at a glance
- HealthPartners offers Medicare Advantage plans in six Midwestern states and currently serve 1.2 million people.
- Many of the Medicare Advantage plans offered by HealthPartners are Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans, although different types of plans may be offered in different areas.
- While HealthPartners PPO plans are often bundled with a Part D plan, HealthPartners doesn’t offer separate Part D plans.
- The cost and coverage included in a HealthPartners plan can depend on your location, and not all plans are available in every state or county.
Medicare Advantage (Part C) is one of the parts of Medicare and is offered as an alternative to original Medicare. Currently,
Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private insurance companies. HealthPartners is one such company. Below, we’ll take a look at where HealthPartners plans are offered, what kinds of plans are available, and what the estimated costs may be.
Overall, there are many types of Medicare Advantage plans available.
HealthPartners offers two types of Medicare Advantage plans. These include Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans and other plans that are only offered in specific locations. Next, we’ll look at each type of plan in more detail.
HealthPartners PPO plans
In PPO plans, there’s a network of healthcare providers that you can go to. If you choose to use a provider outside of the network, you’ll often pay more.
Many Medicare Advantage PPO plans cover prescription drugs. If you’d like to join a Medicare Advantage PPO plan and also want prescription drug coverage under Medicare, you must join a plan that includes it. You won’t be able to enroll in a separate Part D plan if you have a Medicare Advantage plan that includes drug coverage.
HealthPartners offers several types of PPO plans, depending on your location. These include:
- HealthPartners Journey PPO plans, which are offered in parts of Minnesota
- HealthPartners PPO plans offered in association with UnityPoint, which are available in parts of Iowa and Illinois
- HealthPartners Robin PPO plans, which are offered in parts of Wisconsin
Each of these types of PPO plans offer different tiers of coverage. While the higher tiers are more expensive, they may offer more coverage when compared to a basic level tier plan.
Other types of HealthPartners Medicare Advantage plans
In addition to PPO plans, HealthPartners also offers other types of Medicare Advantage plans in certain areas. These include:
- HealthPartners Freedom plans, which are offered in parts of Minnesota
- HealthPartners Sanford plans, which are available in parts of North Dakota and South Dakota
Like the PPO plans, there are different tiers in both the Freedom and Sanford plans. These different options vary in cost and the amount of coverage that each provide.
HealthPartners currently doesn’t offer a stand-alone Part D plan. However, most of their Medicare Advantage PPO plans have a Part D plan bundled in with them.
When you’re comparing HealthPartners Medicare Advantage PPO plans, be sure to input the prescription drugs that you take. This can help you better determine the cost of your prescriptions under each plan.
HealthPartners offers Medicare Advantage plans within several states in the Midwest, including:
The specific types of HealthPartners Medicare Advantage plans available can vary based on your state and county. In some counties, a HealthPartners Medicare Advantage plan may not be available at all.
All Medicare Advantage plans must offer the same amount of basic coverage that’s included in original Medicare. Because of this, all HealthPartners Medicare Advantage plans provide coverage for the following services:
- outpatient primary care and specialist visits
- diagnostic laboratory testing
- preventive care
- inpatient stays at hospitals and limited stay at skilled nursing facilities
- outpatient mental health visits
- physical and occupational therapy
- durable medical equipment, such as wheelchairs and home oxygen
- emergency and urgent care
- ground transportation in an ambulance
- telehealth services
- hearing exams
Some HealthPartners Medicare Advantage plans also offer additional benefits. These may include:
- prescription drug coverage
- annual physicals
- dental care
- hearing aids
- vision care
- fitness programs
The costs associated with any Medicare Advantage plan can vary based on your location. The table below shows examples of the costs associated with some of the different HealthPartners Medicare Advantage plans.
| HealthPartners Journey Pace PPO | HealthPartners Freedom Basic | HealthPartners UnityPoint Health Align PPO | HealthPartners Robin Birch PPO | HealthPartners Freedom Base | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Minneapolis, MN | Duluth, MN | Des Moines, IA | Green Bay, WI | Bismarck, ND |
| Total monthly premium | $0 | $33.60 | $0 | $0 | $35.70 |
| Primary care visits | $0 copay (in network) | 20% coinsurance (in network) | $0 copay (in network) | $10 copay (in network) | 20% coinsurance (in network) |
| Specialty care visits | $45 copay (in network) | 20% coinsurance (in network) | $35 copay (in network) | $40 copay (in network) | 20% coinsurance (in network) |
| Annual out-of-pocket maximum | $5,500 (in network)/ $10,000 combined (in and out of network) | none | $3,900 (in network) | $4,700 (in and out of network) | none |
You may also see Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans are offered by private companies as an alternative to original Medicare (Part A and Part B).
Medicare Advantage plans are required to include the same basic benefits as original Medicare. However, they also often include prescription drug coverage (Part D), as well as additional benefits like:
- dental
- vision
- hearing services
- fitness programs
- annual physicals
- transportation to doctor’s appointments
Medicare Advantage plans are often specific to their location. Because of this, some types of plans may not be offered in every state or county.
Additionally, the cost of Medicare Advantage plans varies. You’ll often need to pay a monthly premium, although this is typically lower than premiums for other types of Medicare. In fact, it’s estimated that
- HealthPartners is one of the many private companies that offer Medicare Advantage plans.
- HealthPartners offers Medicare Advantage plans in the Midwest, in states like Minnesota, Iowa, and the Dakotas.
- Many Medicare Advantage plans offered by HealthPartners are PPO plans. In PPO plans, costs are lower when you use in-network providers. Additionally, most HealthPartners PPO plans come bundled with prescription drug coverage (Part D).
- HealthPartners offers some other types of Medicare Advantage plans in parts of Minnesota and the Dakotas. These plans generally include fewer benefits than their PPO plans.
- Like all Medicare Advantage plans, HealthPartners Medicare Advantage plans can vary in cost and coverage based on your location.
- If you’re interested in a Medicare Advantage plan, be sure to compare multiple plans that are offered in your area before enrolling to find the one that’s best for you.