Best Medicare Advantage Plans in Louisiana (2026)

Humana is the best Medicare Advantage company in Louisiana, with 25 plans across all 64 parishes and a $4,900 median annual cost exposure, the lowest among five carriers. Annual cost exposure is the sum of your annual premium and the plan's out-of-pocket maximum.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana covers all 64 parishes, with a $5,229 median annual cost exposure and includes hearing on every plan. Peoples Health and Aetna Medicare both hold 4.5-star CMS ratings, a measure of care quality, but cost $1,800 to $3,000 more than Humana's $4,900 median annual exposure.

Louisiana has 57 Medicare Advantage plans from six carriers for 2026. Medicare Advantage replaces Original Medicare through a private insurer that bundles hospital, medical and often drug benefits into one plan. For coverage that works alongside Original Medicare, Medicare Supplement plans are a different option.

Because 95% of Louisiana plans charge no monthly premium, out-of-pocket maximum is the more useful comparison point. Out-of-pocket maximum across Louisiana plans ranges from $2,900 to $9,250, with a $5,000 median MOOP.

Louisiana plan quality averages 4.09 CMS stars, above the four-star benchmark. Seven of Louisiana’s 13 Medicare Advantage contracts (54%) are rated 4 stars or higher.

The right Medicare Advantage plan depends on care needs, budget and network flexibility.

Median monthly premiums are $0 for HMO, HMO-POS and PPO plans and $40 for Regional PPO plans, though individual premiums vary.

The median in-network MOOP is $2,200 lower for HMOs than PPOs ($4,500 versus $6,700), but actual annual spending depends on care use and plan cost sharing. PPOs offer more out-of-network flexibility, while their median in-network MOOP is $2,200 higher than the HMO median.

A single hospital day costs $165 less in an HMO than a PPO. For anyone with a recent hospitalization history, the inpatient copay difference matters more than the monthly premium.

*Median cost figures across all 57 non-SNP Louisiana MA plans, grouped by plan type. All dollar figures rounded to nearest dollar. Source: CMS 2026 data, MoneyGeek analysis.

Louisiana residents can use these state and federal resources to compare Medicare Advantage plans, get free personalized counseling and find help paying Medicare costs.

• Louisiana Department of Insurance: Handles insurance complaints, Medicare consumer guidance and carrier regulation in Louisiana.
• Louisiana SHIIP (Senior Health Insurance Information Program): Navigate to the Senior Health section. Offers free, one-on-one counseling from trained volunteers to help Louisiana residents compare Medicare Advantage plans, review enrollment periods and understand coverage rights.
• Medicare.gov Plan Finder: Lets you search plans by ZIP code and compare annual costs, CMS star ratings, drug formularies and supplemental benefits side by side.
• Louisiana Medicaid Medicare Savings Programs: Helps eligible Louisiana residents pay Part B premiums and lower certain Medicare cost-sharing charges.

MoneyGeek weighed Louisiana Medicare Advantage carriers for the 2026 plan year against five CMS data sources, including the Medicare Plan Landscape File, Plan Benefit Package files, CMS Star Ratings, the CAHPS Report Card Master Table and the Contract/Plan Enrollment file.

How We Score Carriers

Each Louisiana carrier's MoneyGeek score out of five is the outcome of three weighted categories.   

• Affordability (40%): Maximum annual cost exposure pools annual premiums, the out-of-pocket maximum and inpatient hospital, specialist and primary care costs.
• Quality and Member Experience (40%): This category divides between CMS Star Ratings at 60% and CAHPS C26 member ratings at 40%. MoneyGeek collects both at the contract level.
• Benefits and Access (20%): Supplemental benefits, including dental, OTC, vision and hearing, own 50% of this category. County coverage and plan choice per county pick up the remaining 50% at 30% and 20%.