WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in healthcare rankings, today released the 2019 Best Insurance Companies for Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans. The new ratings are a resource for Medicare beneficiaries and their families searching for the best coverage options during the annual open-enrollment period, which began October 15 and runs through December 7, 2018.

The Best Insurance Companies for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans highlights insurance companies that consistently offer highly rated health coverage to Medicare beneficiaries, who are typically age 65 or older.

"Medicare beneficiaries face many complex considerations when it comes to choosing the best health insurance plan, including monthly cost and in-network and out-of-network benefits," said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis for U.S. News. "Our easy-to-navigate online tools and straightforward ratings help consumers identify which plan is best for their specific needs."

Insurance companies were recognized if either their Medicare Advantage or their Part D plans received an average rating of 4.5 stars or higher across all plans in a given state. Companies that consistently offer highly rated Medicare Advantage plans in multiple states include Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Cigna-HealthSpring, HealthPartners, Kaiser Permanente, Martin's Point Generations Advantage, Medical Associates Health Plan, Inc., MVP HEALTH CARE, Providence Health Assurance, and Senior Preferred. For Part D Prescription Drug plans, 12 states have one insurer that made the U.S. News list, with Blue Cross Blue Shield being the single insurer in 11 of those 12 states.

U.S. News uses plan-ratings data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to populate its comparison tool and identify the Best Insurance Companies for Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans. CMS rates individual plans on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. The U.S. News methodology analyzes insurers in a given state with plans rated 3-stars or higher by CMS.

The Best Insurance Companies for Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans serve the broader U.S. News mission to provide trusted information and rankings that help Americans navigate complex health care decisions, including their choices of insurance plans, doctors, hospitals and nursing homes.

About U.S. News & World Report

Celebrating its 85^th year, U.S. News & World Report is a digital news and information company that empowers people to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. Focusing on Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars and Civic, USNews.com provides consumer advice, rankings and analysis to serve people making complex decisions throughout all stages of life. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

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SOURCE U.S. News & World Report