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Medicare Advantage Plans offer an alternative to Original Medicare. These plas provide the same health coverage as Medicare Part A hospital insurance and Part B medical insurance, but frequently include prescription drug coverage similar to Medicare Part D. Some plans may even provide benefits Original Medicare doesn’t offer, such as dental, hearing, and vision insurance.

Since Medicare Advantage Plans are offered by private insurance companies, the coverage costs and additional benefits offered can vary from plan to plan and location to location.

Use this guide to research the plan options available in your area to ensure you get the best Medicare Advantage Plan available in Arkansas.

What You Should Know About Medicare Advantage Plans in Arkansas

  • Many plans available: There are 58 Medicare Advantage Plans available in Arkansas in 2022.
  • Shop your options: Medicare Advantage Plans are provided by private insurance companies which can set their own prices and choose to offer different additional benefits.
  • Location dependant: Medicare Advantage plans are location-based, meaning the plans available to you will depend on where you live.

Is Medicare Advantage Right for You?

You have choices in Medicare coverage. While you can opt to stick with Original Medicare, a Medicare Advantage Plan – also known as Part C – may be a better alternative for you.

Original Medicare Medicare Advantage Plans
Original Medicare covers your Part A hospital insurance and Part B medical insurance. Medicare Advantage Plans combine Part A, Part B, and additional benefits.
You can add Part D prescription drug coverage. Prescription drug coverage is usually included.
You’re able to use any medical provider in the U.S. that accepts Medicare. You’ll usually need to use doctors in your plan’s network.
You can buy supplemental coverage to manage out-of-pocket costs, including your coinsurance. Your Medicare Advantage Plan may have lower out-of-pocket costs than Original Medicare.
Vision, hearing, dental, and other benefits aren’t covered. Your plan may offer additional benefits, including vision, hearing, and dental.
Note:

  • You can’t have both a Medicare Advantage Plan and a Medicare Supplement Plan.
  • You must be enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B to join a Medicare Advantage Plan.

How to Compare Medicare Advantage Plans in Arkansas

With 58 Medicare Advantage Plans available in Arkansas, you likely have several options in your area. To help you choose the best plan for you, consider what is most important to you before selecting a plan. There are several factors to keep in mind:

  • Monthly premium: This is how much you pay for coverage monthly, regardless of the care you receive. You may need to pay your plan’s premium in addition to the Medicare Part B premium, although some plans have $0 premiums or help pay for your Part B premium.
  • Plan network: You may need to use doctors and providers who are within a plan’s network. Before choosing a Medicare Advantage Plan, think about the doctors and facilities (including pharmacies) you prefer to use, then check if the plan offers coverage at those locations. Some plans may provide out-of-network coverage, but this usually comes at a higher cost.
  • Deductible: Your deductible is the amount you must pay before your insurance plan starts helping cover the costs. Medicare Advantage Plans set their deductibles, and these may change only once per year on January 1.
  • Copayments and coinsurance: Copayments or coinsurance are how much you pay for each service or doctor’s visit, such as $20 per doctor visit. Each Medicare Advantage Plan sets its copayment or coinsurance amount that can differ from what you would pay through Original Medicare.
  • Out-of-pocket maximum: Each Medicare Advantage Plan sets a yearly limit on the maximum amount you’d be responsible for paying for services covered by Medicare. Once you reach this limit, you won’t have to pay anything for the services you receive covered by Part A and Part B in that year.

Additional coverage: Most Medicare Advantage Plans also provide prescription drug coverage and often include additional benefits that Original Medicare won’t cover, such as vision, dental, and hearing. Plans may provide even more benefits, like discounted gym membership or transportation to doctor’s visits. Medicare Advantage Plans can also tailor their benefits to the specific needs of particular chronically ill beneficiaries.

About Medicare Advantage Plans in Arkansas

There are 58 Medicare Advantage Plans available across Arkansas as of 2022. The available options include:

  • Local HMO plans
  • Local PPO plans
  • Regional PPO plans
  • PFFS plans.

Of the available Medicare Advantage Plans in Arkansas, only four were rated 3.5 or higher for plan year 2019 to 2020 by NCQA, including HMOs, PPOs and HMO-POS plans.

Number of Medicare Advantage Plans available Medicare Advantage Plan types available Medicare Advantage Plans rated 3.5 or higher by NCQA
58
  • Local HMO
  • Local PPO
  • Regional PPO
  • PFFS
  • Coventry Health HMO/POS
  • HealthSpring HMO
  • Sierra PPO
  • UnitedHealthcare PPO

Understanding Medicare Advantage Plan Types:

  • HMO: Health Maintenance Organization plans generally provide coverage only at in-network providers except in medical emergencies. You usually need to have a primary care physician who can give you a referral to see specialists. Most HMO plans include prescription drug coverage.
  • HMO-POS: HMO-POS plans are HMO plans with a Point of Service benefit for out-of-network providers. In these plans, you may be able to use out-of-network providers for certain services but may pay more for your care if you do.
  • PPO: Preferred Provider Organization plans have a network of healthcare providers and facilities where your care will cost less. You can use out-of-network providers as well, but your care will cost more. You usually do not need a primary care doctor to get referrals to see specialists or receive treatment. Most PPO plans include prescription drug coverage.
  • PFFS: Private Fee-for-Service plans allow you to use any Medicare-approved provider. Some PFFS plans have networks of providers where you can receive lower-cost care. You don’t need referrals to see specialists in PFFS plans, but prescription drugs are not always covered.
  • SNPs: Special Needs Plans are for beneficiaries with specific diseases or characteristics. These plans tailor benefits and providers to the special needs of the group they serve. You are generally limited to the network of providers the plan offers and need a primary care doctor and get referrals to specialists. All SNP plans include prescription drug coverage.

Enrollment and Eligibility for Medicare Advantage Plans in Arkansas

You’re eligible for Medicare when you turn 65 or if you’re younger and have a qualifying disability. A qualifying disability means at least one of the following applies:

  • You’ve received Social Security Disability Insurance or Railroad Board Disability Annuity for 24 months
  • You have Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease
  • You have End-Stage Renal Disease

When you become eligible for Medicare, you are also eligible for Medicare Advantage Plans. There are specific times of the year when you can enroll for the first time in a Medicare Advantage Plan: during your Initial Enrollment Period and the Open Enrollment Period.

  • Your IEP begins three months before the month you turn 65 and extends for three months after the month you turn 65. During this period, you can enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan. If you join before the month you turn 65, your coverage will begin the first day of the month you turn 65. If you enroll in the three months after turning 65, your coverage will begin the first day of the month after you enroll.
  • If you miss your IEP, you can sign up for Medicare during the General Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31.
  • After you enroll in Medicare, you can enroll in or make changes to your Medicare Advantage Plan coverage during the Medicare OEP from October 15 and December 7 of each year. During this time, you can change from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage, switch to a different Medicare Advantage Plan, or change from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare.

Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment occurs between January 1 and March 31 of each year. This period is only for beneficiaries already in a Medicare Advantage Plan, and you can change plans or switch to Original Medicare. You cannot switch from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage during Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment.

There are exceptions to these enrollment periods called Special Enrollment Periods. Certain events or circumstances may make you eligible to change your Medicare Advantage Plan outside of the open enrollment periods, such as if you move outside of your existing plan’s service area or to a location with new plan options you didn’t have before. If you think you may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, call 1-800-MEDICARE and explain your situation.

Medicare Enrollment Periods

Enrollment period When it happens Medicare plans you can choose What you can do
Initial Enrollment Period Three months before you turn 65, the month you turn 65, and three months after Medicare Part A, Part B, Part D, Medigap, or Medicare Advantage Plan Sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B. Complete your Part B enrollment to avoid a late enrollment penalty.
General Enrollment Period January 1 – March 31 Medicare Part A, Part B, Part D, Medigap, or Medicare Advantage Plan. If you enroll in Medicare during this period, your MAP enrollment is April through June. Sign up for Medicare if you missed your IEP
Open Enrollment Period October 15 – December 7 Medicare Part A, Part B, Part D, Medigap, or Medicare Advantage Plan Join, switch, or drop a plan
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period January 1 – March 31 Medicare Part A, Part B, Part D, Medigap, or Medicare Advantage Plan If you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan, you can change your plan or switch to Original Medicare
Special Enrollment Period When you have a qualifying event Medicare Part A, Part B, Part D, Medigap, or Medicare Advantage Plan Make changes to your plan

Arkansas Medicare Advantage Plans With Prescription Drug Coverage

Most Medicare Advantage HMO and PPO plans and all SNP plans provide prescription drug coverage like you would get from Medicare Part D. Some PFFS plans may provide prescription drug coverage, but not all do. Evaluate a plan’s prescription drug coverage when deciding which Arkansas Medicare Advantage Plan to use.

Prescription drug coverage may vary by cost, coverage, and convenience among Medicare Advantage Plans. Your monthly premium may include a premium for the drug coverage in the plan. There is usually a copayment or coinsurance amount that you have to pay for each prescription after you reach your annual deductible.

Some plans use different cost tiers with different costs for different drugs. For instance, you may pay less for generic drugs than brand-name drugs or less for brand-name drugs within different tiers. If your plan uses tiers, the formulary will list all covered drugs and their tiers. Verify your preferred or local pharmacies are included in the plan’s network.

Getting Help with Medicare Advantage Plans

Arkansas-wide Medicare Advantage Resources
Resource Contact How they help
Arkansas 2021 Medicare Basic Toolkit N/A This PDF is a useful guide to the Medicare program
Arkansas Attorney General Consumer Protection | Medicare and Medicaid Issues Phone: 800-482-8988 The Attorney General’s office works alongside other agencies to assist consumers in navigating the sometimes complex programs of Medicare and Medicaid
Arkansas Department of Human Services Phone: 855-372-1084 The Arkansas DHS seeks to improve the quality of life of all Arkansans by protecting the vulnerable, fostering independence, and promoting better health
Arkansas Division of Medical Services Phone: 501-682-8292 The Division of Medical Services is the administrative arm of Arkansas Medicaid, overseeing provider enrollment, billing, pharmacy, beneficiary support, and fee-for-service and managed care programs funded by Medicaid
Arkansas Insurance Department Phone: 800-282-9134 The Arkansas Insurance Department works to preserve consumer protection through insurer solvency and market conduct regulation, and fraud prosecution and deterrence
Arkansas Medicaid Program Phone: 800-275-1131 Medicaid provides free or low-cost health coverage to eligible needy persons

Local Medicare Advantage Resources
Resource Contact How they help
Area Agencies on Aging of Arkansas Directory Phone: 501-686-9164 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) can help you find the information about programs to help you like meals-on-wheels, senior centers, transportation options, and much more
Arkansas Department of Human Services County Offices N/A This site is a directory of DHS locations in Arkansas, divided by county
Arkansas Local Health Units N/A This site is a directory of local health units, organized by city

Federal Medicare Advantage Resources
Resource Contact How they help
CMS Medicare Managed Care Appeals & Grievances N/A This site is a guide to help you navigate appeals and grievances
CMS Medicare Managed Care Eligibility and Enrollment N/A This site is a guide to help you navigate Medicare eligibility and enrollment
CMS Medicare Prescription Drug Eligibility and Enrollment N/A This site is a guide to help you get the prescription drug coverage you need through Medicare
Medicare.gov Phone: 800-633-4227 The main government website for signing up for (or making changes to) your Medicare coverage
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Tammy Burns
Insurance and health care 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.

author-img
Tammy Burns
Insurance and health care 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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