Best Medicare Advantage Plans in New Jersey (2026)

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Updated: September 21, 2026

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Best Medicare Advantage Providers in New Jersey

Jefferson Health Plans is the best Medicare Advantage carrier in New Jersey for lower overall costs in New Jersey in 2026. Jefferson's median annual cost exposure, the most you pay for covered care in a year, is $6,500. The New Jersey median is $8,950, so Jefferson's median annual cost exposure is $2,450 lower.

Clover Health and Aetna tie for the state's highest median carrier CMS rating at 4.5 out of 5, which means better care outcomes and fewer member complaints. Aetna and Braven Health cover all 21 counties but cap median annual cost exposure at $9,250, the federal in-network ceiling. Compare plans in your county before enrolling.

Jefferson Health Plans
4.4
$6,500
3.5
8
4
Clover Health
4.3
$8,500
4.5
20
8
Humana
4.2
$7,250
3.5
20
8
Aetna Medicare
4.1
$9,250
4.5
21
17
UnitedHealthcare
4.1
$6,700
3.5
21
13
Braven Health
4
$9,250
4
21
10

New Jersey Medicare Advantage Market Overview

New Jersey has 70 Medicare Advantage plans from nine carriers in 2026, and 89% charge no monthly premium. Medicare Advantage replaces Original Medicare with private insurance and often adds dental, vision and prescription drug coverage.

The median out-of-pocket limit is $8,950, within $300 of the $9,250 federal in-network maximum, the most any plan can charge per year for in-network care. Out-of-pocket limits matter more than monthly premiums here because 89% of New Jersey plans charge no monthly premium.

Plan quality averages 3.93 stars, below the four-star mark where CMS classifies plans as high-performing. Residents who prefer Original Medicare can review Medicare Supplement plans in New Jersey to cover cost-sharing instead.

Non-SNP Medicare Advantage plans
70
New Jersey has 70 non-SNP MA plans. Network access and drug formulary are the most useful first filters at that scale.
Carriers
9
9 carriers offer New Jersey's 70 MA plans. Your carrier choice determines which provider networks are available.
CMS contracts
18
New Jersey's 9 carriers operate under 18 CMS contracts. CMS assigns star ratings at the contract level. Two plans from the same carrier can carry different ratings.
Median plans per county
38
Most New Jersey residents can compare 38 local plans before looking beyond their county.
Medicare Advantage enrollment in non-SNP plans
432,149
More than 432,000 New Jersey enrollees back the plan ratings in this analysis with in-state claims data.
Plans with a $0 premium
89%
89% of New Jersey plans charge nothing beyond Part B. Out-of-pocket limits and benefits separate the options.
Median max out-of-pocket (MOOP)
$8,950

New Jersey's $8,950 median MOOP sets a high annual in-network cost ceiling for a typical plan in the state. 

MOOP range
$2,900–$9,250

New Jersey's MOOP range runs from $2,900 to $9,250. The $8,950 median means most plans offer little cost buffer below the federal in-network maximum.

Average CMS star rating
3.93 out of 5
New Jersey's average CMS rating of 3.93 stars falls short of the four-star quality mark.
Contracts rated 4+ stars
44%
44% of New Jersey contracts earn four or more CMS stars. Check individual contract ratings before enrolling.
Jefferson Health Plans

Jefferson Health Plans

MoneyGeek Rating
4.4/ 5
4.9/5Affordability
3.9/5Quality & Member Experience
4.2/5Benefits & Access

  • Median Max Annual Cost Exposure

    $6,500

  • Median CMS Star Rating

    3.5

  • Counties Served

    8

  • Plans Available

    4
Clover Health

Clover Health

MoneyGeek Rating
4.3/ 5
4/5Affordability
4.5/5Quality & Member Experience
4.5/5Benefits & Access

  • Median Max Annual Cost Exposure

    $8,500

  • Median CMS Star Rating

    4.5

  • Counties Served

    20

  • Plans Available

    8
Humana

Humana

MoneyGeek Rating
4.2/ 5
4.4/5Affordability
3.8/5Quality & Member Experience
4.4/5Benefits & Access

  • Median Max Annual Cost Exposure

    $7,250

  • Median CMS Star Rating

    3.5

  • Counties Served

    20

  • Plans Available

    8
Aetna Medicare

Aetna Medicare

MoneyGeek Rating
4.1/ 5
3.7/5Affordability
4.5/5Quality & Member Experience
4.3/5Benefits & Access

  • Median Max Annual Cost Exposure

    $9,250

  • Median CMS Star Rating

    4.5

  • Counties Served

    21

  • Plans Available

    17
UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare

MoneyGeek Rating
4.1/ 5
4.2/5Affordability
3.8/5Quality & Member Experience
4.5/5Benefits & Access

  • Median Max Annual Cost Exposure

    $6,700

  • Median CMS Star Rating

    3.5

  • Counties Served

    21

  • Plans Available

    13
Braven Health

Braven Health

MoneyGeek Rating
4/ 5
3.6/5Affordability
4.2/5Quality & Member Experience
4.3/5Benefits & Access

  • Median Max Annual Cost Exposure

    $9,250

  • Median CMS Star Rating

    4

  • Counties Served

    21

  • Plans Available

    10

How to Find the Best New Jersey Medicare Advantage Plans

Review your health care needs and total costs to choose the right Medicare Advantage plan in New Jersey, not the monthly premium alone.

  1. 1
    Check Your Doctor and Hospital Network

    New Jersey plans include HMO and PPO options with different network rules. HMO plans restrict coverage to in-network providers except for emergencies. PPO plans allow out-of-network care at higher costs. Confirming your doctors are in-network before enrolling prevents unexpected bills.

  2. 2
    Compare Maximum Out-of-Pocket Costs

    In New Jersey, 89% of plans charge $0 per month regardless of plan type. Your out-of-pocket limit determines more of your annual cost than the monthly premium does. A plan with a $9,250 annual ceiling costs you $2,750 more than one with a $6,500 limit.

  3. 3
    Review Prescription Drug Coverage

    Check that your medications are on the plan's formulary, its list of covered drugs, and note their tier level, which determines how much you pay at the pharmacy. Most Medicare Advantage plans include Part D drug coverage, though some require separate enrollment. Higher-tier drugs carry higher copays than lower-tier ones.

  4. 4
    Evaluate Additional Benefits

    About 7 in 10 New Jersey plans include dental benefits and most include vision, but hearing coverage appears on fewer than 3% of plans. Review each benefit's annual limit and coverage details. Two plans listing the same benefit can pay out different dollar amounts.

  5. 5
    Consider CMS Star Ratings

    CMS rates plans from one to five stars for quality, preventive care and customer service. New Jersey's average is 3.93 stars, below the four-star benchmark. When plans have similar premiums and coverage, choose the higher-rated one for better-verified care quality.

How Much Does Medicare Advantage Cost in New Jersey?

In New Jersey, 89% of plans charge $0 per month, regardless of plan type. Your annual spending limit, the maximum you pay for covered in-network care, determines more of your annual cost than the monthly premium does.

HMO-POS plans allow limited out-of-network care and carry a $6,750 median out-of-pocket limit, $1,800 below standard HMO plans at $8,550. PPO plans set the median out-of-pocket limit at $9,250. The median HMO-POS MOOP is $2,500 lower than the median PPO MOOP ($6,750 versus $9,250).

The median primary care copay is $15 per visit across all plan types. Specialist median copays are $25 on HMO and HMO-POS plans and $30 on PPO plans.

Median Monthly Premium
$0
$0
$0
$15
Median Max Out-of-Pocket
$8,550
$6,750
$9,250
$9,250
Median Inpatient Copay
$338
$375
$395
$399
Median PCP Copay
$15
$15
$15
$15
Median Specialist Copay
$25
$25
$30
$35

*Median cost figures across all 70 non-SNP New Jersey MA plans, grouped by plan type. All dollar figures rounded to nearest dollar. Source: CMS 2026 data, MoneyGeek analysis.

New Jersey Medicare Advantage Resources

New Jersey residents can compare plans, get free counseling and find financial assistance through these state and federal resources.

  • New Jersey SHIP: Free, unbiased counseling for New Jersey Medicare beneficiaries. Trained counselors help you compare Medicare Advantage plans, understand cost-sharing and explain enrollment rules at no cost.
  • Medicare.gov Plan Finder: The official federal tool for comparing Medicare Advantage plans by ZIP code, including premiums, out-of-pocket limits, drug formularies and CMS star ratings.
  • New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance: The state agency that licenses and regulates New Jersey insurance carriers. Use it to confirm a carrier operates legally in the state or to file a coverage complaint.
  • New Jersey Medicare Savings Programs: State programs that help eligible residents pay Medicare Part B premiums and cost-sharing. Income and asset limits apply.
  • Social Security Administration: Handles Medicare enrollment for most New Jersey residents. Apply for Medicare, check your enrollment status or set up premium payments through SSA.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Our Methodology

For New Jersey Medicare Advantage carriers in the 2026 plan year, MoneyGeek pulled scores from five CMS data sources: 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

New Jersey carriers each come away with a MoneyGeek score out of five from three weighted categories.   

  • Affordability (40%): Annual premiums, the out-of-pocket maximum and inpatient hospital, specialist and primary care costs make up the maximum annual cost exposure.
  • Quality and Member Experience (40%): CMS Star Ratings cover 60% of this category, CAHPS C26 member ratings the remaining 40%. Both come from contract-level data.
  • Benefits and Access (20%): Supplemental benefits, including dental, OTC, vision and hearing, total 50% of this category. County coverage and plan choice per county fill out the other 50%, at 30% and 20%.

About Mark Fitzpatrick

Mark Fitzpatrick, Licensed P&C Insurance Expert, MoneyGeek

Mark Fitzpatrick is a licensed Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Producer and MoneyGeek's resident expert in insurance and economics. In nearly a decade covering the insurance market at LendingTree and MoneyGeek, he's analyzed hundreds of carriers and millions of rates across auto, home, renters, health and life insurance.

His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times and NPR. He draws on independent cost and consumer experience data, and no insurance company partnerships affect his recommendations.

Mark studied at Boston College and later earned a master's in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University. He worked in financial risk management at State Street before joining MoneyGeek. He's also a five-time “Jeopardy!” champion.

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