Best Medicare Advantage plan for a high star rating in Cecil County, Maryland

Why this plan

HumanaChoice H7617-044 (PPO) is rated 4.5 stars, the highest of the 8 plans here with a rating. The next is CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Essential (PPO), at 4 out of 5 stars.

What it gives up

• Its out-of-pocket limit, $7,550, is higher than most here (the middle plan's is $7,525): in a year with a lot of care, it could cost you more than other plans.

Who it suits

A high rating suits you if you want a plan with a track record. Medicare rates each contract every fall from member surveys, complaints, how well members' chronic conditions are managed and how its drug coverage performs. New plans have no rating yet, which doesn't make them worse.

The next best for a high star rating

Before you choose

• Check your doctors and hospitals. Most Medicare Advantage plans pay only, or mostly, for care in their own network. Ask the plan, or your doctor's office, before you join.
• Price your prescriptions. What your drugs cost can differ by hundreds of dollars a year between plans and outweigh any premium difference. Add them in our plan list to see your own costs.
• Read the plan's own documents. We take every figure from what the plan filed with Medicare, but its Evidence of Coverage is the final word on what it pays.
• Get free advice if you want it. Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) gives free, unbiased help choosing a plan.

How we picked

The plan with Medicare's highest overall star rating. Plans share their contract's rating, so ties are common. Where several tie, we look next at the largest Part B giveback, then the lowest premium, then the lowest out-of-pocket limit for in-network care, then the lowest copay to see a primary care doctor. Plans that still tie are listed by name.

We compare the 8 Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage that anyone with Medicare in Cecil County can join. Special needs plans and PACE, which are only for people who qualify, aren't included; you'll find them on the Cecil County page. No plan pays to be picked.