California Medicare Options - Guide and Review of California Wellcare Health Net Medicare Advantage Plans
Wellcare by Health Net Medicare Advantage Plans in California: Guide and Review
Health Net is a pretty big player in the California health market so there's no reason to think it won't gain ground in the expanding Medicare Advantage side of things.
In fact, we see pretty sizable growth from chart below:
Wellcare is the Advantage branding for Health Net so we'll stick with that when discussing below.
Wellcare currently is a regional flavor where it's stronger in certain areas which we'll show below when looking at 3 big markets (LA, Bay Area, and San Diego).
First, our credentials:
They've made quite a stir with their Medi Medi Giveback plan and some other SNP (Special Need Plans) options!
These are the topics we'll cover:
- A quick intro to Wellcare's Advantage Plans in California
- Are people happy with Wellcare Advantage plans
- Comparing the different Wellcare Advantage plans
- How to quote Wellcare Advantage plans
- How to enroll in Wellcare Advantage plans
Let's get started!
A quick intro to Wellcare's Advantage Plans in California
Centene is the parent company, Health Net is the main brand. Wellcare is the Advantage brand.
Now that we got that out of the way, Wellcare has about 108K Advantage members in California (April 2023) but 1.2M nationwide!
It knows the market and is looking to expand its reach in California.
They've pushed aggressively into certain markets and also SNP (think medi medi) and Rebate (Part B rebate) plans.
Special Needs Plans are for people with both Medicare and Medi-cal (called Dual eligible) or for people with chronic disease (C-SNPs).
We'll discuss these when we look at the actual plans below.
From 2019 to 2023, we can see they grew from 44K to 108K currently so that's more than double in 3 years.
At this rate, we expect them to keep moving up the Top 10 which reflects their strength in other California markets (Covered Ca, Employer, Supplements, etc).
There's one thing they have to fix and each year is another chance to do so.
Let's turn to that now.
Are people happy with Wellcare Advantage plans
To answer this question, we lean heavily on the Medicare Star Rating.
It's Medicare's own internal Yelp review for enrollees on every plan with ratings from 1--5.
There are incentives to the carriers if they offer well-rated plans and the market is slowly moving to better rated plans:
This is good news!
So where is Wellcare in the California market (star ratings can differ by area and even by plan)?
At the time of this review, they're at 3 stars but again, this is re-evaluated every year and we expect this to improve.
Looking at our Triple Threat selection option, we want the following:
- Star Rating of 4 stars or more
- Low or no cost premium
- Max-out-of-pocket under $1000
We'll look at the other two requirements below but we're not hitting our 4 Star rating requirement which matches the average rating on the market by the way.
Hopefully, this will come up next year.
Let's actually zero into the plans available in 3 main areas.
Comparing the different Wellcare Advantage plans
We'll look at the following markets:
- Los Angeles - by far the biggest in California for Advantage plans
- Bay Area - San Jose specifically
- San Diego
First, LA!
Wellcare Advantage plans in Los Angeles
This is a really competitive market.
Right now, Health Net is not in the top 20 but there can be very little difference among the first 10+ plans since everyone's jockeying for position.
When we filter for WellCare specifically:
Of the standard plans (non-SNPs), the No Premium is a
leading popular plan, and
its 2 of our 3 criteria:
- No premium
- Max out-of-pocket under $1000
It's the 3 star rating that's holding it back for now.
We included both Wellcare and Wellcare by Health Net but the 1st option is the better one.
As for the rebate options, this is where they give you back money towards your Part B premium that you make to Medicare.
It's been very popular since the pandemic with inflation raging. Learn how the Giveback plan works.
Essentially, they're giving you $50/month back towards Part B premium as a Giveback benefit.
A look at Giveback plans in Los Angeles:
Interestingly, Wellcare's real popularity is to offer a Giveback benefit to medi medi members. The out-of-pocket max reflects that medi-cal will help offset costs for people eligible for medi medi.
This is really the exciting option since they're the only medi medi giveback option for now.
We're happy to walk you through this calculation or check out our How to Pick the Best Medicare Plan.
Let's head North
Wellcare by Health Net in the Bay Area
Wellcare has crept up the ranks here with its two popular standard plans:
One note...the max out of pockets are higher across the board compared to LA
County.
That just reflects the inability of the HMO model to squeeze costs (translation...negotiate harder with the providers) in that area.
Learn why this matters at our Advantage plans versus Medicare supplement guide.
There's that 3 star rating again.
The Assist plans adds a FlexCard which can be used for up to $200/annually for dental, vision, and other benefits.
What about San Diego?
San Diego Wellcare by Health Net Advantage plans
Pretty similar story to the Bay Area for standard Advantage plans:
Again, San Diego plans have higher out-of-pocket max's on average.
It's the Star Rating that we're waiting for.
Interestingly, in San Diego, we start to see the SNPs kick in!
The Dual Align is for people with dual eligibility...so called "Medi Medi". Both Medicare and Medi-cal.
Again, the max is high but having dual eligibility can result in very low out-of-pocket so check with your local county office to see if you're eligible.
One note...there may be other SNPs in any area to compare when you run your quote.
Let's go there now.
How to quote Wellcare Advantage plans
We make this easy.
First, run your quote here:
It's fast, secure, and free!
The doctor and RX info is super important with quoting Advantage plans in order to avoid complaints #1 and 2 with enrollees (can't see doctors of choice and meds aren't on the list).
Under Preferences, add:
- Doctors/hospitals
- Medications and dosage
- Preferred pharmacy
Sort by "Total Estimated Cost" up top.
Most Advantage plans include RX coverage.
For the SNP (medi medi, etc) plans, just click on "Show Special Need Plans".
Of course, we're happy to help with any questions and our Google Reviews speak to what we offer:
Reach out with any questions at help@cahealth.net or to set up a time to chat.
What about enrollment?
How to enroll in Wellcare Advantage plans
We make this super easy. From the same quote engine above, you can add to your cart and enroll online for Wellcare Advantage plans!
Your info's already in the system and at annual open enrollment, you just update doctors/meds or changes, and the system's ready to quote new options and even enroll.
It can save you 80-90% of the time off the traditional route.
Of course, we're here to help with any questions and there's zero cost for our assistance!
We work with the major Advantage carriers outside of Kaiser including Wellcare by Health Net!
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Important Disclaimers:
- We do not offer every plan available in your area. The number of organizations and plans available will be specified for your specific quote here. Please contact Medicare. gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.
- Not all plans offer all of these benefits. Benefits may vary by carrier and location. Limitations, exclusions, copays, deductibles, and coinsurance may apply.
- Part B Premium give-back is not available with all plans. Availability varies by carrier and location. Actual Part B premium reduction varies.
- Every year, Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-star rating system.
- Not affiliated with or endorsed by the government or Federal Medicare Program. Goodacre Insurance Services is an insurance agency not affiliated with the government.