Insurance Carrier
SCAN Health Plan
SCAN Health Plan was founded in 1977 - not by a corporation looking to enter a profitable market, but by seniors in Southern California who decided to build the plan they actually needed for themselves. Nearly five decades later, SCAN remains a nonprofit, member-governed Medicare Advantage organization with no shareholders, no quarterly earnings calls, and no outside investors setting the agenda for what care looks like. That distinction is not a formality. It is the structural reason SCAN has consistently reinvested surplus funds into member benefits rather than distributing profits - and it is worth asking yourself, before you compare plans, whether the governance model of the carrier holding your health coverage has ever mattered to you as much as it probably should.
Most Medicare Advantage carriers answer to shareholders. SCAN Health Plan answers to its members - and that is not a slogan, it is the legal and financial reality of operating as a nonprofit since 1977. When there are no earnings to return to Wall Street, the metric that defines success is different: it is quality ratings, member retention, and health outcomes. That structural accountability is part of why SCAN has earned high CMS Star ratings consistently over multiple rating cycles and why the organization has maintained one of the lowest voluntary disenrollment rates in California’s Medicare Advantage market. SCAN has also expanded beyond California into additional states, carrying its nonprofit model into new markets where members have rarely had access to a carrier of this type.
What SCAN Health Plan Is Known For
SCAN Health Plan earned a 4.5-star CMS rating for the 2025 plan year across its California Medicare Advantage contracts - placing it among the highest-rated plans in the state and reflecting sustained performance across chronic care management, preventive screenings, member experience, and medication adherence measures
Founded in 1977 by and for seniors in Long Beach, California, SCAN is one of the oldest Medicare HMOs in the United States and has operated continuously as a nonprofit for nearly five decades - a track record of Medicare-specific experience that commercial carriers entering the market in recent years simply cannot replicate
Select SCAN Health Plan Medicare Advantage plans may include $0-premium options, dental coverage, vision and hearing benefits, over-the-counter (OTC) allowances, non-emergency medical transportation, and post-discharge meal delivery - specific benefits, allowance amounts, and plan designs vary by county and plan
SCAN has maintained a voluntary disenrollment rate consistently below the California Medicare Advantage market average, a metric that reflects real-world member satisfaction more directly than survey scores - members tend to stay when a plan is actually delivering on what it promised at enrollment
Originally serving Los Angeles and Orange counties, SCAN Health Plan has expanded its Medicare Advantage footprint to include additional California counties as well as Arizona, Nevada, and Texas, bringing its nonprofit model to beneficiaries in markets where member-owned Medicare plans have historically been scarce
Member Perks & How to Use Them
SCAN builds supplemental benefits into its plans that quietly expire if you never reach for them - OTC cards reset, transportation trips go unused, and dental allowances disappear on December 31 whether or not you scheduled the cleaning. The perks below are already part of your plan on qualifying designs. What separates members who get full value from members who don’t is knowing exactly how to activate each one before the clock runs out.
OTC allowance through SCAN: On qualifying plans, your OTC benefit allows you to purchase approved health and wellness items with your SCAN OTC card. Log into mySCAN at scanhealthplan.com or call the OTC order line on your member card to check your balance, browse eligible items, and place an order
Post-hospitalization meal delivery: Select SCAN plans include meal delivery support after a qualifying hospital or skilled nursing facility stay - ask your SCAN care coordinator or call Member Services to activate this benefit following discharge
Non-emergency medical transportation: Many SCAN plans include transportation to and from medical appointments. Call Member Services at least 3 business days in advance to arrange a non-emergency ride
Dental, vision, and hearing: Use your annual allowances for covered dental cleanings, vision exams and eyewear, and hearing exams or hearing aid benefits where included. Find in-network providers at scanhealthplan.com and use your benefits before December 31 - they typically do not roll over
Fitness benefit: Select SCAN plans include a fitness membership or access to participating gym or wellness locations. Call Member Services or log into mySCAN to confirm whether your plan includes this benefit and how to activate your membership
Availability
SCAN Health Plan Medicare Advantage plans are available in select counties across California, Arizona, Nevada, and Texas. Coverage is county-specific and availability varies - confirm your ZIP code with a licensed agent before comparing plan options.
What to Verify Before Enrolling
SCAN’s nonprofit model and strong ratings are genuinely meaningful - but none of that matters if the plan available in your county doesn’t cover your doctors, your medications, or the benefits you actually need. Before you commit, run through each of these checkpoints with a licensed agent so you know exactly what you are signing up for, not just what looks good in a summary of benefits brochure.
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Confirm whether SCAN Health Plan currently offers Medicare Advantage plans in your specific county and ZIP code - coverage is available in select California counties and a growing number of counties in Arizona, Nevada, and Texas, and availability must be verified before comparing plan options
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Verify that your primary care physician and key specialists participate in the specific SCAN HMO network for your county, and understand the referral process required to see specialists under the plan you are considering - HMO network fit is especially critical with SCAN’s care model
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Review the prescription drug formulary for the specific SCAN plan available in your county, including the tier placement of your current medications, any prior authorization or step therapy requirements, and which retail and mail-order pharmacies qualify as preferred in their Part D network
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Confirm the exact benefit allowances and coverage details for supplemental benefits you care about - including OTC allowance amounts, dental coverage limits (preventive versus comprehensive), vision hardware benefits, hearing aid coverage, and transportation visit caps - since these vary by plan and county
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Understand the copay and cost-sharing structure for specialist visits, urgent care, emergency room use, and inpatient hospital stays on your specific SCAN plan, along with the annual maximum out-of-pocket limit for in-network services, before assuming the plan fits your expected utilization
Contact SCAN Health Plan Directly
Whether you want to confirm your doctor is in SCAN’s network, ask about your OTC card balance, or arrange a post-discharge meal delivery, SCAN’s Member Services team is your authoritative source. Have your member ID ready when you call, and use the contact details below to reach SCAN directly - not a third-party hotline.
Member Services
1-800-559-3500Website
www.scanhealthplan.comMailing Address
SCAN Health Plan P.O. Box 22699 Long Beach, CA 90801
Contact information is provided for reference and may change. Always verify current contact details on SCAN Health Plan’s official website or your plan materials.
Benefits Vary by Plan, County, and Eligibility
Plan availability varies by county and ZIP code. Benefits, premiums, copayments, provider networks, formularies, and rules vary by plan and may change. Always review official plan materials before enrolling.
Check SCAN Health Plan Availability in Your Area
A nonprofit, member-governed Medicare Advantage plan with 4.5 stars and nearly five decades of experience serving seniors is worth knowing about - but only if it is actually available where you live and covers the doctors and medications you depend on. Enter your ZIP code below and a licensed agent will show you every SCAN plan option in your county, walk you through the network, and help you find out whether this is the plan that was quietly waiting for you to find it.
Quick Medicare Review
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