Aetna vs. Humana
- Aetna and Humana are both major providers of Medicare Advantage insurance plans. Our review outlines how these companies compare across a variety of metrics, such as Medicare plan quality, availability, costs and more.
Aetna and Humana are two of the nation’s leading providers of Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C) plans, Medicare Part D prescription drug plans and Medicare Supplement Insurance plans (also called Medigap).
In this review, we explore Aetna vs. Humana Medicare plans.
Humana
Aetna and Humana each sell HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) and PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) Medicare plans, among other types of plans, which are the two most common types of Medicare Advantage plans.
Medicare Advantage plans include Medicare Part A and Part B health benefits, and some plans can include additional coverage for things like dental, vision, hearing or prescription drugs.
Aetna and Humana both also offer Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans (SNP), which include benefits that are tailored to the specific needs of someone with a particular health condition or who is eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.
Both companies sell Medicare Advantage plans nationwide. But Humana has the largest Medicare Advantage footprint of any other insurance company, with plans available in 90% of all counties in the U.S.
18% of all Medicare Advantage beneficiaries were members of a Humana Medicare plan in 2024. Aetna (CVS Health) plan members accounted for 12% of all Medicare Advantage enrollees in the same year.
Aetna
Comparing costs of Medicare Advantage plans is not always an apples-to-apples comparison because of the various benefits that may be included in one plan but not the other. Plan costs can also vary based on your ZIP code and the type of plan you enroll in.
Aetna vs. Humana: Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans
Medicare Part D plans provide coverage for prescription medications. Both Aetna and Humana sell Part D plans nationwide, and both companies have a lineup of three distinct plans to allow shoppers the choice of low, medium and high premiums and deductibles.
Both companies partner with major pharmacy chains like Walmart, Walgreens or CVS.
Compare 2024 Aetna vs. Humana Part D plan costs below, based on Kaiser Family Foundation analysis data provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Please keep in mind that the plans that are available near you and their costs may vary and may not match exactly what you see below. Also note that Aetna offers Part D plans in partnership with SilverScript.
| Plan Name | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|
| SilverScript SmartSaver | $11 |
| SilverScript Choice | $49 |
| SilverScript Plus | $103 |
| Humana Walmart Value Rx | $43 |
| Humana Basic Rx | $51 |
| Humana Premier Rx | $108 |
Aetna vs. Humana: Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans
Medicare Supplement Insurance, or Medigap, helps cover deductibles, copayments, coinsurance and other out-of-pocket expenses faced by Original Medicare beneficiaries. There are 10 types of standardized Medigap plans that may be available in most states.
The chart below shows which plans are available through each carrier. Again, please note that each of the following types of Medigap plans may or may not be available from either career in the ZIP code where you live. It’s helpful to get an online quote for Medigap plans or to call and speak with a licensed insurance agent who can help you compare plans.
| Medigap Plan | Offered by Aetna | Offered by Humana |
|---|---|---|
| Plan A | ✓ | ✓ |
| Plan B | ✓ | ✓ |
| Plan C* | ✓ | ✓ |
| Plan D | ✓ | |
| Plan F* | ✓ | ✓ |
| Plan G | ✓ | ✓ |
| Plan K | ✓ | |
| Plan L | ✓ | |
| Plan M | ||
| Plan N | ✓ | ✓ |
*Plan F and Plan C are not available to new Medicare beneficiaries who first became eligible for Medicare after January 1, 2020. If you became eligible for Medicare before that date, you may be allowed to apply for either plan if they're available where you live. If you already have Plan F or Plan C, you may keep your plan.
You can see the list of benefits covered by each plan and learn more about how they can help you save money by reviewing the Medicare Supplement plans comparison chart.
Aetna vs. Humana: Ratings
Every year, Medicare evaluates plans on a 5-star rating system.
Humana recently earned competitive Medicare Star Ratings, with 94% of the company’s Medicare Advantage members enrolled in a plan rated four stars or higher in 2024.
88% of Aetna Medicare Advantage members are part of a plan rated 4 stars or higher for 2025.
Aetna vs. Humana Summary
Humana holds a larger share of the Medicare Advantage market in terms of both enrollment rates and plan availability, while also offering a more diverse selection of special needs plans. Humana also offers one more type of Medigap plan than Aetna does.
Both companies offer similar Medicare Part D options, although Aetna’s pricing is a bit more affordable.
Helpadvisor.com is owned and operated by Tranzact, the parent company of TZ Insurance Solutions LLC, which is the owner/operator of Medicareadvantage.com and other websites mentioned on HelpAdvisor and which has a financial relationship with some of the carriers listed on HelpAdvisor. This may influence which products we write about, but HelpAdvisor maintains editorial independence, and our opinions and evaluations are our own.
