, complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, consumer experience, additional perks and benefits, and more. To calculate each health insurance company's rating, we adjusted the scores to a curved 5-point scale, rounded to the nearest half star.
NerdWallet reviewed 15 Medicare Supplement Insurance companies based on highest enrollment and greatest online search volume. At the national level, our scored reviews include companies covering about two-thirds of all Medigap beneficiaries. At the state level, our research includes at least one of the two largest Medigap insurance companies in 48 of the 50 states, plus Washington, D.C.
These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best coverage and rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines and full ratings methodology for Medicare Supplement Insurance.
Insurer complaints methodology
We examined complaints received by state insurance regulators and reported to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. To assess how insurers compare to one another, the NAIC calculates a complaint index each year for each subsidiary, measuring its share of total complaints relative to its size, or share of total premiums in the industry. To evaluate a company’s complaint history, we calculated a similar index for each insurance company, weighted by market shares of each subsidiary. We score companies based on this index of how many complaints the company receives relative to its market share. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC.
