UnitedHealthcare vs. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
- UnitedHealthcare and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield are two of the largest Medicare insurance providers in the nation. This review compares UnitedHealthcare vs. Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare plans benefits, eligibility and more.
UnitedHealthcare and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) are among the industry leaders for Medicare insurance plans. But which insurance company comes out on top?
UnitedHealthcare vs. BSBC: Plan Availability
Medicare beneficiaries can only enroll in Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C) plans, Medicare Part D prescription drug plans or Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans that are sold in the area where they live.
While both UnitedHealthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield offer Medicare plans in many areas of the country, UnitedHealthcare has a broader reach in terms of plan availability.
In 2024, 29% of all Medicare Advantage beneficiaries were members of a UnitedHealthcare Medicare plan offered in partnership with AARP. This accounts for more Medicare plan members than any other insurance provider in America.
14% of Medicare Advantage enrollees were part of a plan from Blue Cross Blue Shield or a BCBS affiliate, which is slightly less than half the share that are enrolled in a plan from UnitedHealthcare.
UHC vs. BCBS: Part D Prescription Drug Plans
UnitedHealthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield each offer three different Medicare Part D plans to give beneficiaries a variety of cost and coverage options.
The 2024 UnitedHealthcare Part D plan lineup included:
- AARP MedicareRx Walgreens
- AARP MedicareRx Preferred
Blue Cross Blue Shield also offers Part D plans with names that vary by state. For instance. Blue Cross Blue Shield Part D plans also provide various combinations of premium and deductible levels.
UnitedHealthcare vs. Blue Cross Blue Shield Summary
It’s hard to go wrong with either UnitedHealthcare or BCBS when shopping for Medicare insurance. Depending on where you live, you may have several plan options to choose from.
UnitedHealthcare serves more states and owns a larger share of the marketplace than Blue Cross Blue Shield. Blue Cross Blue Shield offers a greater variety of Medicare Advantage and Medigap plans but may not offer as many Part D options in certain states.
If you have the choice of either UnitedHealthcare or Blue Cross Blue Shield, compare the benefits and cost of each plan and decide what’s best for your needs and budget, as prices and availability can vary according to location.
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.
