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California Medicare Options - Is Alignment health an advantage plan

Is Alignment Health an Advantage Plan?

Short answer...Yes!

Alignment Health (for now) focuses on the Advantage health segment for Medicare recipients.

They are a strong up-and-coming carrier that's competing with really big companies...

And winning!

Alignment Healthcare Delivers 44% Year-Over-Year Membership Growth Following Significant Boost from AEP, Increasing Membership to 155,500

how much is alignment health growing in california

Is Alignment an Advantage plan?

Yes. For now, Alignment has chosen to focus exclusively on the Advantage market and this may be a big reason:

california advantage plan growth

That's slated to go up by another 10+ percent by the end of the decade.

We looked at how to compare Medicare supplements versus Advantage plans but clearly, the momentum is in the Advantage plan design.

Advantage plans are generally more in the HMO camp of the Medicare market as compared to Supplements (more like PPOs).

Here's a quick comparison:

Some Advantage plans may have more of a PPO flavor to them but they haven't been terribly popular as judged by the Star Rating which is critical to reviewing Advantage plans.

In our Alignment's most popular plans, we looked at the following top runners depending on area:

Platinum+ Instacart - low max and grocery delivery
SmartHMO - Part B rebate - Cash Back plan
MyChoice - core offering with low max
Alignment Sutter - designed around access to Sutter up North including PAMF

Reviews on these plans via those links.

Here's a sample from the greater Los Angeles area:

quote Alignment los angeles plans

Reach out with any questions at help@calhealth.net or pick a time to chat: https://calendly.com/dennis-jnw

So...who does the Advantage plan work for?

Who are Advantage plans good for?

Advantage plans generally work best in these situations:

Prefer low monthly premium
Okay with more structured care in terms of decision making and network access
Preferred doctors and hospitals are in-network
Benefit from cash-back and or other benefits (dental, vision, grocery delivery, etc)
Qualify for Medi-Cal or LIS (Additional Help)
Have a chronic disease

Really, versus supplements, it's a question of cost upfront versus flexibility in care and network access.

That's always been the HMO versus PPO calculus. You can learn about the trade-offs of Advantage for more detail to really understand the options.

Medicare supplements cost more each month but then there's less out of pocket if very sick/hurt and more flexibility.

Keep in mind that the Platinum+ Instacart or MyChoice plan max's are pretty low depending on your area so this might be less of an issue. It also explains why they're so popular.

Let's turn the big difference between Advantage and supplements in regards to Alignment.

Can I see my doctor with an Alignment plan?

We make it easy to check this via our quote tool here:

Reach out with any questions at help@calhealth.net or pick a time to chat: https://calendly.com/dennis-jnw

Make sure to enter your doctors under "Preferences" so it's taken into account.

Advantage networks will be smaller than the total list of Medicare eligible doctors (supplements) but in certain areas, the Advantage networks are pretty impressive.

In our view, this is a big reason Alignment is growing so fast.

They really hit it out of the park on this such as the following medical groups (among many others):

Optum
Regal
Heritage
Sutter

Again, run the free quote and check your doctors! The results will show the plans that work with them.

One note... the SmartHMO plan (has the Cash Back benefit for Part B) has a smaller network so make sure to compare versus the other Alignment plans.

Also, make sure to enter your prescriptions, dosages, and preferred pharmacy.

How do we Alignment compare to other Advantage plans?

In the quote tool, you'll be able to compare Alignment directly with other key Advantage plan carriers:

Sure, we're happy to help in the process and there's zero cost for our assistance but a few tips if you want to venture on your own:

First, focus on the Triple Threat criteria:

Star Rating
Max out of Pocket
Premium

That's just the basics for comparing these plans.

You also need to enter your doctors, medications, and pharmacy to get an accurate comparison.

UnitedHealthcare® and Humana are the two big players in the market. Really, we prefer UnitedHealthcare® because of their strong networks as a comparison with Alignment.

You may find that Alignment stacks up really well in many areas!

Also, if you qualify for Medi-Cal or LIS (More Help) and/or have a chronic illness, check the Special Needs Plans since they may offer richer benefits in your situation.

How to quote and apply for Alignment plans?

Run your quote here:

It's fast, secure, and 100% free for you to use! As is our assistance if questions come up.

Under "Preferences", enter the following:

Doctors
Medications and dosages
Preferred Pharmacy

Now sort by "Total Estimated Cost". This takes into account your RX out-of-pocket as well.

You can filter by carrier including Alignment on the left.

If you qualify for Medi-Cal and/or have a chronic illness, check the "Show Special Need Plans" up top to see these options.

The max may look higher but Medi-Cal can offset this cost if you're eligible.

If it's all too confusing and you need help, reach out to us at help@calhealth.net or book a time to chat: https://calendly.com/dennis-jnw

There's zero cost for our assistance and check our Google reviews! We don't push!

If you find a plan you like, you can enroll right through the quote by "Adding to the Cart".

This is an easy and secure online application that ties directly into the carrier's enrollment system for the fastest processing.

That's it! You're now in process with one of the up-and-coming stars of the Advantage world...Alignment Health!