There are many types of insurance plans in the United States that people use to pay for medical care for both their physical and mental health needs. Among those are Advantage Plans. Advantage Plans are Medicare insurance plans offered by private insurance companies to cover hospital and medical insurance. They also usually cover prescription drugs. Finding the right Advantage Plan for your needs can take some careful research. Fortunately, you have plenty of options.
Does United Healthcare Offer a Medicare Advantage Plan?
Yes. United Healthcare offers a Medicare Advantage Plan. In fact, United Healthcare bills itself as the #1 Medicare Advantage provider in the country. Its Advantage Plan is customizable to fit your specific insurance needs and offers many potential benefits. These include:
- $0 copays
- Prescription drug coverage at an array of national and local pharmacy chains
- Dental, hearing and vision care coverage, which isn’t usually available through many insurance plans
- Credits to purchase over-the-counter products
How Does the AARP United Advantage Plan Work?
The AARP — or American Association of Retired Persons — is an organization that advocates for the political, social and economic needs of older adults in America. It has over 40 million members and offers an array of products and services for older adults that go beyond political lobbying and discounts at stores.
Among those offerings is a partnership with United Healthcare to offer the AARP United Advantage Plan. This specific plan is provided as a benefit that comes from the AARP. However, membership with the AARP is not required to take advantage of this benefit. As such, it may provide a discount for adults interested in enrolling in a Medicare Advantage Plan, thus enabling them to either keep more money or afford more features with their plan.
The AARP notes that its joint Medicare Advantage plans offer some exclusive benefits. You’ll want to take your financial situation and health into account to determine if these benefits make it worth enrolling in a specific plan.
How Much Does the United Healthcare Advantage Plan Cost?
Unfortunately, it’s tough to determine an answer to this question, as it depends on various factors, including where you live, who enrolls in your plan and the specifics of the plan you register for. The standard costs of a plan involve the monthly premium, which can be as low as $0 a month. However, there are other costs to consider, including:
- Your annual deductible, which is the amount you have to pay out of pocket every year before your plan kicks in and begins coverage
- Your copayment (sometimes referred to as a copay), which is how much you must pay for a service
- Coinsurance, which is the percentage of a service that you may be expected to pay for yourself
Does United Healthcare’s Advantage Plan Cover Mental Health?
The specifics of the coverage depend on the provisions of the plan you choose. However, the answer is almost always yes. The challenge is whether or not that mental health coverage will be affordable, what limits may be on specific services and what you’ll ultimately be expected to pay. High-deductible plans, high levels of coinsurance and high copays can limit detailed plans’ affordability. It can thus present a real barrier to access for Advantage clients. As such, you’ll need to check the specifics of every plan before determining what sort of mental health coverage — and which plan — meets your needs.
