Best Medicare Advantage Plans in Wisconsin (2027)

Network Health is the best value for buyers in its 27 counties, most of them in eastern Wisconsin. It has the lowest median maximum annual cost exposure we found, $4,700, and an 89 out of 100 median score in Medicare’s CAHPS survey, a yearly poll of plan members. Some Humana and Anthem PPOs score 91 on the same survey.

All eight plans are PPOs, which also pay for doctors outside the plan’s network of contracted providers, at a higher cost. Network Health Armor (PPO) and Network Health Bravo (PPO) carry the most extras for no premium, with up to $3,500 for dental work and $400 a year for over-the-counter items like pain relievers.

Hearing aid coverage is thin, with every Network Health plan paying only $75 toward a hearing aid.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield pays the most toward hearing aids among rated Wisconsin carriers. Every Anthem plan pays at least $2,000, and Anthem Medicare Advantage 3 (PPO) pays up to $3,000.

The trade-off is quality against cost. Anthem’s two PPOs hold 4.5 stars but let in-network costs reach $6,751 and $7,150 a year.

HMOs cover in-network doctors only, apart from emergencies, urgent care and out-of-area dialysis. Anthem’s two HMO-POS plans follow that model but also pay for some out-of-network care. They cap costs lower, at $4,300 and $4,900, with 3.5 stars.

Half of Anthem’s plans skip dental, so check before enrolling.

Aetna Medicare Eagle (PPO) pays more for dental work than any other Wisconsin Medicare Advantage plan, up to $3,750 a year. It charges no premium, caps in-network costs at $5,200 and is sold in all 32 of Aetna’s counties.

Aetna’s eight plans stay close on cost, with out-of-pocket limits between $5,000 and $6,350, so a weaker Aetna plan won’t leave you with a much larger bill in a bad year. All include vision and hearing benefits.

Member satisfaction is the trade-off. Aetna’s median CAHPS score is 84 out of 100, the lowest carrier median among rated carriers. Network Health’s median is 89.

Security Health Plan of Wisconsin matters most in northern and west-central Wisconsin, where few rated carriers sell. In Eau Claire and Chippewa counties, only Security and Humana have rated plans.

Compass (HMO) is the plan to price first. It has no premium, a $5,000 out-of-pocket limit and $20 specialist visits. Security’s $30 median specialist copay is the lowest among rated carriers. Legacy Rx (HMO-POS) has a lower $3,000 limit, but its $254 monthly premium makes it costlier than Compass in a worst-case year.

Dental comes only with Esteem Rx Gold (HMO-POS) and Esteem Rx Silver (HMO-POS), at $500 each, and hearing aids cost $499 to $999 each in copays.

Humana is the only Medicare Advantage carrier in all 72 Wisconsin counties. In Pierce and Crawford counties, it’s the only rated carrier, so Humana is the default choice there.

Humana’s 16 plans vary more than any other carrier’s, with out-of-pocket limits from $4,200 to $9,850, so compare individual Humana plans before choosing. Humana Total Complete (HMO) ties for Humana’s lowest limit, $4,200, and adds no premium and up to $3,000 for dental, but it’s sold in only 29 counties.

Humana USAA Honor Giveback (PPO) is sold under two contracts rated 4.5 and 4 stars, so check the star rating listed beside the exact plan on Medicare.gov. Humana’s two Regional PPOs, PPOs sold in every county, hold 3.5 stars.

Dean Advantage gives every member the same extras, whichever plan they pick. All five plans include dental, vision and a $750 hearing aid allowance, but Dean sells in only nine counties around Madison, including Dane and Rock.

Dean Advantage Complete (HMO) has Wisconsin’s lowest out-of-pocket limit, $2,750, yet its $241 monthly premium gives it a higher maximum annual cost exposure than Dean Advantage Harmony (HMO-POS).

Harmony charges no premium, caps in-network costs at $5,000 and pays up to $1,500 for dental, so it’s the Dean plan to price first.

Quartz Medicare Advantage (HMO) ties each plan to one hospital system. Gundersen plans serve five counties around La Crosse, and UW Health plans serve Columbia, Dane and Green counties, so your county decides which set you can buy and which hospitals are in your network.

Quartz charges a median $282 a day for hospital stays, the lowest among rated carriers, which helps if you expect surgery. Gundersen Quartz Med Advantage Value (HMO) has no premium, a $4,450 limit and $1,500 toward hearing aids. Its name lacks the “D (w/Rx)” tag Quartz uses for plans with drug coverage, so confirm drug coverage before enrolling.

UnitedHealthcare reaches 53 counties, second only to Humana, and 10 of its 11 plans charge no premium. Those $0 premiums come with higher costs when you use care. Its $7,150 median maximum annual cost exposure is the highest among rated carriers, and hospital stays cost a median $550 a day.

AARP Medicare Advantage from UHC WI-0011 (HMO-POS) breaks that pattern, with no premium, a $4,450 limit and up to $1,500 for dental in 16 counties.

Plan type changes quality, too. UnitedHealthcare’s three PPOs hold 3.0 stars, below the 4 stars on its HMO-POS plans.

Wellcare sells one plan, Wellcare Simple (HMO-POS), in 20 southern and eastern counties, including Milwaukee and Dane. It has no premium, a $5,800 out-of-pocket limit and dental, vision and hearing benefits, plus a FLEX card, a prepaid card for over-the-counter items.

Wellcare Simple’s 3.0-star rating is the lowest among rated carriers. Every county where Wellcare sells also has at least 11 plans from other carriers rated 4 stars or higher, so a better-rated option is always within reach.