Medicare Advantage in Louisiana
If you’re eligible for Medicare, you have two options for receiving your benefits: Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage. Enrolling in Medicare Advantage allows you to receive your benefits in one comprehensive plan, much like health plans that employers sponsor for their employees.
In Louisiana, seven insurance companies offer Medicare Advantage plans,1 and a total of 51 plans are available in the state.2 How many plans you have access to depends on where you live in Louisiana. Across the state, 38% of Medicare beneficiaries have enrolled in Medicare Advantage.3
Medicare Advantage plan benefits
Medicare Advantage plans cover everything Original Medicare (Parts A and B) covers, but many Medicare Advantage plans in Louisiana pay for a lot more. These are a few of the most common extra benefits covered by Medicare Advantage plans:4
- Prescription drug coverage
- Eye exams and glasses
- Dental coverage
- Fitness programs
- Hearing aids
- Over-the-counter allowances
If you have a chronic illness in Louisiana, you may also be able to buy a Medicare Advantage plan that covers other services that could improve your well-being, such as meal delivery, non-medical transportation, home modifications, and air conditioners.5
Medicare Advantage plan costs in Louisiana
How much you’ll pay for a Medicare Advantage plan in Louisiana depends on the part of the state you live in and the plan you choose. But the average monthly premium for a Medicare Advantage plan in Louisiana is less than $45.
Table created from data at https://www.healthmarkets.com/content/medicare-advantage-costs-index. Data as of 6/2/2020.
Medicare Advantage insurers in Louisiana
The following seven insurance companies sell Medicare Advantage plans in Louisiana:
- Aetna
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Peoples Health
- Humana
- Lasso Healthcare
- Vantage Health Plan
- Wellcare
Top-rated Medicare Advantage providers
The average Star Rating for Medicare Advantage plans in Louisiana is between 4 and 4.5. However, people in most counties are enrolled in 3- or 3.5-star plans. There are no 5-star plans in Louisiana.6
The Medicare Star Rating is used by the CMS to help beneficiaries find the right plan for them. Plans are rated on up to 45 quality and performance measurements, on a scale from 1 to 5, then averaged to form an overall star rating.7
Find the Medicare Advantage plan that fits you best
HMOs are the most common type of plan in Louisiana, with 31 options available. Residents could see up to 17 local PPO options with networks limited to cities or parishes and three regional PPOs with more extensive networks.8
Local resources in Louisiana
- Louisiana Department of Insurance: State entity responsible for regulating insurance and investigating consumer complaints.
- Senior Health Insurance Information Program: Directory of agencies that offer free Medicare help to older adults.
- Louisiana Medicaid: State-run health care for people with low income, disabilities, and other challenges.
- Louisiana Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs: Coordinates a variety of home and community resources for older adults, including advocacy services, legal assistance, community service opportunities, and health and safety news.
Sources
1. Medicare, “Find a Medicare Plan”
2. Kaiser Family Foundation, “Medicare Advantage Plans, by Plan Type”
3. Kaiser Family Foundation, “A Dozen Facts about Medicare Advantage in 2020”
4. Kaiser Family Foundation, “A Dozen Facts about Medicare Advantage in 2020”
5. Avalere, “Medicare Advantage Beneficiaries Will Again See a Jump in Supplemental Benefit Offerings in 2020”
6. CMS.gov, “2019 Star Ratings Fact Sheet”
7. CMS.gov, “2019 Star Ratings Fact Sheet”
8. Kaiser Family Foundation, “Medicare Advantage Plans, by Plan Type”
Content on this site has not been reviewed or endorsed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the United States Government, any state Medicare agency, or any private insurance agency (collectively "Medicare System Providers"). Eligibility.com is a DBA of Clear Link Technologies, LLC and is not affiliated with any Medicare System Providers.
