Best Medicare Advantage Plans in Washington, D.C. (2026)

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Updated: September 16, 2026

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Best Medicare Advantage Companies in Washington D.C.

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield is the best Medicare Advantage company in Washington, D.C. CareFirst's $6,659 annual cost ceiling, premiums plus out-of-pocket maximum combined, is $379 less than Kaiser Permanente's. Members who choose CareFirst over Kaiser save $379 annually.

Kaiser Permanente and Aetna Medicare are tied for the district's highest CMS rating at 4.5 stars on CMS's 5-point scale for verified care quality. Kaiser's $7,038 cost ceiling is $462 less than Aetna's $7,500 for the same 4.5-star CMS rating.

Humana and UnitedHealthcare carry $0 premiums at $6,750 and $6,700, each within $100 of CareFirst's $6,659. HealthSpring's $6,500 cost ceiling saves members $159 a year over CareFirst. HealthSpring's 3.0-star CMS rating is the weakest in the district, so members choosing it for cost should expect lower verified care quality.

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield 

4.4
$6,659
4
1
2
Kaiser Permanente
4.4
$7,038
4.5
1
4
Aetna Medicare
4.2
$7,500
4.5
1
3
HealthSpring
4.1
$6,500
3
1
3
Humana
4.1
$6,750
3.5
1
3
UnitedHealthcare
4.1
$6,700
4
1
1

Washington, D.C. Medicare Advantage Market Overview

Washington, D.C.'s Medicare Advantage market has 16 standard plans from six carriers in 2026. Any Medicare beneficiary in the district can access the full selection.

Medicare Advantage plans bundle the hospital and medical benefits of Original Medicare through a private insurer. In Washington, D.C., all 16 plans include vision and 15 include dental. Seven of the 16 plans include hearing, so members who need hearing aids should compare carriers first.

Medicare Supplement plans work alongside Original Medicare to cover gaps like copays and deductibles, without replacing original coverage.

Three-quarters of D.C. plans charge no monthly premium. The median annual out-of-pocket cap is $6,750, after which members pay nothing for covered in-network care for the rest of the year.

Non-SNP Medicare Advantage plans
16
Washington D.C. residents choose from just 16 non-SNP plans, so each plan deserves a close look.
Carriers
6
6 carriers divide Washington D.C.'s entire MA market among them.
CMS contracts
8
Plans from the same carrier may differ in cost, coverage and star rating across its 8 contracts.
Median plans per county
16
Washington D.C. functions as a single district, so all 16 plans are accessible to every eligible resident.
Medicare Advantage enrollment in non-SNP plans
32,590
32,590 enrollees gives our analysis a smaller but complete picture of the D.C. MA market.
Plans with a $0 premium
75%
3 in 4 plans charge nothing beyond your existing Part B premium each month.
Median max out-of-pocket (MOOP)
$6,750
Annual in-network costs stop at $6,750 under a typical Washington D.C. plan.
MOOP range
$4,250–$7,500

Washington D.C.'s MOOP range is tighter than most states, with no plan reaching the $9,250 national ceiling.

Average CMS star rating
3.84 out of 5
Washington D.C. plans score 3.84 stars on average, within reach of the four-star quality mark.
Contracts rated 4+ stars
50%
1 in 2 Washington D.C. contracts earn four or more CMS stars, a stronger rate than most markets we reviewed.
CareFirst BCBS

CareFirst BCBS

MoneyGeek Rating
4.4/ 5
4.6/5Affordability
4.2/5Quality & Member Experience
4.2/5Benefits & Access

  • Median Max Annual Cost Exposure

    $6,659

  • Median CMS Star Rating

    4

  • Counties Served

    1

  • Plans Available

    2
Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente

MoneyGeek Rating
4.4/ 5
4.3/5Affordability
4.5/5Quality & Member Experience
4.3/5Benefits & Access

  • Median Max Annual Cost Exposure

    $7,038

  • Median CMS Star Rating

    4.5

  • Counties Served

    1

  • Plans Available

    4
Aetna Medicare

Aetna Medicare

MoneyGeek Rating
4.2/ 5
3.9/5Affordability
4.5/5Quality & Member Experience
4.1/5Benefits & Access

  • Median Max Annual Cost Exposure

    $7,500

  • Median CMS Star Rating

    4.5

  • Counties Served

    1

  • Plans Available

    3
HealthSpring

HealthSpring

MoneyGeek Rating
4.1/ 5
4.7/5Affordability
3.5/5Quality & Member Experience
4/5Benefits & Access

  • Median Max Annual Cost Exposure

    $6,500

  • Median CMS Star Rating

    3

  • Counties Served

    1

  • Plans Available

    3
Humana

Humana

MoneyGeek Rating
4.1/ 5
4.3/5Affordability
3.8/5Quality & Member Experience
4.1/5Benefits & Access

  • Median Max Annual Cost Exposure

    $6,750

  • Median CMS Star Rating

    3.5

  • Counties Served

    1

  • Plans Available

    3
UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare

MoneyGeek Rating
4.1/ 5
4.1/5Affordability
4.2/5Quality & Member Experience
3.9/5Benefits & Access

  • Median Max Annual Cost Exposure

    $6,700

  • Median CMS Star Rating

    4

  • Counties Served

    1

  • Plans Available

    1

How to Choose the Best Washington, D.C., Medicare Advantage Plan

The right plan depends on your medical needs, what you can spend and how much provider flexibility matters to you.

  1. 1
    Confirm Your Doctors and Hospitals Are In-Network

    Call your doctors and hospitals directly to ask whether they participate in the specific plan's network. A doctor who accepts Medicare Advantage may not be in every plan from the same carrier, and switching plans mid-year is not an option outside of special enrollment periods.

  2. 2
    Compare Total Costs, Not Just Premiums

    Three out of four D.C. plans have no monthly fee. Instead, look at copays and the out-of-pocket maximum to see what you will actually spend in a year. In D.C., the spread between the lowest and highest annual cost ceiling is $3,250. Members who use care regularly save more by choosing a lower-MOOP plan than by relying on a $0 premium with high copays.

  3. 3
    Check Prescription Drug Coverage

    Confirm your prescriptions appear on the plan's drug formulary before you enroll. Drug tier placement determines what you pay per fill, and higher tiers cost more per prescription. Some medications also require prior authorization before the plan pays.

  4. 4
    Compare Different Plan Types

    HMO plans have the lowest cost ceilings in D.C. and coordinate care through a primary doctor. HMO-POS plans add occasional out-of-network access, though they carry the district's only non-zero median monthly premium. PPO plans remove the referral requirement and allow out-of-network care, which matters if you split time between D.C. and another location.

  5. 5
    Review Star Ratings and Quality Metrics

    CMS star ratings score plans on quality, service and member satisfaction on a one-to-five scale. In Washington, D.C., ratings range from 3.0 to 4.5. Half of D.C.'s rated contracts earn four or more stars, and the difference between a 3.0-star and 4.5-star plan reflects real gaps in member experience and care management.

  6. 6
    Compare Extra Benefits

    Seven of the 16 D.C. plans include hearing coverage, and only two carriers provide it. Plans with richer supplemental benefits often trade off in higher specialist copays or narrower networks. Compare a plan's specialist copay and out-of-pocket maximum alongside its supplemental benefits before choosing.

  7. 7
    Check Out-of-Pocket Maximums

    Out-of-pocket maximums cap your annual in-network medical spending. Washington, D.C., plans range from $4,250 to $7,500. For members who use care frequently, a lower-MOOP plan choice reduces annual exposure more than a $0 premium alone.

How Much Does Medicare Advantage Cost in Washington, D.C.?

Two of three D.C. plan types charge no monthly premium, so out-of-pocket limits determine the actual Medicare Advantage cost. HMO plans carry a $5,900 median out-of-pocket cap, the lowest in D.C. and $850 less than PPO plans. PPO plans carry a $6,750 cap and the lowest median specialist copay in D.C. at $30.

HMO-POS plans are D.C.'s only plan type with a non-zero median premium at $28 per month. HMO-POS plans also carry the highest median out-of-pocket cap at $7,450, $1,550 more than HMO plans. HMO-POS plans have a median primary care copay of $2, the lowest in the market. HMO-POS plans give frequent care users the most affordable doctor visits in D.C.

Median Monthly Premium
$0
$28
$0
Median Max Out-of-Pocket
$5,900
$7,450
$6,750
Median Inpatient Copay
$295
$345
$382
Median PCP Copay
$15
$2
$15
Median Specialist Copay
$40
$32
$30

Washington, D.C. Medicare Advantage Resources

D.C. residents can use these resources to compare plans, verify coverage and get free Medicare counseling.

Compare Medicare Advantage Rates

Get the best insurance rate. Compare quotes from top insurance companies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our Methodology

MoneyGeek analyzed Washington, D.C., Medicare Advantage carriers for the 2026 plan year. Five CMS data sources informed the scores: 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

MoneyGeek builds each Washington, D.C., carrier's score out of five from three weighted categories.   

  • Affordability (40%): Maximum annual cost exposure includes annual premiums, the out-of-pocket maximum and inpatient hospital, specialist and primary care costs.
  • Quality and Member Experience (40%): CMS Star Ratings bring 60% of this category's weight. CAHPS C26 member ratings account for the remaining 40%. MoneyGeek logs both at the contract level.
  • Benefits and Access (20%): Supplemental benefits, including dental, OTC, vision and hearing, contribute 50% of this category, with county coverage at 30% and plan choice per county at 20%.

About Mark Fitzpatrick

Mark Fitzpatrick, Licensed P&C Insurance Expert, MoneyGeek

Mark Fitzpatrick is a licensed Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Producer in Connecticut 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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