MoneyGeek researched which Medicare Advantage plans in the state received the highest ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ five-star quality rating system.

We also considered options among different plan types, looked at whether Part D drug coverage is included and examined out-of-pocket costs to find the best Medicare Advantage plans in South Dakota.

Our recommendations are based on general factors, so you’ll want to consider your needs to find the right plan for you. Ensuring that the hospital and providers you want to use are in the plan’s network is essential, for example.

MoneyGeek also analyzed the best medicare supplement plans in South Dakota for those focused on covering out-of-pocket expenses.

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2024

Best Medicare Advantage Plans in South Dakota

Best Medicare Advantage Plan in South Dakota - Overall

The best Medicare Advantage Plan in South Dakota for you will depend on your preferences and needs.

If you're looking for a PPO plan that includes drug coverage, the six core benefits, and receives a high rating from CMS, we discovered that UnitedHealthcare's AARP Medicare Advantage Choice plan is likely the best option for you.

While Health Maintenance Organization plans are generally cheaper than Preferred Provider Organization plans, the latter offers more flexibility. PPOs also tend to have more extensive provider networks, and you can see a specialist without needing a referral from your primary care provider.

Out-of-pocket limits for this plan vary, depending on your county of residence. You can expect a $5,900 in-network max-out-of-pocket limit in Butte, Custer, Lawrence, Meade and Pennington counties, and a $3,900 max-out-of-pocket limit in Brookings, Clay, Deuel, Hamlin, Lake, Lincoln, Minnehaha, Moody, Turner, Union and Yankton counties.

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MoneyGeek Top Pick
AARP

AARP Medicare Advantage Choice is the top PPO policy in South Dakota, but it may not be the best fit for you if it doesn’t meet your needs. Here’s what you get with UnitedHealthcare’s AARP Medicare Advantage Choice:

  • A monthly premium of $25
  • Includes Part D drug coverage
  • An in-network max-out-of-pocket limit of $5,900
  • An overall star rating of 4 out of 5 from CMS

AARP Medicare Advantage Choice offers all the six common additional benefits, including dental, fitness, telehealth, worldwide emergency, hearing and vision coverage. The max-out-of-pocket limit for this plan is $5,900 in some counties, and $3,900 in others.

The plan also includes Part D drug coverage, and it has a good rating from CMS. The inclusion of worldwide emergency coverage is a bonus if you love to travel.

Best HMO Medicare Advantage Plan in South Dakota

To get the best Health Maintenance Organization Medicare Advantage Plan in South Dakota, you’ll want to consider your unique needs and preferences. South Dakota has extremely limited availability. Its HMO plan is available in only five counties.

If you’re looking for an HMO plan in South Dakota, MoneyGeek found that the only available plan is Humana Gold Plus H0028-053 from Humana. You’ll want to find out if this plan is available in your location and if your providers are included in its network before making a decision to buy it.

Compared to other plan types, HMOs are generally cheaper. With an HMO, however, you will have to stay within your provider network if you want to be covered except during an emergency, and you will need a referral to see a specialist. However, if in-network providers are readily available to you, you can enjoy significantly lower monthly premiums with an HMO.

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MoneyGeek Top Pick
Humana

We found that the only HMO plan in South Carolina is the Humana Gold Plus H0028-05 plan. Your unique needs and your location will determine if it's the best option for you.

Here are the features of this plan:

  • No monthly premium
  • Includes drug coverage with an annual deductible of $150
  • A $3,850 in-network max-out-of-pocket limit
  • Overall star rating of 4.5 out of 5 from CMS

Humana Gold Plus (HMO) covers all the six common additional benefits, including telehealth, worldwide emergency, hearing, vision, dental and fitness. It also includes Part D drug coverage and is highly rated by CMS.

Best Medicare Advantage Plan in South Dakota Without Drug Coverage

There are generally more options available for you if you don’t need Part D prescription drug coverage.

UnitedHealthcare’s AARP Medicare Advantage Choice (PPO) might be the best plan even if you don’t need drug coverage. It’s a great option if you are looking for a Medicare Advantage Plan in South Dakota in which drug coverage is optional but which includes all six core benefits and is highly rated by CMS.

You’ll want to do your homework before making a final decision. The max-out-of-pocket limit for this plan is $5,900 in some counties, and $3,900 in others.

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MoneyGeek Top Pick
AARP

AARP Medicare Advantage Choice (PPO) is a top pick if you’re looking for a Medicare Advantage Plan with or without drug coverage in South Dakota. The plan does include drug coverage.

The following features are part of the AARP Medicare Advantage Choice (PPO) plan:

  • A monthly premium of $25
  • A $5,900 In-network max-out-of-pocket limit
  • A 4 out of 5 stars rating from CMS

The AARP Medicare Advantage Choice (PPO) plan covers the six common additional benefits including vision, hearing, worldwide emergency, dental, fitness and telehealth. It also receives a high CMS rating. The max-out-of-pocket limit for this plan is $5,900 in some counties, and $3,900 in others.

Best Medicare Advantage Plan in South Dakota for Low Max Out-of-Pocket Costs

You may still need to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket even whether your Medicare Advantage plan includes low or no premiums.

We determined that the AARP Medicare Advantage Choice (PPO) plan, offered by UnitedHealthcare, is the best plan if you want a Medicare Advantage Plan in South Dakota that has a low in-network max-out-of-pocket limit, includes drug coverage and the six core benefits and is highly rated by the CMS.

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MoneyGeek Top Pick
AARP

AARP Medicare Advantage Choice (PPO) is the best Medicare Advantage plan in South Dakota if you want a plan that has low out-of-pocket costs. MoneyGeek determined this by filtering out the plans with high max-out-of-pocket limits.

AARP Medicare Advantage Choice (PPO) includes the following:

  • No monthly premium
  • An in-network max-out-of-pocket limit of $3,900
  • An overall star rating of 4 out of 5 from CMS

If you're paying a lot for healthcare, having a lower max-out-of-pocket limit could protect your finances. After you've hit your max-out-of-pocket limit of $3,900 with this plan, you won't have to pay for in-network coverage for the rest of the plan year. The max-out-of-pocket limit for this plan is $5,900 in some counties, and $3,900 in others.

A PPO plan will include a separate max-out-of-pocket limit for out-of-network coverage, which is $10,000 for AARP Medicare Advantage Choice (PPO).

Medicare Advantage Plan in South Dakota - Statistics

South Dakota has around eight organizations that offer Medicare Advantage plans. We provide the following Medicare Advantage statistics to help you figure out the state's common and rare plan components.

1

South Dakota Medicare Advantage Plans are a mix of PPO/MSA/PFFS/HMO with 52% offering drug coverage overall

In South Dakota, 54.8% of Medicare Advantage Plans are Cost plans, 31.4% are Preferred Provider Organization, 12.6% are Medical Savings Account. Just 0.8% are Private Fee-For-Service plans and 0.5% are Health Maintenance Organization plans. Overall, 52% of plans in South Dakota offer drug coverage.

2

33% of Medicare Advantage Plans in South Dakota have a $0 premium

In South Dakota, 33% of Medicare Advantage plans have no premium and for those that do, the average cost of premiums is $97.70.

3

Hearing, Vision and Fitness benefits are common in South Dakota, with most plans offering them

In South Dakota, the most common benefits included in Medicare Advantage plans are hearing, vision and fitness. All plans include a hearing benefit, while 85% of plans offer vision and fitness coverage. Transportation, emergency response devices, worldwide emergency coverage and over-the-counter drugs are the rarest benefits included.

Methodology

MoneyGeek collected data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 2022 MA Landscape Source Files released in October 2021. Plans in South Dakota were filtered down to those that offer drug coverage (unless otherwise noted), offer six of the most common Medicare Advantage coverage benefits and are available to at least 50% of the population of South Dakota based on county availability.

About Mark Fitzpatrick


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Mark Fitzpatrick has analyzed the property and casualty insurance market for over five years, conducting original research and creating personalized content for every kind of buyer. Currently, he leads P&C insurance content production at MoneyGeek. Fitzpatrick has been quoted in several insurance-related publications, including CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.

Fitzpatrick earned a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He is passionate about using his knowledge of economics and insurance to bring transparency around financial topics and help others feel confident in their money moves.