Best Medicare Advantage Plans in Washington (2026)

HealthSpring is the best Medicare Advantage company in Washington, with a $5,000 median cost ceiling that is $1,575 below the state median of $6,575 and the lowest among carriers with a 4-star or higher rating on CMS's 5-star quality scale. But HealthSpring's three plans are available in only three counties.

Aetna Medicare has Washington's highest CMS rating at 4.5 stars, while Kaiser Permanente provides 20 plans across 15 counties at $5,778, $797 below the $6,575 state median. Providence Medicare Advantage Plans serves six counties at $6,750, $175 above the state median, with five plans.

Humana reaches 34 of Washington's 39 counties at $5,900, $675 below the state median. UnitedHealthcare covers 22 counties at $6,700 with 18 plans.

Washington has 88 Medicare Advantage plans (excluding Special Needs Plans) from 11 carriers for 2026. Medicare Advantage is a private alternative to Original Medicare that covers the same hospital and doctor benefits, often with dental, vision and drug coverage added. Plans cap your annual costs through an out-of-pocket maximum, a structure Medicare Supplement doesn't use.

Two-thirds of Washington plans charge no monthly premium, but the out-of-pocket maximum determines your worst-case annual cost. Washington's median maximum out-of-pocket is $6,575, with plans ranging from $3,000 to $9,250. A plan at $3,000 saves more than $6,000 per year compared with the $9,250 maximum.

Washington offers dozens of Medicare Advantage plans with different costs, networks and benefits. Your choice depends on how you use healthcare.

Since median monthly premiums are $0 across all three plan types, out-of-pocket limits and copays are what distinguish an HMO, HMO-POS and PPO in Washington. HMO and HMO-POS plans cap annual out-of-pocket exposure at $5,900, compared with $6,725 for PPO plans. A member who chooses a PPO pays $825 more in worst-case annual costs for the right to use out-of-network providers.

HMOs charge $20 per specialist visit in Washington, compared with $35 for HMO-POS and PPO plans. A member seeing a specialist monthly pays $180 more per year in an HMO-POS or PPO plan than in an HMO. Hospital inpatient copays in HMO plans are $395 per day, compared with $475 per day in PPO plans. Over a five-day hospital stay, that difference reaches $400.

Use these state and federal resources to compare Washington Medicare Advantage plans, confirm enrollment eligibility and get help from trained counselors.

• Washington SHIBA (State Health Insurance Benefits Advisors): Free, unbiased Medicare counseling from trained volunteers. SHIBA advisors help Washington residents compare plan costs, understand benefits and make enrollment decisions.
• Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner: Regulates and licenses Medicare Advantage carriers in Washington. Use it to verify a carrier is licensed before enrolling and to file complaints.
• Medicare Plan Finder: The federal tool for comparing all Medicare Advantage plans in your Washington ZIP code by premium, MOOP and star rating.
• Social Security Administration: Handles Medicare Part B enrollment and automatic premium billing. Apply online, by phone or at your nearest SSA office.
• Washington Area Agencies on Aging: Connects Washington residents with local senior services and benefits counselors who can assist with Medicare plan decisions.

MoneyGeek reviewed Washington Medicare Advantage carriers using five CMS data sources for the 2026 plan year: 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 weights three categories to produce each Washington carrier's score out of five.   

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