Is Humana good health insurance?

Humana is a popular Medicare insurance provider with a broad range of affordable plan types, but it no longer offers individual or family plans.

Overall rating: 4.6

Established in 1961, Humana is one of the most popular Medicare Advantage Plan providers nationwide. Although Humana no longer offers individual or family plans on the Health Insurance Marketplace, it offers a wide array of HMO, PPO, PFFS, SNP, and stand-alone prescription drug plans through a Medicare contract. It also has a range of affordable dental, vision, and employer-based group plans and helps low-income individuals sign up for Medicaid.

Humana serves all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, but not every plan is available in every state. Learn more about your options before choosing a Humana health insurance plan.

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Humana Health Insurance Overview
Company founded 1961
Coverage area All 50 states
A.M. Best rating A-
BBB rating A+
NCQA accreditation Yes
NCQA rating 4 to 2.5
Plans available
  • Employer plans
  • Family health insurance
  • Individual health insurance
  • Medicaid/Medi-Cal
  • Medicare
Provider network
    • More than 22,000 physicians and clinicians

Is Humana a Good Health Insurance Provider?

What we like about Humana health insurance plans: The drawbacks of Humana health insurance plans:
  • Affordable monthly plan premiums
  • Available in all 50 states
  • Offers an array of HMO, PPO, and PFFS plans
  • Doesn’t offer individual or family plans
  • Not all plans, products, or services are available in every state

What Do Humana Health Insurance Plans Cover?

Humana offers several health insurance options, including:

  • Employer plans
  • Family health insurance
  • Individual health insurance
  • Medicaid/Medi-Cal
  • Medicare

Humana Health Insurance Plan Options

Humana is a leading Medicare Advantage plan provider, which often includes extras you won’t get with Original Medicare. It offers a wide range of plans, but the exact number and type of plans available depend on where you live and your specific health care needs. However, you should find various HMO, PPO, and PFFS plans no matter where you reside, and special needs plans (SNPs) are available in over 20 states.

Humana’s HMO plans have a large network of providers, but you must choose a primary care provider. Most of these plans include prescription drug coverage, but some don’t. Its PPO plans let you choose your healthcare provider, but you’ll save money if you stay within the plan’s network. Some of these plans include prescription drug coverage, but many don’t.

With Humana’s PFFS plans, you can choose any provider who accepts your plan, and some plans include prescription drug coverage. Humana also offers two Special Needs Plans; one for chronic conditions available in 12 states and one for beneficiaries eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid available in 27 states. Prescription drug coverage is included in all SNPs. Many plan types include coverage for vision, dental, and hearing care.

Costs for Humana Medicare Advantage plans vary based on your location and individual needs. To get an idea of the costs for various Humana Medicare Advantage plans, compare these three popular options in Nashville, Tennessee.

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Compare your options for Humana health insurance plans:
Plan name Monthly premium Annual deductible Office visits Annual maximum out-of-pocket cost
Humana Gold Plus HMO POS $0 None $0 primary/$30 specialist $5,900
HumanaChoice PPO $30.20 $203 $20 primary/20% specialist $6,700
Humana Gold Plus SNP-DE $0 None $0 primary/$0 specialist None

*Based on pricing for an individual in Nashville, Tennessee

How is Humana Rated?

Trustworthy ratings and reviews provide valuable information you can use to learn how a provider’s plans compare against its competitors. Learn how we rated Humana.

Overall rating: 4
Financial strength rating: 5 Customer satisfaction rating: 4.5 Value rating: 4.8 Coverage rating: 4

Financial strength: 5/5 stars

Humana’s financial strength rating is based on ratings issued by A.M. Best, a credit rating agency that specializes in the insurance industry. A.M. Best assesses the creditworthiness of insurance companies. It uses a ranking system to provide consumers, investors, and financial professionals with a qualified assessment of an insurance company’s financial health and the likelihood of it defaulting on its obligations.

As of 2020, Humana has an A-minus, or excellent, rating from A.M. Best, indicating the company has demonstrated strong operating performance and is financially stable and able to meet its obligations.

Customer satisfaction: 4.5/5 stars

The customer satisfaction rating considers Humana’s Better Business Bureau, National Committee for Quality Assurance, and Consumer Affairs ratings.

Humana has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Although Humana has had over 200 total complaints in the last three years, 65 were closed in the last year, and the company typically addresses complaints promptly.

According to the National Committee for Quality Assurance, satisfaction ratings for Medicare plans issued by Humana range from 2.5 to 4 stars, with more than 30 plans receiving higher performance ratings.

Humana received 4 out of 5 stars from Consumer Affairs, with more than 2,000 consumer reviews recorded. Beneficiaries boasted about the beneficial customer service representatives and appreciated its Silver Sneaker program, low deductibles, zero-dollar premiums, and extensive provider networks.

Value: 4.8 stars

Humana earned its value rating through an assessment of its plan costs compared to other health insurance providers. This comparison examined how Humana’s monthly premium, annual deductible, costs for office and emergency room visits, and overall annual out-of-pocket maximum stacked up against its competitors.

Coverage: 4/5 stars

A plan won’t work for you if it doesn’t provide the correct type of coverage in your area and offer an extensive network to provide ample choices of health care providers. Humana’s coverage rating considers the availability of its coverages, along with its plan types and network size.

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Insurance and healthcare consultant

Tammy Burns is an experienced health insurance advisor. She earned her nursing degree in 1990 from Jacksonville State University, obtained her insurance billing and coding certification in 1995, and holds a health and life insurance license in Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Burns is Affordable Care Act (ACA)-certified for health insurance and other ancillary, life, and annuity products. She maintains an active nursing license and practices private-duty nursing.

Burns’ background as a nurse, insurance biller and coder, and insurance consultant includes infectious disease, oncology, gynecology, phlebotomy, post operative, family medicine, geriatrics, home health, hospice, human resources, management, billing, coding, claims, fixed annuities, group and individual health and life products, and Medicare. She’s always been driven by a desire to help people, spending more than 25 years as a practicing nurse in hospitals, private doctors’ offices, home health, and hospice. As a nurse, Burns supported patients filing insurance claims with Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies as well as responding to billing questions from confused patients.

Seeing firsthand how unsuspecting patients are frequently confused by an overly complex system they don’t understand led Burns to become an insurance agent and health care consultant, now helping people understand the medical system. Since becoming an insurance agent in 2013, she has worked with some of the largest and most reputable insurance carriers and agencies in the nation, and she has built a large and loyal clientele by way of her commitment to transparency and personalized service.

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