Best Medicare Advantage Plans in Illinois (2027)

Humana is the only Illinois carrier pairing plans in every county with a 4-star median CMS rating. Most of its 27 plans are PPOs, or preferred provider organizations, which pay for out-of-network doctors at a higher cost. Humana’s PPOs reach 101 counties, so you can keep coverage almost anywhere in Illinois.

Humana’s HMOs, or health maintenance organizations, cover only network doctors outside emergencies, and they cost less. Humana Total Complete (HMO) has the lowest out-of-pocket maximum in Illinois. Its catch is reach, since Humana’s HMOs sell in just 27 counties.

Hearing aids carry a $575 to $750 copay per aid on every Humana plan, with no allowance to offset the cost, so budget ahead if you need them.

Essence Healthcare is the cheapest carrier for hospital stays in the Chicago area and southwestern Illinois near St. Louis. Its median hospital copay of $300 is the lowest among rated carriers, a gap you feel most during a multi-day stay.

All nine Essence plans carry a 4-star CMS rating, so quality doesn’t depend on which plan you choose.

Every Essence plan includes a $1,000 hearing aid allowance, money the plan puts toward the aids themselves. The two Essence Advantage Premier Plus (PPO) plans work differently from the rest. They charge $149 and $183 a month and drop dental and eyewear, and in return you pay nothing for primary care or specialist visits.

Wellcare charges the least for routine doctor visits among rated Illinois carriers, and none of its six plans has a monthly premium. Frequent specialist visits are where the savings add up. Wellcare also sells in all 102 counties, so enrollees anywhere in Illinois can buy one of its plans.

Quality is the trade-off with Wellcare. Its HMO plans rate 3.5 stars and its HMO-POS plans rate 3, both under CMS’s 4-star quality mark. HMO-POS, or point-of-service, plans cover some out-of-network care at a higher copay.

Its richest plans, Wellcare Simple Exclusive (HMO) and Simple Exclusive Value (HMO-POS), include $10 copays and a $3,000 hearing aid allowance but sell in three counties each, so most enrollees will see other Wellcare plans.

Aetna Medicare is built for Illinois enrollees who wear hearing aids. All 19 of its plans include a hearing aid allowance of $1,000 to $3,000, and every plan covers eyewear, so you won’t trade one benefit away for another.

Plan type decides quality at Aetna. Its PPOs hold 4 stars, and its HMO and HMO-POS plans rate 3.5. Choosing a PPO gets you broader network access and the higher rating at once.

Aetna Medicare Eagle (PPO), sold in 32 counties, is the plan to price first, with no premium and a $3,000 hearing allowance. Aetna sells plans in 58 of Illinois’ 102 counties, so confirm your county is on the list before comparing.

HealthSpring is worth pricing in its seven counties, including Cook, DuPage and St. Clair, if you’d use an HMO network. HealthSpring Preferred (HMO) has one of the lowest daily hospital copays in Illinois, plus a $5,000 dental maximum, the most a plan pays toward dental care in a year.

All three HealthSpring HMO and HMO-POS plans include that $5,000 dental maximum, matching the highest of any plan in Illinois.

HealthSpring True Choice PPOs rate 3 stars, charge $50 or more per specialist visit and don’t cover hearing aids, so the extra network freedom costs you in other ways.

Devoted Health gives Illinois enrollees generous extras with no premium. All 14 plans charge nothing monthly and include dental and eyewear. Devoted’s median dental maximum is the highest among rated carriers, which matters if you expect major dental work.

Worst-case costs are Devoted’s weak spot. Its median maximum annual cost exposure is higher than Humana’s or Essence’s, and four Giveback plans set a $9,850 out-of-pocket maximum, matching the highest in Illinois.

Nine of the 14 Devoted plans had no CMS star rating in the 2027 data. Without a rating, you can’t judge those nine plans on quality. DEVOTED CORE 001 IL (HMO) breaks the cost pattern, with a $2,700 maximum annual cost exposure and $0 specialist visits in eight counties.

Zing Health keeps costs predictable for HMO shoppers in 12 northern Illinois counties from Chicago to Rockford. Its two plans charge no premium, and their maximum annual cost exposures are $4,950 and $5,100, so you know almost exactly what a bad year costs whichever plan you choose.

Extras are where Zing earns its place. Both plans include a $1,500 hearing aid allowance and a $2,000 dental maximum. Zing Elite Select IL-IN (HMO) adds a $752 over-the-counter allowance, a yearly credit for nonprescription health items.

Zing’s contract rates 3.5 CMS stars, and its HMOs won’t cover out-of-network doctors outside emergencies.

UnitedHealthcare sells AARP-branded plans in 100 Illinois counties, so it’s one of three carriers you can buy almost anywhere in the state. Most of its plans are HMO-POS plans, which cover some out-of-network care, and every plan includes a hearing aid allowance of $700 or $1,000.

UnitedHealthcare’s median hospital copay is the highest among rated carriers, which hurts most in a year with a multi-day stay. Budget for it if you expect a hospital admission.

Nine of its 19 plans exclude dental, so check the benefit summary if you see a dentist regularly. AARP Medicare Advantage Essentials from UHC IL-8 (HMO-POS) has the carrier’s lowest maximum annual cost exposure, $2,900, in six counties.