Humana is a well-established provider of health insurance, available since 2019 in all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. It has an excellent range of services, most notably its home healthcare options, which are especially suited to older customers or those suffering from chronic pain or conditions that could affect a customer’s ability to live alone or have treatment outside the home. It's for that reason that we rate Humana as the one of the best health insurance companies and the best one for older customers. It rank among companies like Blue Cross Blue Shield and Aetna.
Humana was founded in 1961 as Extendicare Inc, a nursing home company that started out in Kentucky and which was the largest nursing home company in the United States by 1968. According to the latest numbers published, Humana serves at least 13 million customers with healthcare insurance.
Humana offers most of the regular features that the top healthcare insurance providers all offer, with additions such as Humana Guidance Centers (physical hubs for activities and seminars), a large bank of interpreters (200 languages according to its website) and a straightforward mobile app. The only real missing element is that it does not offer any short-term coverage plans.
Humana review: How much does it cost?
- Policies quoted were lower than average
- Good range of policy options for each quote
- website and mobile app were both intuitive and easy to use
Sample quote for family: A man and a woman aged 35 with two kids aged 3 and 7: $1,170/month
Sample quote for a married couple: Aged 45-50, no pre-existing conditions: $690/month
Sample quote for an individual man or woman: Aged 45-50, no pre-existing conditions: $435/month
For our quotes for health insurance policies vary dramatically depending on requirements and geographic locations, but overall, quotes for Humana were below the industry average – typically in the lower three or four quotes for each policy. Humana offered a good range of policy options for each quote and it was easy to compare the various options. The website and mobile app were both intuitive and easy to use.
Because your policy costs depend on multiple factors, our case studies are only benchmark guides. We encourage you to select three or more insurance providers and obtain quotes yourself to find the policies that best meet your individual needs. With all of the providers on our list, we were able to secure quotes in a matter of minutes, yet could save you hundreds of dollars a year
Humana review: Products
- Health Maintenance Organzation (HMO) plans
- Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans
- Private Fee For Service (PFFS) plans
- Special Needs Plans (SPNs)
- Dental and vision insurance
The most popular plans are the HMO and PPO Plans. With the HMO plan, customers are limited to using the professionals and institutions within the company’s network. This is usually the least expensive option. PPO plans offer slightly more flexibility, with the option to use out-of-network providers for an additional fee. The PFFS plans are typical of what can also be termed Traditional Indemnity Plans, and allow customers to use any healthcare provider they choose. This latter plan is the most expensive.
Humana also offers supplemental options to Medicare recipients, including a partnership with Walmart pharmacies to offer a preferred prescription drug plan.
Humana has a range of dental plans available, the services and premiums for which are around the industry average, although wait times for procedures with the plans were better than average. Humana’s vision insurance has an equally good range of products, especially for families, though it does have a smaller network.
Other resources available to members include a member portal, MyHumana, that allows the 24/7 tracking of prescriptions and a dedicated customer service phone line. Members can download most forms that they might need for applications and claims.
Humana review: Support
- Coverage across all 50 states
- MyHumana portal is available 24/7 online and through a mobile app
- Humana has a range of plans aimed at customers living with chronic pain
Humana provides coverage across all 50 states. Thanks to this reach, customers have access to a relatively wide selection of healthcare providers compared to other insurance companies.
The MyHumana portal is available 24/7 online and through a mobile app. The portal allows customers to find and print forms, pay premiums, manage plan benefits, access ID cards and view the status of any coverage or claims. The online help is backed up with the option for live chat with a representative and an online support community for customers on plans through their employers.
Humana has a range of plans aimed at customers living with chronic pain or any condition that means living alone and caring for oneself is difficult. These plans can also include transitioning from a hospital stay to home care, and a plan called Humana Well Dine that offers delivered, healthy meals to customers recovering from a procedure or facing an ongoing condition.
Humana review: Usability and user reviews
- A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau
- Webchat allows customers to have a full self-service experience online
- The presentation of plans was easy to understand
Humana has been accredited to the Better Business Bureau since 1998 and currently has an A+ rating. In 2019, J.D. Power ranked Humana third in its Medicare Advantage member satisfaction survey and number one in its 2019 Mail Order Pharmacy Segment of Customer Satisfaction Study (for the second consecutive year). Humana has received many awards, perhaps most notably the Dorland Health Award for insurance customers over 55.
The various branches of the Humana online experience have regularly introduced enhanced web features to make it easier for customers to get the specific help they are looking for. The webchat feature allows customers to have a full self-service experience online, including the ability to chat directly with a pharmacist.
Most customers will begin their search for quotes and plans via the Humana website, before being connected with local Humana agents. The website is easy to navigate and intuitive, as is the mobile app both, so there’s an ease of use for both prospective and current customers.
Online quotes require the submission of a basic amount of personal information, but it’s nothing outside the industry standard. The presentation of plans was easy to understand and the options were plentiful and straightforward to compare. As with all insurance enquiries, the process itself will vary depending on the individual claim and the geographic location it is being filed in.
Should I choose Humana?
Humana is the fifth-largest healthcare insurance provider in the United States, so it has a reassuring amount of financial capital behind it. The policies, as mentioned, are relatively affordable, though this only really applies to its HMO plans, but if a customer is happy with that and doesn’t mind a specific range of pharmacy options, then Humana is well worth considering.
As well as our guide to the best health insurance companies, we also look at how to choose a health insurance plan. You might also want to look at something more specific when it comes to health cover, in which case you'll find our guides to the best dental insurance and best vision insurance useful. Looking further ahead and we rate the best life insurance options and best Medicare Part D plans.
