Tuesday, April 22nd
2025 Medicare Supplement Plan Reviews
Aetna
- Quoted prices from $122.62 - $142.92 / month + annual deductible of $198
- Sells its own insurance
- Guaranteed rates for 12 months
- Customer service available 7 days a week
- "A+” rating from the BBB
Aetna has an impressive legacy, with over 160 years of experience in the insurance industry. As a prominent figure during our exploration of Medicare Supplement Plans, One stand-out feature of Aetna's offerings is next-day coverage initiation for Plan G. While this possibility might exist with other providers, Aetna explicitly presented it during our quote process. However, the coverage options are a little more scarce at Aetna: you can only work with this company if you live in one of the 21 states covered through this provider.
Listed plans lack some details
Aetna's online quote feature stands out for providing pricing information on plans available in your area. Unlike several broker sites scrutinized in our evaluation, Aetna is transparent about the potential premiums for your Medicare Supplement Plan. However, navigating the interface can be a bit clunky, as the site lacks detailed explanations about the plans and associated riders. But, it is helpful to use the online quoting tool as a starting point. On the other hand, a call will be necessary if you want to get more information. They also had a rate calculator which wasn't working at the time of this review.
No online form, just zip code and go
Transitioning to the phone quoting process significantly improves the experience. During the call, you'll be asked for essential information such as your name, zip code, date of birth, and the status of your Part A and B. To get started with a basic quote, though, all you need to do is put in your zip code. For our "example” customer, a 65-year-old woman in Wisconsin, our zip code search turned up three plans to choose from. There isn't a formal online form here beyond just putting in some basics, which makes the process pretty quick.
Detailed quote but very slow process
The process of getting a quote from Aetna was detailed, helpful, and friendly. Aetna's customer representatives spent a lot of time explaining prescription drug coverage, which was kind, but not extremely helpful for what we were looking for. And, these plans are not age-restricted, offering flexibility in premium costs based on your age, and can be initiated at any time. However, the initial call came with a lengthy process of sitting on hold, which was extremely frustrating. We were informed that there was a "large call volume” on a standard workday in the middle of the afternoon, which seemed unlikely, and caused us to wait on hold for over 10 minutes.
Competitive rates overall
Pricing for our example customer, a 65-year-old WI woman who never smoked, looking for Medicare Supplement Plan-Plan G (called a Base plan in Wisconsin), showed a competitive premium from Aetna. The Base Plan is lower than many of the companies in this review at $122.62 with no riders. With full riders, the price is $142.92. One benefit is that they can make the coverage effective the next day if they need to for Aetna, which can help you get coverage ASAP.
Customer service available 7 days a week
One thing we loved about Aetna is that this broker offers help 7 days a week. So, regardless of if you have questions on a weekend or after the end of your workday, you can get a hold of someone at Aetna and get your questions answered ASAP. As long as you call within their business hours of 8am to 8pm, you can count on help from Aetna.
Solid BBB score but some complaints
Aetna carries an "A+" rating from the Better Business Bureau, though it does lack accreditation. But there are numerous complaints on the BBB listing, which weren't present on some of Aetna's competitors. Given the vastness of Aetna as a company, offering a wide range of insurance products, this is not entirely surprising, but it still knocks Aetna down in the ratings a bit. Many complaints seem related to issues with insurance brokers rather than Aetna directly. Beyond the BBB, Aetna maintains a solid reputation among insurance agents, contributing to the overall reassurance about their reliability.
Competitive prices, but you'll need to do extra research
Ultimately, the decision to purchase your Medicare Supplement Plan directly from Aetna or through a broker offering other services rests with you. But, you can trust Aetna to provide competitive premiums and stand as a reliable provider of Medigap plans. With impressive customer service hours and helpful representatives, Aetna emerges as a strong choice in your quest for comprehensive and affordable Medicare Supplement coverage. However, make sure you dig into extra questions about deductibles and extra details the company is less transparent about to make sure you get the entire picture.
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The 10 Best Medicare Supplement Plans
Which Medicare Supplement Plan is the Best?
If you or a family member is approaching the age of 65, or if you are soon eligible for Medicare Parts A and B due to other qualifying reasons, now is the perfect time to start looking at additional coverage options for your Medicare. While Medicare insurance covers many of your medical expenses, it doesn't cover everything. To help pick up the extra slack, you can dive into a Medicare Supplement plan, often referred to as "Medigap”.
These plans work to address the gap between the 80% of medical concerns covered by Medicare and the remaining 20% that isn't covered. This way, you can reduce your out-of-pocket medical expenses and feel safer and more comfortable with your coverage.
Medicare Supplement Plan FAQ
Continued from above...
The Medicare Supplement Plans are assigned letter names to differentiate them, which can sometimes lead to confusion. With an ever-evolving landscape of plans and their coverage, keeping up with changes like swapping Plan F (once a popular choice but was discontinued for new enrollees after January 1, 2020) with its successor, Plan G, (which offers similar benefits but introduced an annual deductible) can be extremely confusing. Paying attention to the changes in the market will help you make a more informed decision about your healthcare coverage and help you recognize what coverage you need and what you don't.
One thing to keep in mind as you plan for your Medicare journey is the "guaranteed issue period”. This is a period that spans the six months following your 65th birthday. During this period, you can get a Medicare Supplement Plan without any prerequisites beyond paying your premiums.
For example, this means that while health conditions won't disqualify you, being a smoker might result in higher premiums. However, once this six-month grace period concludes, insurers may request more detailed health information, such as your history of diabetes or heart conditions that may potentially impact your premiums and change what plans are available to you.
When it comes to purchasing a Medicare Supplement Plan, you have two primary options: buying directly from an insurance company or getting your plan through the services of a broker. Going with an insurance company means you might be able to continue using a company you already trust, which may be appealing due to lower rates or trustworthy insurance adjusters. On the other hand, if you choose to go with a broker, the company gives you access to a range of insurance providers, so you can compare rates and plans side by side, including the rates offered by your preferred insurance company.
Regardless of whether you choose to work with a broker or purchase directly from an insurance company, the most important thing about choosing a Medicare Supplement Plan is that you need to do your research. While you can initially explore various providers' websites, keep in mind that Medicare rules dictate plans must be sold either in person or over the phone, so you should be prepared to talk with a representative to finalize your Medicare Supplement Plan.
If you're not sure where to start with your Medicare Supplement Plan, we've put together a few things that might help you narrow down your options:
- Cost. When it comes to the cost of Medicare Supplement Plans, your health and your pre-existing conditions may change the costs depending on which company you choose. To manage costs effectively, you'll want to compare companies to find the most budget-friendly options. However, keep in mind rates can also change over time.
- Coverage. There are tons of different plans and different names to choose from. As you look through Medicare Supplement Plans, make sure that you spend your time researching providers that offer coverage in your state. Given the time-consuming nature of this process, you may not want to have a phone call with a company that turns out not to have competitive plans or prices in your state.
- Reputation. To get a smooth and stress-free experience, it is recommended to select a reputable company. Whether you go through an insurance company directly or a broker, checking reviews and the Better Business Bureau ratings can provide valuable insights into the company's track record so you can pick one that really cares about its clients.
To help you stress less about your Medicare plans, Top Consumer Reviews has reviewed and ranked the best Medicare Supplement Plans available today. This way, you can save both time and money in your search. All you need to worry about is finding the best provider using our handy list and detailed reviews and getting back to enjoying your golden years stress-free!
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