AARP Medicare Advantage Essentials from UHC SC-3 (PPO)

Benefits Summary and Overview

This page is a benefits summary and overview of key plan information for AARP Medicare Advantage Essentials from UHC SC-3 (PPO). The information on this page is a summary only.

For a complete listing of all available benefits and cost information on AARP Medicare Advantage Essentials from UHC SC-3 (PPO) in 2025, please refer to our full plan details page.

This summary reflects 2025 plan information. Where this plan continues in 2027, the full plan details page links to its 2027 benefits and costs.

AARP Medicare Advantage Essentials from UHC SC-3 (PPO) is a PPO plan offered by UnitedHealth Group, Inc. available for the 2025 plan year to people living in Select Counties in South Carolina. This plan received an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars in 2025.

It's important to know that AARP Medicare Advantage Essentials from UHC SC-3 (PPO) is a Medicare Advantage (MA) Plan with drug coverage. That means that this plan covers both medical services and prescription drugs.

Overview IconKey Plan Facts

Below are a few key facts and commonly-asked questions about AARP Medicare Advantage Essentials from UHC SC-3 (PPO).

Plan Costs:

The cost of a Medicare Advantage Plan is made up of four main parts.

  • First, the monthly premium — the amount you pay every month.
  • Second, the deductible — the amount you pay out of pocket for covered services before the plan starts paying.
  • Third, the copayments and coinsurance — the amounts you pay out of pocket for covered services, usually after meeting the deductible (if applicable). Copays are fixed dollar amounts; coinsurance is a percentage of the cost.
  • Fourth, the Out-of-Pocket Maximum — the maximum amount you could have to pay out of pocket in a year. This may be different for in-network and out-of-network services.

For AARP Medicare Advantage Essentials from UHC SC-3 (PPO), the main costs are as follows:

Monthly Premium

The Monthly Premium for this plan is $0.00. This is the amount you must pay every month. Additionally, this plan comes with a Part B Premium reduction of $3.00. You must continue to pay paying your reduced Part B Premium.

Deductibles

This plan does not have a health deductible. Your insurance coverage on covered health services will start immediately.

This plan has a $255.00 drug deductible that applies only to drugs in certain tiers. You pay this amount toward covered prescriptions in those tiers before the plan's cost sharing begins; drugs in the other tiers are not subject to the deductible. See the full plan details page for the tier table.

Out-of-Pocket Maximums

This plan has a Maximum Out-Of-Pocket cost of $5900.00 for in-network services. You will pay copays, coinsurance, and deductibles toward this amount. Once your out-of-pocket costs reach $5900.00 for in-network covered services, the plan will pay 100% of in-network covered costs for the rest of the year.

This plan has a Maximum Out-Of-Pocket cost of $10100.00 (in-network and out-of-network combined). You will pay copays, coinsurance, and deductibles toward this amount. Once your out-of-pocket costs reach $10100.00 for covered services, the plan will pay 100% of covered costs for the rest of the year.

You can see below for the coinsurance and specific copayments for in the Additional Benefits section below, or refer to our Plan Details page for more details.

Common Services:

Doctor Visits:

Regular visits to your primary care doctor are covered and will have a copay of $0.00 and coinsurance of 0% (no coinsurance).

Specialist Visits:

Visits to specialists are covered and will have a copay of $0.00 - $40.00 and coinsurance of 0% (no coinsurance). Specialist visits may require a referral from your primary care doctor or prior authorization.

Emergency Room:

Trips to the Emergency Room are covered, and will have a copay of $125.00 and coinsurance of 0% (no coinsurance). Coverage may vary for in-network and out-of-network hospitals.

Urgent Care:

Trips to Urgent Care are covered and will have a copay of $0.00 - $55.00 and coinsurance of 0% (no coinsurance). Coverage may vary for in-network and out-of-network hospitals.

Sign up for AARP Medicare Advantage Essentials from UHC SC-3 (PPO)

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Need help deciding? Talk with one of our licensed insurance specialists 1-877-649-2073 / TTY 711. Call-center hours (ET): Mon-Fri 8am-10pm; Sat 9am-8pm; Sun closed.

Drug Coverage IconDrug Coverage

The AARP Medicare Advantage Essentials from UHC SC-3 (PPO) plan has a $255 deductible for prescription drugs. After the deductible is met, you will pay a copay or coinsurance depending on the drug tier and pharmacy. For example, you will pay no copay for preferred generic drugs at a standard pharmacy, while standard generic drugs have a $47 copay. Preferred brand drugs have a $100 copay, and non-preferred drugs have 30% coinsurance. Once your total drug costs reach $2000, you enter the catastrophic coverage phase, where you pay nothing for covered drugs.

Additional Benefits IconAdditional Benefits

The AARP Medicare Advantage Essentials from UHC SC-3 (PPO) plan offers a range of benefits, including coverage for inpatient hospital stays with a $330 copay for the first five days, and no copay for days 6-90. Outpatient services have varying copays, and primary care visits have no copay, while specialist visits range from $0-$40. Emergency services have a copay of $125, and ambulance services have a $275 copay. This plan also covers preventive services with no copay for an annual physical exam, and hearing exams. Vision services include routine eye exams with no copay, and eyewear with a $200 combined benefit every two years. Dental services include no copay for preventive services, and a 20% coinsurance for Medicare dental services. Additionally, the plan covers home health services with no copay, and Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) services with no copay for the first 20 days, and a $203 copay for days 21-100.

Inpatient Hospital See details

Inpatient Hospital benefits, including acute and psychiatric care, are covered under this plan. For days 1-5 of inpatient hospital stays, there is a $330 copay, and for days 6-90, there is no copay, while additional days for Inpatient Hospital-Acute have no copay.

Outpatient Services See details

Outpatient Services, including all outpatient hospital services, are covered. Outpatient hospital services have a copay between $0 and $330, observation services have a $330 copay, and ambulatory surgical center services have no copay.

Outpatient substance abuse services, including individual and group sessions, are covered, with individual sessions having a copay between $0 and $25 and group sessions having a $15 copay. Outpatient blood services have no copay.

Partial Hospitalization See details

Partial Hospitalization is covered by the AARP Medicare Advantage Essentials from UHC SC-3 (PPO) plan, but requires prior authorization. The copay for this benefit is $55.

Ambulance and Transportation Services See details

The AARP Medicare Advantage Essentials from UHC SC-3 (PPO) plan covers ambulance services with a $275 copay for both ground and air ambulance services, but transportation services to any health-related location are not covered. There is no coinsurance for ambulance services.

Emergency Services See details

Emergency Services, Urgently Needed Services, and Worldwide Emergency Services are covered under the AARP Medicare Advantage Essentials from UHC SC-3 (PPO) plan. For Emergency Services, there is a $125 copay, and no coinsurance. For Urgently Needed Services, the copay is between $0 and $55, and there is no coinsurance. Worldwide Emergency, Urgent Coverage, and Emergency Transportation have no copay and no coinsurance.

Primary Care See details

The AARP Medicare Advantage Essentials from UHC SC-3 (PPO) plan offers primary care services with no copay, chiropractic services with a $20 copay, and occupational therapy services with a copay between $0 and $30. Physician specialist services have a copay between $0 and $40, while mental health and psychiatric services have varying copays depending on the service. Podiatry services have a $40 copay, other health care professional services have a copay between $0 and $40, physical therapy and speech-language pathology services have a copay between $0 and $30, and additional telehealth benefits have no copay. Opioid treatment program services have no copay.

Preventive Services See details

Preventive Services are covered, including an annual physical exam with no copay. Additional preventive services, kidney disease education services, and other preventive services are covered, with the copay information available in the details section. Fitness benefits and remote access technologies have no copay. This plan does not cover health education, in-home safety assessments, personal emergency response systems, medical nutrition therapy, post-discharge in-home medication reconciliation, re-admission prevention, wigs for hair loss related to chemotherapy, weight management programs, alternative therapies, therapeutic massage, adult day health services, nutritional/dietary benefits, home-based palliative care, in-home support services, support for caregivers of enrollees, additional sessions of smoking and tobacco cessation counseling, enhanced disease management, telemonitoring services, home and bathroom safety devices and modifications, or counseling services.

Hearing Services See details

Hearing exams are covered with no copay. Prescription hearing aids are covered with a copay between $199 and $1249, while OTC hearing aids have a copay between $99 and $829. Fitting/evaluation for hearing aids, and prescription hearing aids for inner ear, outer ear, and over the ear are not covered.

Vision Services See details

The AARP Medicare Advantage Essentials from UHC SC-3 (PPO) plan covers vision services, including routine eye exams and eyewear. Routine eye exams have no copay, and you are limited to one exam per year. Eyewear has a combined maximum benefit of $200 every two years and includes contact lenses, eyeglass lenses, and eyeglass frames, all with no copay. Eyeglass frames are limited to one frame every two years. However, eyeglasses (lenses and frames) and upgrades are not covered.

Dental Services See details

Dental Services are covered, with a 20% coinsurance for Medicare Dental Services, while Oral Exams, Dental X-Rays, Prophylaxis (Cleaning), Fluoride Treatment, and Other Preventive Dental Services have no copay. Orthodontic Services, Restorative Services, Adjunctive General Services, Endodontics, Periodontics, Prosthodontics (removable), Maxillofacial Prosthetics, Implant Services, Prosthodontics (fixed), Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and Orthodontics are not covered.

Home Infusion bundled Services See details

Home Infusion bundled Services are covered by AARP Medicare Advantage Essentials from UHC SC-3 (PPO). Medicare Part B Insulin Drugs have a $35 copay, and a coinsurance between 0% and 20%.

Dialysis Services See details

Dialysis Services are covered by the AARP Medicare Advantage Essentials from UHC SC-3 (PPO) plan, but prior authorization is required. You will pay 20% coinsurance for these services.

Medical Equipment See details

Medical Equipment benefits include Durable Medical Equipment (DME) with 20% coinsurance, Prosthetic Devices with 20% coinsurance, Medical Supplies with 20% coinsurance, and Diabetic Equipment. Diabetic Supplies have no copay, and Diabetic Therapeutic Shoes/Inserts have 20% coinsurance. Durable Medical Equipment for use outside the home is not covered.

Diagnostic and Radiological Services See details

Diagnostic and Radiological Services are covered, with a minimum copay of $25 for Diagnostic Procedures/Tests and a $0 copay for Lab Services. Diagnostic Radiological Services have a maximum copay of $155, Therapeutic Radiological Services have a copay of $80, and Outpatient X-Ray Services have a copay of $15.

Home Health Services See details

Home Health Services are covered by the AARP Medicare Advantage Essentials from UHC SC-3 (PPO) plan with no copay and no coinsurance, but additional hours of care and personal care services are not covered. Authorization is required for this benefit.

Cardiac Rehabilitation Services See details

Cardiac Rehabilitation Services are covered, but none of the sub-services are covered. Prior authorization is required for this benefit.

Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) See details

Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) services are covered with prior authorization. For days 1-20, there is no copay, and for days 21-100, the copay is $203. Additional days beyond Medicare-covered and non-Medicare-covered stays are not covered.

Other Services See details

Other Services includes a meal benefit with no copay, but acupuncture, over-the-counter items, Dual Eligible SNPs with Highly Integrated Services, Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) Services, Private Duty Nursing Services, Case Management (Long Term Care), Institution for Mental Disease Services for Individuals 65 or Older, Services in an Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities, Case Management, Tobacco Cessation Counseling for Pregnant Women, Freestanding Birth Center Services, Respiratory Care Services, Family Planning Services, Nursing Home Services, Home and Community Based Services, Personal Care Services, and Self-Directed Personal Assistance Services are not covered.

Plan Providers IconPlan Providers

Medicare Advantage and Part D plans and benefits offered by the following carriers: Aetna Medicare, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Aspire Health Plan, Dean Health Plan, Devoted Health, Florida Blue Medicare, Freedom Health, Health Care Service Corporation, HealthSpringSM, HealthSun, Healthy Blue, Humana, Molina Healthcare, Mutual of Omaha, Medica Central Health Plan, Optimum HealthCare, Premera Blue Cross, SCAN Health Plan, Simply, UnitedHealthcare(R), Wellcare, WellPoint.

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Part B premium reduction is not available with all plans. Availability varies by carrier and location. Actual Part B premium reduction could be lower. Deductibles, copays and coinsurance may apply.

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