In Montana, MoneyGeek found Medicare Advantage Plans that are widely accessible and have high ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) five-star rating system. MoneyGeek analyzed factors such as plan type, whether or not you require drug coverage and how much you want to spend out of pocket in order to find the best plan for you.

Keep in mind that these are general recommendations. The only way to find the plan that best meets your requirements is to shop around. Also, be sure to confirm that the hospitals and providers you prefer are in the network of the plan you want to purchase.

If you're not looking for a Medicare Advantage plan but want to cover out-of-pocket costs that your base Medicare plan doesn't cover, MoneyGeek also ranked the best Medicare Supplement Plans in Montana.

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2024

Best Medicare Advantage Plans in Montana

Best Medicare Advantage Plan in Montana - Overall

The ideal Medicare Advantage plan for you depends on your specific needs. For someone in Montana looking for a PPO plan with drug coverage, six core benefits and a high star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), MoneyGeek found that the Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Choice Plus (PPO) provided by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana could be the best plan.

Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans have various advantages, including more flexibility, no referral requirements to see a specialist plus a larger network.

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MoneyGeek Top Pick
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana

MoneyGeek found that the Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Choice Plus (PPO) plan is the best option in Montana for people searching for a PPO. However, keep in mind that the best option for you depends on your specific needs.

Here are the specifics of this plan:

  • Monthly premium: $0
  • Drug Coverage: $480
  • An in-network max-out-of-pocket limit of $4400
  • An overall star rating of 4 out of 5 from CMS

The Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Choice Plus plan includes the six most common benefits, including vision, dental, hearing, fitness, worldwide emergency and telehealth. It is a good choice for travelers due to the worldwide emergency coverage. It also has an excellent CMS rating and provides Part D drug coverage.

Best HMO Medicare Advantage Plan in Montana

Montana is one of the four states in the country that do not have enough HMO plans. The best HMO plan for you will depend on your specific needs. For a resident in Montana who wants an HMO plan with drug coverage, six core benefits and a high star rating from the CMS, MoneyGeek found that Humana Gold Plus H6622-007, offered by Humana, is the top plan.

HMO plans are usually less expensive than other plan types, but you must stay within your provider's network to have services covered unless it’s an emergency. These plans are a good option for lower monthly payments and if in-network providers are easily available to you. Keep in mind that you will need a referral to see a specialist.

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MoneyGeek Top Pick
Humana

MoneyGeek found that Humana Gold Plus H6622-007 is the top HMO plan in Montana.

Here are the plan details:

  • Monthly premium: $36
  • Drug coverage deductible: $325
  • In-network max-out-of-pocket payment: $5,000
  • Overall star rating of 4.5 out of 5 from the CMS

This plan has the six common additional benefits, including dental, vision, hearing, worldwide emergency, fitness and telehealth. It also receives a high rating from the CMS and offers Part D drug coverage.

Best Medicare Advantage Plan in Montana Without Drug Coverage

If you don't need Part D prescription drug coverage, there are more Medicare Advantage Plans available to you. For a Montana buyer looking for a Medicare Advantage Plan with or without drug coverage, six core benefits and a high star rating from CMS (CMS), MoneyGeek found that the Humana Honor (PPO) plan offered by Humana is the top option in Montana.

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MoneyGeek Top Pick
Humana

MoneyGeek found that the Humana Honor plan is the best option in Montana for those who need a plan with or without drug coverage. However, the plan does not offer drug coverage.

The plan details are as follows:

  • No monthly premium
  • An in-network max-out-of-pocket payment of $6,700
  • A 4.5 out of 5 overall star rating from CMS

The Humana Honor plan includes all six of the most prevalent extra benefits, including vision, dental, hearing, fitness, worldwide emergency and telehealth. The CMS also gives it a high rating.

Best Medicare Advantage Plan in Montana for Low Max Out-of-Pocket Costs

While many Medicare Advantage plans have low or no premiums, out-of-pocket expenses might add up quickly. A Montana resident looking for a Medicare Advantage Plan with no or a low in-network max out-of-pocket (MOOP), drug coverage, six core benefits and a high star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) could benefit from the Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Choice Plus plan offered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana. This plan ranked highest in MoneyGeek’s research for low out-of-pocket costs.

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MoneyGeek Top Pick
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana

MoneyGeek found the Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Choice Plus plan to be the best in Montana regardless of if you need drug coverage. We discovered this by filtering out plans that had high MOOPs. Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Choice Plus offers covers drugs.

The details of this plan include:

  • No monthly premium
  • An in-network Max-Out-of-Pocket Payment of $4,400
  • An overall Star Rating of 4 out of 5 from the CMS.

A lower MOOP can protect you from excessive charges if you have a high-cost year for health-care payments. After reaching MOOP $4,400 here, you won't have to pay any more for in-network coverage with Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Choice Plus. However, a PPO plan will have a different MOOP for out-of-network coverage. For this plan, it is $10,000.

Medicare Advantage Plan in Montana - Statistics

Six healthcare companies in Montana provide Medicare Advantage Plans to buyers. The following section provides information on some of the plan's components, including which ones are common and which ones are rare.

1

Montana Medicare Advantage Plans are a combination of HMO, PFFS, MSA and PPO, with 36.6% offering prescription drug coverage.

The majority of Medicare Advantage Plans in Montana are Medical Savings ACcount plans at 53.9% and Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans at 32.7%. Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans are available, but they account for just around 6.4% of the market. Private Fee-For-Service plans are also available and account for 2.3% of the market in Montana. Drug coverage is available in 36.6% of these plans.

2

33% of Medicare Advantage Plans in Montana have a $0 premium

In Montana, there are eight distinct plans with no premium. That equates to 33% of all Medicare Advantage Plans on the market. In contrast, the remaining 67% requires the payment of a monthly premium, which costs an average of $79.70.

3

Hearing, telehealth and worldwide emergency benefits are common in Montana, with most plans offering them

The three most popular benefits provided by Medicare Advantage Plans in Montana are hearing, telehealth and worldwide emergency. In contrast, the most uncommon are in-home support, home safety devices and modifications, transportation and emergency response devices.

Methodology

MoneyGeek collected data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 2022 MA Landscape Source Files released in October 2021. Plans in Montana were filtered down to those that offer drug coverage (unless otherwise noted), offer six of the most common Medicare Advantage coverage benefits and are available to at least 50% of the population of Montana based on county availability.

About Mark Fitzpatrick


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Mark Fitzpatrick has analyzed the property and casualty insurance market for over five years, conducting original research and creating personalized content for every kind of buyer. Currently, he leads P&C insurance content production at MoneyGeek. Fitzpatrick has been quoted in several insurance-related publications, including CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.

Fitzpatrick earned a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He is passionate about using his knowledge of economics and insurance to bring transparency around financial topics and help others feel confident in their money moves.