bestMedicare AdvantageVermontMoneyGeek used the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) five-star quality rating system to determine which plans are widely available in Vermont with high ratings. We ranked the best plans based on plan type, drug coverage and low maximum-out-of-pocket (MOOP) limits that help save money.
Keep in mind that MoneyGeek’s assessments are generalizations. The best way to find a plan that fits your needs is by comparing plans and making sure hospitals and providers in your area are considered in-network.
MoneyGeek also analyzed the best medicare supplement plans in Vermont for those focused on covering out-of-pocket expenses.
bestMedicare AdvantageVermontBest Medicare Advantage Plans in Vermont
Best plan overall - UnitedHealthcare
Best HMO plan - AARP
Best plan for low out-of-pocket costs - MVP Health Care
Best Medicare Advantage Plan in Vermont - Overall
Your needs determine the best Medicare Advantage plan for you. In Vermont, MoneyGeek found UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage Assure by UnitedHealthcare is the best choice if you want a preferred provider organization (PPO) plan with drug coverage, six common core benefits and a high star rating from the CMS.
A PPO is a very flexible health insurance plan. With it, you get access to a broader network of doctors, hospitals and treatment centers, and specialist visits do not require a referral. However, such benefits often come at a premium price, as PPO plans are generally more expensive.
UnitedHealthcare
MoneyGeek’s research reveals UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage Assure is the top option in Vermont for a PPO. With this plan, you can expect:
- Monthly premium of around $25.40
- Basic drug coverage with a deductible of $480
- In-network annual max-out-of-pocket limit of $7,550
- CMS overall star rating of 4 out of 5
You get the most common benefits with UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage Assure, such as vision, dental, hearing, fitness, worldwide emergency and telehealth. Additional benefits include transportation, over-the-counter drugs and emergency response device. The worldwide emergency benefit makes it an excellent choice for travelers. It also has a high rating from the CMS and offers Part D drug coverage.
Still, keep in mind that the best Medicare Advantage plan in Vermont for you depends on your medical needs and financial situation.
Best HMO Medicare Advantage Plan in Vermont
Various personal circumstances ultimately decide the best Vermont health maintenance organization (HMO) Medicare Advantage plan for you.
In Vermont, if you’re looking for an HMO plan with drug coverage, the six core benefits and a high star rating from the CMS, MoneyGeek recommends UnitedHealthcare’s AARP Medicare Advantage Plan 3 as the best choice.
An HMO is the most common and often cheapest type of health insurance plan. However, to guarantee coverage, you must stay within your provider’s network, except in an emergency. Also, to see a specialist, you need a referral.
Despite that, the lower premium of an HMO makes it a good choice if in-network providers are easily accessible to you.
AARP
MoneyGeek found that AARP Medicare Advantage Plan 3 could be the best option for a Medicare Advantage HMO in Vermont, but your needs ultimately determine which HMO plan is the best. AARP Medicare Advantage Plan 3 features:
- No monthly premium
- Enhanced drug coverage with no deductible
- In-network max-out-of-pocket limit of $6,700 annually
- CMS overall star rating of 4 out of 5
AARP Medicare Advantage Plan 3 provides vision, dental, hearing, fitness, worldwide emergency and telehealth benefits, plus an over-the-counter drugs benefit. It includes Part D drug coverage and is highly rated by the CMS.
Best Medicare Advantage Plan in Vermont Without Drug Coverage
You have more health insurance options in Vermont if you don’t need Part D drug coverage.
According to MoneyGeek’s research, AARP Medicare Advantage Plan 3 from UnitedHealthcare is the best Medicare Advantage plan in Vermont if you’re looking for the six core benefits and a high star rating from the CMS but don’t care about whether it includes drug coverage.
AARP
If you don’t need drug coverage, MoneyGeek found AARP Medicare Advantage Plan 3 may be the best option in Vermont. It has the following features:
- No monthly premium
- In-network max-out-of-pocket limit of $6,700 per year
- CMS overall star rating of 4 out of 5
AARP Medicare Advantage Plan 3 has Part D drug coverage after all, but it’s still the best whether that’s important to you or not. It’s also highly rated by CMS and has the six common benefits of vision, dental, hearing, fitness, worldwide emergency and telehealth. It also includes an over-the-counter drugs benefit.
Best Medicare Advantage Plan in Vermont for Low Max Out-of-Pocket Costs
Several Medicare Advantage plans offer a low or no premium. But, you may end up paying thousands of dollars from out-of-pocket costs because of the out-of-pocket limit per year plans include. You can avoid this by finding a plan with a low maximum-out-of-pocket (MOOP) limit.
MoneyGeek found UVM Health Advantage Select from MVP Health Care is the best choice if you want a Medicare Advantage plan in Vermont with a low in-network MOOP limit, drug coverage, six core benefits and a high star rating from the CMS.
MVP Health Care
In Vermont, UVM Health Advantage Select is the best for a Medicare Advantage plan without considering the availability of drug coverage. MoneyGeek removed plans with high MOOP limits in this analysis. With UVM Health Advantage Select, you get:
- Monthly premium of $0
- In-network annual MOOP limit of $6,700
- A CMS overall star rating of 4.5 out of 5
A plan with a low annual MOOP limit can protect you from paying a great deal if you have expensive medical needs in a given year. Once you reach your MOOP limit of $6,700, the insurance company pays the remainder of your in-network medical services costs for the year. Its MOOP for out-of-network coverage is also $6,700.
Medicare Advantage Plan in Vermont - Statistics
There are five healthcare organizations in Vermont offering Medicare Advantage plans. MoneyGeek gathered relevant statistics on Medicare Advantage in Vermont to help you determine whether plan components are rare or common.
1
Vermont Medicare Advantage plans are a mix of HMO, MSA and PPO, with 85.1% offering drug coverage
Medicare Advantage plans in Vermont are 64.7% preferred provider organization (PPO) plans, health maintenance organization (HMO) plans account for 30.7%, and medical savings account (MSA) is 4.5%. In Vermont, 85.1% of the plans have drug coverage.
2
50% of Medicare Advantage plans in Vermont have a $0 premium
In Vermont, 50% of Medicare Advantage plans in the market have a $0 premium. The plans that require a premium payment have an average cost of $55.90 per month.
3
Vision, dental and hearing benefits are common in Vermont, with most plans offering them
The most common benefits from Medicare Advantage plans in Vermont are vision, dental and hearing, with all plans in the market providing them. Transportation, over-the-counter drugs and emergency response device are the rarest benefits.
Methodology
MoneyGeek collected data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 2022 MA Landscape Source Files released in October 2021. Plans in Vermont 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 Vermont based on county availability.
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