Aetna vs. Humana Insurance

Aetna and Humana are similar in many regards, such as the types of health plans they offer and how they allow customers to manage their policies. However, consumers may ultimately find it more convenient to buy Aetna insurance since the company has a significantly larger network. Even so, Humana has a larger market share in the health insurance industry than Aetna, and it also sells coverage in Puerto Rico.

Keep reading for a closer look at Aetna vs. Humana insurance comparisons to help you decide which health insurance company could provide the best plan for your needs and budget.

Key Takeaways Both Aetna and Humana offer coverage in every state and the District of Columbia, but Humana is the only one of the two that offers coverage in Puerto Rico. While Humana has a higher market share in the Medicare Advantage and broader health insurance industries, Aetna has a higher number of in-network providers. Aetna has the best customer satisfaction ratings of any health insurance company in a couple of regions, though both Aetna and Humana have mediocre customer satisfaction ratings across the board on online review platforms. The Aetna Health app has slightly better reviews than the MyHumana app and Humana’s CenterWell Pharmacy app, while the Aetna Better Health - Medicaid app has received substantially worse reviews.

Aetna History

Though it is now better known for its health insurance products, Aetna got its start as a life insurance company in the 1800s. It was named after Mount Etna — the tallest active volcano in Europe. Aetna has been involved in many notable moments throughout United States history, such as underwriting life insurance policies for the first American astronauts in 1963 and paying out the first Medicare claim in 1966.^[1]

At one point, Aetna and Humana had made plans to merge; however, a district court allowed the Department of Justice to halt the merger by issuing an injunction, and the two insurance companies subsequently abandoned the deal in 2017.^[2] The next year, CVS Health acquired Aetna in a deal valued at nearly $80 billion.^[3]

Click here to read our full Aetna review.

Humana History

While it eventually transformed into a health insurance company, Humana was founded as a nursing home company in 1961.^[4] Today, Humana aims to have a social impact beyond just providing health insurance coverage. For example, the insurer has established initiatives to improve health care access in needy communities and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.^[5]

Click here to read our full Humana review.

Aetna vs. Humana Insurance: A Quick Glance

Comparison	Aetna	Humana
Plan Structures	HMO, PPO, CDHP, EPO, FSA, HDHP, HMO-POS, Indemnity, HSA, Medicaid, Medicare and POS	HMO, PPO, CDHP, EPO, FSA, HDHP, HMO-POS, Indemnity, HSA, Medicaid, Medicare and POS
Availability	50 states and D.C.	50 states, Puerto Rico and D.C.
Coverage Limit	Varies	Varies
Deductible	Varies	Varies
Waiting Period	Varies	Varies
In-Network Providers	1.2 million total providers	22,000 participating providers
Covers Telehealth	Yes	Yes
Policy Management	Phone, mobile app or online account	Phone, mobile app or online account

Aetna Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Highest customer satisfaction ratings in Ohio and the Southwest region[6]	Medicaid member app has poor reviews
Larger network than Humana
Aetna Health app is rated better than the MyHumana app

Humana Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Higher market share than CVS Health for both Medicare Advantage and health insurance in general[7][8]	Smaller network than Aetna
Coverage available in Puerto Rico

Aetna vs. Humana Insurance: Plan Structures

Neither Aetna nor Humana has an advantage over the other when you compare the kinds of plan structures they offer. As a result, both health insurance companies are fine to treat as a one-stop shop for any type of health coverage you may need.

Plan	Aetna	Humana
Individual & Family	✓	✓
Medicare Advantage	✓	✓
Medicaid	✓	✓
Dental	✓	✓
Vision	✓	✓
Employer Group	✓	✓

Aetna vs. Humana Insurance: Plan Availability

Humana has a slight edge over Aetna when it comes to plan availability, as Humana operates in some capacity in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.^[9] In comparison, Aetna provides insurance in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., but it doesn’t sell any coverage types in Puerto Rico.^[10]

Keep in mind that both insurers may restrict certain coverage types to select regions. For example, you can only purchase a Bright Plus or Preventive Plus dental insurance plan from Humana in 41 states and the District of Columbia.^[11] Meanwhile, Aetna only offers Medicaid plans in 15 states.^[12]

Aetna vs. Humana Insurance: In-Network Providers

Based on publicly available information, Aetna appears to boast a much larger network than Humana. As of 2021, Aetna’s lineup of in-network providers includes over 5,700 hospitals, more than 700,000 primary care doctors or specialists and around 1.2 million health care providers in total.^[13] Conversely, the network for Humana’s Gold Plus HMO Medicare Advantage plan consists of about 22,000 participating providers as of 2022.^[14]

Aetna vs. Humana Insurance: Cost

The cost of health insurance from Aetna and Humana can’t be easily compared because health plans tend to be specifically tailored to the circumstances of each individual, and prices can differ greatly from one person to another as a result. In general, the factors that may impact your monthly premium payments for health coverage include the following:

• Age
• Health habits, such as smoking
• Location
• Deductible
• Coverage details

Your insurance premiums can also vary based on the tier that your plan falls into. Lower-tiered bronze and silver plans have lower premiums but require you to spend more in deductibles, copays or coinsurance when you receive health care. On the other hand, higher-tiered gold and platinum plans have a higher monthly cost and lower per-service out-of-pocket costs.^[15]

Aetna vs. Humana Insurance: Coverage Limits

Similarly, there is no set coverage limit you should expect from Aetna or Humana since your coverage limits will depend on the details of your personalized policy. However, you should note that your insurer is not allowed to place a limit on any of the following services since they are classified as essential health benefits:^[16][17]

• Ambulatory patient services
• Emergency services
• Hospitalization
• Pregnancy, maternity and newborn care
• Mental health and substance use disorder services
• Prescription drugs
• Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices
• Laboratory services
• Preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management
• Pediatric services

Aetna vs. Humana Insurance: Policy Management

Both Aetna and Humana allow you to manage your policy by using a mobile app, logging into an online portal or talking to a representative over the phone. You can use your respective insurance provider’s app to see details about your plan, manage your claims, find in-network doctors and more.

You may encounter a more user-friendly experience on Aetna’s primary app, which has a higher star rating than Humana’s primary app on both Google Play and the App Store — although both apps have above-average ratings. However, Aetna’s secondary app for Medicaid members has noticeably worse reviews. Meanwhile, Humana’s CenterWell Pharmacy app for managing prescriptions is more favorably reviewed than the main MyHumana app.

App	Google Play Store Rating	Apple App Store Rating
Aetna Health	4.5/5 stars[18]	4.7/5 stars[19]
Aetna Better Health - Medicaid	3.2/5 stars[20]	1.7/5 stars[21]
MyHumana	3.5/5 stars[22]	4.2/5 stars[23]
CenterWell Pharmacy	3.9/5 stars[24]	4.7/5 stars[25]

Aetna vs. Humana Insurance: Medical Loss Ratio

Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), individual and small group health insurance companies must maintain a three-year rolling average medical loss ratio (MLR) of 80% or greater, while the threshold for large group health insurance providers is 85%. This means insurers must spend at least 80% to 85% of the money they receive in premium payments on paying out claims or otherwise improving the quality of care for their policyholders.^[26]

If an insurance carrier has not met the mandatory MLR threshold in a given market over the past three years, it must pay out proportional rebates to its affected plan members.^[26]

Humana has not announced any rebates for 2025, instead reporting a three-year rolling average MLR of 87.8% as of the end of 2024.^[27][28] Similarly, Aetna has not announced rebates in any of its markets for this year, and its parent company — CVS Health — reported a three-year average MLR of 87.5% as of 2024.^[29]

Aetna vs. Humana Insurance: Enrollment Process

You will generally need to sign up for Aetna or Humana health insurance coverage during the Health Insurance Marketplace open enrollment period. In most states, you can sign up between Nov. 1 and Dec. 15 if you would like your coverage to begin on Jan. 1. Otherwise, you can enroll from Dec. 16 through Jan. 15 for coverage that will begin on Feb. 1.^[30]

There are separate Medicare open enrollment deadlines that apply to those looking for Medicare Part C plans from Medicare Advantage providers. The following table goes over the dates during which eligible individuals can buy new Humana or Aetna Medicare Advantage plans or make changes to their existing health coverage.^[31]

Enrollment Period	What You Can Do
Three months before your Medicare coverage starts to three months after your Medicare coverage starts	Enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan (as long as you've already enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B)
Oct. 15 to Dec. 7	Switch from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage, drop Medicare Advantage and go back to Original Medicare or switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another
Jan. 1 to March 31	Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another or drop Medicare Advantage and go back to Original Medicare

Even if you miss out on the deadlines listed above, it may still be possible for you to sign up for health insurance, depending on your circumstances. Life events like these that significantly alter your health insurance needs or coverage eligibility can trigger a special enrollment period, enabling you to sign up for a new health plan:^[32]

• Getting married or divorced
• Giving birth to or adopting a child
• Changing or losing your job
• Moving to a new residence
• Losing your existing health coverage due to the death of a family member
• Becoming a United States citizen
• Leaving prison

Aetna vs. Humana Insurance: Policyholder Experience

Humana and Aetna have garnered similar customer satisfaction ratings on average across online review platforms like ConsumerAffairs, the Better Business Bureau and Best Company, with both carriers ranking below average on customer satisfaction overall. The table below provides an overview of each company’s average star rating from these websites.

Review Platform	Aetna Rating	Humana Rating
ConsumerAffairs	1.1/5 stars[33]	1.2/5 stars[34]
Better Business Bureau	1.08/5 stars[35]	1.21/5 stars[36]
Best Company	2.9/5 stars[37]	2.7/5 stars[38]

How To File Claims With Aetna and Humana

Aetna members have multiple options for submitting claims electronically, while Humana members may be able to submit forms via online portal, mail or fax, depending on the type of claim.^[39][40] Keep in mind that you typically don’t need to file an insurance claim when you go to an in-network provider because the provider will usually file a claim for you. However, if you visit an out-of-network provider, you may have to file a claim yourself.