Wellcare vs Aetna vs Humana: Medicare Advantage Compared

Side by side

Sources: company releases, KFF, and Becker’s Payer Issues, October 2026. Availability varies by county; confirm on Medicare.gov.

Wellcare in 2027

Wellcare is Centene’s Medicare brand. In its October 1, 2026 announcement, Wellcare said it serves nearly 10 million standalone drug plan members in all 50 states, that dual-eligible members are about 40% of its Medicare Advantage membership, and that D-SNPs make up nearly half of its 2027 Medicare Advantage offerings. Its Spendables card can be used for over-the-counter items and dental, vision, and hearing expenses in plans that offer it.

HFMA counts 3 of 46 Centene contracts at 4 stars or higher for 2027, and Fierce Healthcare reports, citing a Stephens analysis, that about 9% of its Medicare Advantage members are in 4-star or higher plans, down from 18%. KFF counts Centene exiting 359 counties and entering 15 for 2027.

Aetna in 2027

Aetna says its 2027 Medicare Advantage plans are offered in 41 states and DC, with HMO, PPO, D-SNP, and C-SNP options; its C-SNPs expand to 25 states, and every county where it offers Medicare Advantage has at least one $0-premium plan. Its SilverScript Choice drug plan continues.

Aetna reports over 69% of its Medicare Advantage members are in 4-star or higher plans for 2027, down from 81% for 2026 according to Fierce Healthcare. HFMA counts 11 of 39 Aetna contracts at 4 stars or higher. KFF counts 186 county exits and 63 entries for Aetna; Becker’s reports Aetna is leaving Maryland and New Hampshire.

Humana in 2027

Humana says its 2027 HMO, PPO, private fee-for-service, Special Needs, and drug plans are offered in about 2,600 counties in 45 states and DC, with C-SNPs entering Pennsylvania, Utah, and Wisconsin. Becker’s reports Humana’s 2027 exits affect about 600,000 members, mostly in plans rated 3.5 stars or lower, and that Humana is leaving Minnesota.

Humana reports 95% of its Medicare Advantage members are in plans rated 4 stars or higher for 2027, up from 20% for 2026, with six contracts at 4.5 stars and twelve at 4 stars, and its national drug plan (S5884) at 4.5 stars. KFF counts 62 county exits and 4 entries for Humana.

2027 Star Ratings by insurer

Source: HFMA analysis of CMS data, October 2026. Unweighted contract counts. This is a comparison, not a ranking of plans; a company’s share says nothing about the specific plan in your county.

How to read 2027 Star Ratings

CMS rates each Medicare Advantage contract from 1 to 5 stars, and the rating covers every plan under that contract. The 2027 ratings, released October 8, 2026, used up to 43 measures for plans with drug coverage, covering areas such as preventive care, chronic condition management, member experience, complaints, and drug safety.

Source: CMS 2027 Star Ratings fact sheet, October 8, 2026. A contract’s rating can differ from the company’s average, so check the specific plan on Medicare.gov.

Litigation also affects comparisons. A federal court ruled in May 2026 that CMS improperly used some measures, CMS recalculated 2026 ratings in June, and Alignment Health has sued over its 2027 rating, according to Healthcare Dive; SCAN and Alignment had sued over 2026 ratings. Ratings are one factor; a plan’s network, drug list, and costs usually matter more for your situation.

Insurers changing their footprint for 2027

Source: KFF analysis of CMS data, October 9, 2026. Counts exclude Special Needs Plans and employer plans.

Becker’s Payer Issues, a trade publication, lists insurers fully leaving Medicare Advantage for 2027, including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana, Braven Health in New Jersey, Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield in Iowa and South Dakota, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Dakota, Christus Health Plan in Texas and New Mexico, ConnectiCare, WellSense, and Memorial Hermann Health Plan in Texas. It also reports Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas and of Oklahoma ending their Blue-branded Medicare Advantage plans while HCSC keeps HealthSpring plans in some counties. If your plan is leaving, you have a Special Enrollment Period and may have Medigap guaranteed issue rights.

Types of Medicare Advantage plans

Source: Medicare.gov. Medicare Advantage plans often require prior authorization for some services.

Out-of-pocket limits

Medicare Advantage plans must cap in-network out-of-pocket costs for Part A and B services. For 2026, KFF reports the federal limit is $9,250 in network and $13,900 combined for in- and out-of-network services in PPOs, and that the average plan’s in-network limit is about $5,421. Original Medicare has no out-of-pocket cap, which is one reason people pair it with Medigap.

When you can enroll or switch

Source: Medicare.gov, October 2026.

Special Needs Plans

Special Needs Plans are Medicare Advantage plans for specific groups, and all must include Part D drug coverage. Medicare.gov describes three types: Dual Eligible SNPs (D-SNPs) for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid; Chronic Condition SNPs (C-SNPs) for people with specific severe or chronic conditions, sometimes limited to one condition or a group of related conditions; and Institutional SNPs (I-SNPs) for people who live in, or need the level of care of, an institution such as a nursing home. You must have Parts A and B and live in the plan’s service area.

KFF counts about 8.2 million SNP enrollees in 2026, 23% of Medicare Advantage enrollment: D-SNPs make up 78% of SNP enrollment, C-SNPs about 1.7 million people after 45% growth from 2025, and I-SNPs about 124,000.

How agents help, and the rules they follow

An independent agent appointed with several insurers can compare Medicare Advantage, Medigap, and Part D options available in your area, check your doctors and prescriptions against plan networks and drug lists, and help again each fall during Open Enrollment. Agents are paid by the insurers, so you don’t pay a fee for their help. Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, and your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) also give free, unbiased help; the national SHIP line is 877-839-2675.

Federal rules shape how agents work. Third-party marketing organizations that represent more than one Medicare Advantage organization must give a disclaimer explaining that they don’t offer every plan in your area. Agents must agree with you on a Scope of Appointment, the products you want to discuss, before a sales appointment; a CMS rule effective June 1, 2026 removed the old 48-hour waiting period. And under a 2024 CMS rule, your personal information can be shared with another marketing organization only with your prior express written consent for each recipient.

Avoiding Medicare scams

Medicare.gov says Medicare will never call you to sell you anything or visit you at your home, and that it calls for personal information only in limited cases, such as returning your call. Don’t join a plan over the phone unless you called and asked for help, and don’t give your Medicare or Social Security number to anyone who contacts you unexpectedly. The FTC adds that Medicare sends new cards automatically and for free.

Report suspected fraud to 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or the HHS Office of Inspector General at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477). Medicare Advantage and Part D members can also call the I-MEDIC at 1-877-772-3379.

Checking a plan and insurer

• Networks. Confirm your doctors and hospitals are in the plan’s network.
• Drugs. Check each prescription on the plan’s formulary and its tier.
• Costs. Compare premiums, deductibles, copays, and the out-of-pocket maximum.
• Agent license. Confirm the agent is licensed in your state through your state insurance department.
• Star Ratings. Review the plan’s rating in Medicare.gov’s plan compare tool.

What an independent agency does

An independent insurance agency is licensed to sell policies from several insurance companies. Instead of quoting one company's products, an independent agent can compare options from the insurers the agency represents, explain the differences in coverage, and help you re-shop at renewal. The insurance company, not the agent, makes underwriting and claim decisions.

Blake Insurance Group is an independent agency. We work with clients by phone, email, and online in states where we are licensed, and we will tell you which insurers we can quote for your situation.

How we work

Blake Insurance Group serves clients by phone, email, and online in states where we are licensed. The insurers and plans we can offer depend on our appointments and your location; a company named on this page may not be available through us.

How to verify an insurer or agency

Before buying through any website or app, confirm who is selling you the policy and who will issue it:

1. Find the licensed agency or insurer named in the site's footer, terms, or license page.
2. Look up the agency or producer on your state insurance department's license search, or through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR).
3. Look up the insurer on your state insurance department's company search to confirm it is authorized in your state.
4. Save the insurer's name and policy number once issued, since that is who handles claims.

A legitimate service will make this information easy to find. Be cautious if you cannot identify the licensed entity.

Sources

We checked the facts on this page against the sources below in October 2026. Plans, prices, and rules change, so confirm current terms before you buy.

• CMS: Medicare Advantage and Part D expected to remain stable in 2027 (Sep. 28, 2026)
• KFF: The average Medicare beneficiary has 28 MA-PD plan options for 2027 (Oct. 2026)
• KFF: Medicare Advantage plan availability for 2027 (Oct. 2026)
• CMS: 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Star Ratings (Oct. 2026)
• Medicare.gov: Compare Medicare Advantage plan types
• KFF: Medicare Advantage out-of-pocket limits
• Medicare.gov: Joining a health or drug plan
• Medicare.gov: Special Enrollment Periods
• CMS: 2026 Medicare Parts A & B premiums and deductibles (Nov. 2025)
• Medicare.gov: What Original Medicare doesn't cover
• 42 CFR 422.2267: Required materials and content (TPMO disclaimer)
• 42 CFR 423.2264: Beneficiary contact and Scope of Appointment
• ACL: State Health Insurance Assistance Program (Mar. 2026)
• Medicare.gov: Medicare fraud
• CMS: Contract Year 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D final rule (Apr. 2026)
• Medicare.gov: Your Medicare in 2027: What's new and changing (Sep. 2026)
• PR Newswire via Finviz: Wellcare unveils 2027 Medicare offerings (Oct. 1, 2026)
• HFMA: 2027 Medicare Advantage Star Ratings (Oct. 2026)
• Fierce Healthcare: Winners and losers in 2027 MA Star Ratings (Oct. 9, 2026)
• CVS Health: Aetna 2027 Medicare plans (Oct. 3, 2026)
• CVS Health: Aetna 2027 Star Ratings (Oct. 8, 2026)
• Humana 2027 Medicare Advantage plans (via InsuranceNewsNet, Oct. 1, 2026)
• Humana: 2027 CMS Star Ratings announcement (Business Wire, Oct. 9, 2026)
• Becker's Payer Issues: Humana to exit MA plans covering 600,000 members in 2027 (Jul. 29, 2026)

What to have ready for a Medicare review

These details help an agent quote accurately.

1. Medicare card. Your Medicare number and Part A and B start dates.
2. Doctors. Names of doctors and hospitals you want to keep.
3. Prescriptions. Drug names, doses, and pharmacies.
4. Current coverage. Any plan, employer, or Medicaid coverage you have.
5. ZIP code. Plans differ by county.

Wellcare vs Aetna vs Humana FAQs

Related guides

• Medicare Advantage agents
• Medicare Supplement insurance
• Medicare Open Enrollment
• Choosing an independent Medicare agent
• Medicare Extra Help

Partner quote options

Your next step

Request a review, and a licensed agent will compare Medicare plans available to us in your area. You can also use Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to see all options.