Kaiser Permanente vs. UnitedHealthcare
- Our review of Kaiser Permanente vs. UnitedHealthcare highlights the differences in each insurance company's Medicare plans, including costs, coverage, benefits and more.
Kaiser Permanente and UnitedHealthcare each sell a variety of Medicare plans. But no two insurance companies are quite the same, so in this review, we break down the differences between Kaiser vs. UnitedHealthcare.
Kaiser Permanente
Every year, Medicare evaluates plans on a 5-star rating system. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) rates all Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D carriers based on factors such as plan performance, customer service and patient outcomes.
For 2025, all Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C) plans are rated 4 stars or higher by Medicare.
UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare sells Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare Part D prescription drug plans and Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) plans in many parts of the U.S.
UnitedHealthcare owns the largest share of the market for Medicare Advantage plans. In fact, 29% of all Medicare Advantage plan beneficiaries were enrolled in a UnitedHealthcare Medicare plan in 2024.
The Kaiser Permanente footprint is far smaller than UnitedHealthcare. Kaiser sells Medicare Advantage in just eight states and the District of Columbia (CA, CO, GA, HI, MD, OR, VA and WA) while representing just 6% of all Medicare Advantage plan enrollment.
Medicare Plan Selections for Kaiser vs. UnitedHealthcare
Kaiser Permanente sells HMO (Health Maintenance Organization), PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) and POS (Point-Of-Service) Medicare Advantage plans, though each type of plan isn't available in all locations.
HMO plans are a form of managed care in which a primary care physician coordinates your care through a team of participating health care providers. These plans emphasize quality of care and results over freedom and flexibility, as HMO members are restricted to using only the plan’s network of participating providers for care.
UnitedHealthcare offers the same types of Medicare Advantage plans while also offering PFFS (Private Fee-For-Service) and Special Needs Plans. Special Needs Plans are built to the needs of a beneficiary with a particular health condition or who qualifies for both Medicare and Medicaid.
In addition to Medicare Advantage plans, UnitedHealthcare also offers different Medicare Part D plans and nine of the 10 standardized Medicare Supplement Insurance plans that are available in most states.
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.
