Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.
Our Expert Take
Our Expert Take
We like that there are over 1.3 million providers that are part of UnitedHealthcare’s network, which should make it easier to find a doctor who accepts a plan than some competitors. But the insurer’s premiums can be on the high side, so you want to make sure you’re comparing costs when shopping for a plan.
Pros
- Lowest average silver deductible among the companies in our analysis.
- Large provider network.
- Offers other types of insurance, including dental, vision, accident and critical illness plans.
Cons
- Health insurance premiums are higher than some competitors.
- Company’s complaint level is well above the industry average.
- Offers only two plan types in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace (EPO and HMO).
On Healthcare.com's Website
2.1
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Provider network
1.3 million+ providers and 6,500 hospitals and facilities
Average monthly premium
$648
Average annual deductible for a silver plan
$2,954
Table of Contents
- About UnitedHealthcare
- When Can You Buy a UnitedHealthcare ACA Plan?
- Types of Health Insurance Offered by UnitedHealthcare
- UnitedHealthcare Plans
- Where Is UnitedHealthcare Health Insurance Available on the ACA Marketplace?
- Member Benefits from UnitedHealthcare
- How Much Do UnitedHealthcare Health Insurance Plans Cost?
- How UnitedHealthcare Costs Compare to Other Companies
- UnitedHealthcare Reviews and Complaints
- Methodology
Show more
Key Takeaways
- UnitedHealthcare has a large provider network of more than 1.3 million medical providers.
- It has a better-than-average annual deductible for silver plans, but higher premiums than some competitors.
- Complaint levels about its health insurance are very high.
How We Chose the Best Health Insurance Companies
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is one of the world’s largest health insurance companies. It offers health benefit programs for individuals, employers and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.
The company partners with more than 1.3 million medical providers and 6,500 hospitals and other care facilities across the country.
UnitedHealthcare offers health maintenance organization and exclusive provider organization plans on the health insurance marketplace at HealthCare.gov. The marketplace is a place to find coverage for those who don’t have access to a health plan through work. UnitedHealthcare offers insurance coverage directly to individuals and families in 26 states and employer-sponsored health insurance plans throughout the country.
When Can You Buy a UnitedHealthcare ACA Plan?
You can buy a health plan on the ACA marketplace from Nov. 1 to Jan. 15 every year in most states. A handful of states have slightly different dates.
During open enrollment you can buy a new ACA plan or make changes to coverage. The only way to buy an ACA plan outside of open enrollment is to qualify for a special enrollment period. Qualifying events include getting married, having a baby, moving to a new ZIP code or turning age 27 and aging out of a parent’s health plan.
Types of Health Insurance Offered by UnitedHealthcare
Besides Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans, UnitedHealthcare offers many other types of health insurance coverage, including plans for:
- Group health insurance through employers
- Short-term health insurance
- Student health plans
- Medicaid
- Medicare
Supplemental Insurance Offered by UnitedHealthcare
In addition to health insurance, UnitedHealthcare offers:
- Accident insurance
- Critical illness insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
UnitedHealthcare Plans
UnitedHealthcare offers two types of plans on the health insurance marketplace at HealthCare.gov:
- HMO: Patients with a health maintenance organization (HMO) plan typically only are covered for care from providers within the plan’s network. In most cases, you need a referral to see a specialist.
- EPO: Patients with an exclusive provider organization (EPO) plan are only covered if they use physicians, specialists or hospitals within the plan’s network. You typically do not need a referral to see a specialist.
UnitedHealthcare Coverage Tiers
The company offers three metal tiers on the ACA marketplace:
- Bronze
- Silver
- Gold
Insurers can offer bronze, silver, gold and platinum but not many companies offer platinum plans. Bronze plans have the lowest premiums but the highest deductibles and out-of-pocket costs. Of the UnitedHealthcare’s metal tier offerings, gold plans have the highest premiums but the lowest out-of-pocket costs.
If you’re deciding between the three tiers, you may prefer a bronze plan if you don’t need much healthcare. If you regularly see doctors and need multiple expensive prescriptions, a gold plan may work well. If your healthcare usage is somewhere in between those two extremes, a silver plan may be best for you.
Where Is UnitedHealthcare Health Insurance Available on the ACA Marketplace?
States with UnitedHealthcare ACA Marketplace Plans
Member Benefits from UnitedHealthcare
Some UnitedHealthcare plans offer additional benefits. The type of benefits you can access will depend on your specific plan, but may include:
| Primary Care and Copay$0 primary care physician visits and copays. |
Vision and Dental BenefitsAdult vision and dental for some plans. | |
Fitness SubscriptionDigital fitness class subscription. | |
Gift CardsGift cards when you see your primary care physician and health savings account on eligible plans. | |
Low-Cost PrescriptionsLow-cost prescriptions ($3 at Walgreens). | |
Drug DeliveryPrescription delivery for some plans. | |
Virtual VisitsUnlimited virtual visits, including urgent care. |
How Much Do UnitedHealthcare Health Insurance Plans Cost?
UnitedHealthcare health insurance plans cost $648 monthly on average for an ACA marketplace plan.
Age is a cost factor for ACA plans. Other factors include metal tier, type of plan, whether you smoke and where you live.
Average UnitedHealthcare Health Insurance Cost by Age
Age of member | Average monthly costs for a UHC plan |
---|---|
Age 21 | $434 |
Age 27 | $454 |
Age 30 | $492 |
Age 40 | $554 |
Age 50 | $775 |
Age 60 | $1,177 |
Source: HealthCare.gov. Based on unsubsidized ACA plans.
Average Costs for UnitedHealthcare by Metal Plan
Age of member | Average monthly cost for a UHC bronze plan | Average monthly cost for a UHC silver plan | Average monthly cost for a UHC gold plan |
---|---|---|---|
Age 21 | $354 | $457 | $485 |
Age 27 | $371 | $469 | $508 |
Age 30 | $402 | $519 | $550 |
Age 40 | $453 | $585 | $620 |
Age 50 | $633 | $817 | $866 |
Age 60 | $962 | $1,241 | $1,316 |
Source: HealthCare.gov. Based on unsubsidized ACA plans.
UnitedHealthcare doesn’t offer many platinum plans, so we didn’t include those averages.
How UnitedHealthcare Costs Compare to Other Companies
UnitedHealthcare average costs are slightly more than some major competitors. Many factors go into health insurance costs, so it’s wise to check health insurance quotes from multiple companies to compare premiums, out-of-pocket costs and benefits.
Average Monthly Costs for ACA Marketplace Plan by Company
Age of member | UnitedHealthcare | Aetna | Blue Cross Blue Shield | Kaiser Permanente |
---|---|---|---|---|
Age 21 | $434 | $396 | $445 | $382 |
Age 27 | $454 | $419 | $467 | $400 |
Age 30 | $492 | $452 | $506 | $433 |
Age 40 | $554 | $508 | $569 | $488 |
Age 50 | $775 | $711 | $796 | $682 |
Age 60 | $1,177 | $1,078 | $1,209 | $1,036 |
Source: HealthCare.gov. Based on unsubsidized ACA plans.
HMOs: Average Monthly Health Insurance Costs
Company | Age 21 | Age 27 | Age 30 | Age 40 | Age 50 | Age 60 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UnitedHealthcare | $425 | $445 | $482 | $543 | $758 | $1,152 |
Aetna | $392 | $415 | $448 | $503 | $704 | $1,067 |
Ambetter | $401 | $420 | $455 | $512 | $716 | $1,088 |
Blue Cross Blue Shield | $385 | $403 | $437 | $492 | $687 | $1,044 |
Cigna | $467 | $489 | $530 | $596 | $834 | $1,267 |
Kaiser Permanente | $389 | $408 | $442 | $497 | $695 | $1,056 |
Molina Healthcare | $407 | $432 | $466 | $524 | $733 | $1,110 |
Oscar | $374 | $392 | $425 | $479 | $669 | $1,016 |
Source: HealthCare.gov. Based on unsubsidized ACA plans.
EPOs: Average Monthly Health Insurance Costs
Company | Age 21 | Age 27 | Age 30 | Age 40 | Age 50 | Age 60 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UnitedHealthcare | $450 | $471 | $510 | $575 | $803 | $1,221 |
Aetna | $408 | $427 | $463 | $521 | $728 | $1,107 |
Ambetter | $423 | $443 | $480 | $540 | $755 | $1,147 |
Blue Cross Blue Shield | $463 | $488 | $528 | $593 | $830 | $1,259 |
Cigna | $413 | $434 | $470 | $529 | $739 | $1,122 |
Kaiser Permanente | $364 | $381 | $413 | $465 | $650 | $987 |
Oscar | $418 | $438 | $474 | $534 | $746 | $1,134 |
Source: HealthCare.gov. Based on unsubsidized ACA plans.
Featured Health Insurance Partners
1
Aetna
Coverage area
Offers plans in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Number of providers in network
About 1.2 million
Physician copays start at
$20
2
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Coverage area:
Offers plans in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Number of providers in network
About 1.7 million
Physician copays start at
$10
3
Cigna
Coverage area
Offers plans in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Number of providers in network
About 1.5 million
Physician copays start at
$0
UnitedHealthcare Reviews and Complaints
Complaints filed with state insurance departments against UnitedHealthcare for individual and family health insurance are much higher than the industry average. That may signify member dissatisfaction.
The biggest complaint about UnitedHealthcare is claim handling, especially denials of claims, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
Other ratings for UnitedHealthcare include:
- Average National Committee for Quality Assurance: 3.6 out of 5 stars
- AM Best financial strength: A+ (Superior)
UnitedHealthcare received the second best average NCQA marks among the companies we analyzed (tied with Blue Cross Blue Shield and behind only Kaiser Permanente).
A Minnesota-based combined commercial PPO/POS plan received 4.5 out of 5 stars. The plan received 4.5 stars for prevention and equity, such as immunizations, cancer and other screening and reproductive health. The company also received 4 stars for nine plans and 3.5 stars for 31 plans.
AM Best upgraded UnitedHealthcare’s financial strength rating from A (Excellent) to A+ (Superior) at the end of 2023. AM Best highlighted the company’s “balance sheet strength” and also noted its “very strong operating performance, very favorable business profile and very strong enterprise risk management.”
Methodology
We analyzed 96 data points about coverage and quality to identify the best health insurance companies. Our ratings are based on:
- Average premiums (30% of score): We took the average Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplace rates for the following ages: 21, 27, 30, 40, 50 and 60, and then came up with an overall average. Source: HealthCare.gov.
- Complaints made to state insurance departments (30% of score): We used complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
- Average silver plan deductible (20% of score): The deductible is how much you have to pay for healthcare in a year before the health plan begins picking up a portion of the costs. Companies with health plans that had low deductibles got more points. Source: HealthCare.gov.
- Breadth of health plans (10% of score): Health insurance companies may offer up to four types of plan benefit designs (PPO, HMO, EPO and POS). We gave companies that offered more types of plans more points. Source: HealthCare.gov.
- Metal tier offerings (10% of score): The ACA marketplace has four metal tier levels. We gave points to companies that offered more tier plan options. Source: HealthCare.gov.
Read more: How Forbes Advisor Rates Health Insurance Companies
Forbes Advisor is not a licensed insurance agency. Insurance offerings are powered by Marketplace P&C LLC, dba CompareCoverage, NPN 20753534 and CA Lic. # 6011227.
Information provided on Forbes Advisor is for educational purposes only. Your financial situation is unique and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. We do not offer financial advice, advisory or brokerage services, nor do we recommend or advise individuals or to buy or sell particular stocks or securities. Performance information may have changed since the time of publication. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Forbes Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by our partners.
Was this article helpful?
Send feedback to the editorial team
Thank You for your feedback!
Something went wrong. Please try again later.