Insurance Carrier
Zing Health
Zing Health is a Medicare Advantage insurer built from the ground up to serve communities that most large carriers have never meaningfully prioritized - predominantly Black and Brown Medicare beneficiaries in urban Illinois who have faced decades of documented health disparities, higher rates of chronic illness, and plans that were never designed with their neighborhoods or circumstances in mind. Founded in Chicago in 2020 by a team with deep roots in health equity research and community medicine, Zing Health operates with a singular premise: that where you live and what you look like should not determine the quality of Medicare coverage you have access to.
Zing Health was not created because there was a profitable gap in the Medicare market - it was created because there was a documented inequity in who Medicare Advantage plans were actually designed to serve. Founder Eric Hunter built Zing with a specific thesis: that a plan anchored in health equity, community-based care, and culturally competent engagement would produce better health outcomes for members who had historically been left with coverage that didn’t account for the social determinants of health driving so much of their cost and complexity. A carrier that exists specifically to close a gap tends to operate differently than one that arrived in the same market because the numbers looked favorable.
What Zing Health Is Known For
Founded in 2020 by Eric Hunter - a Chicago-based, Black-owned Medicare Advantage insurer built expressly to address racial and economic health disparities for Medicare beneficiaries in underserved urban Illinois communities, particularly in the Chicago metropolitan area
Zing Health Medicare Advantage plans have received CMS quality recognition and the organization has maintained active HMO contracts under CMS oversight, with plan quality and star rating information updated annually - confirm current ratings for your specific plan and contract year at Medicare.gov
Select Zing Health Medicare Advantage plans may offer $0-premium options for eligible members, including dual-eligible beneficiaries who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid - premium and eligibility requirements vary by specific plan and county
Plans where available may include over-the-counter (OTC) benefit allowances, dental, vision, hearing coverage, non-emergency medical transportation, and meal support benefits - specific allowance amounts, covered services, and benefit structures vary by plan, county, and eligibility
Zing Health deploys community health workers and culturally competent care coordination teams embedded in the neighborhoods they serve, with a model designed to address social determinants of health - including housing instability, food access, and transportation barriers - that conventional Medicare plans rarely account for
Member Perks & How to Use Them
Zing Health built benefits specifically for members whose real barriers to good health often have nothing to do with what happens inside a doctor’s office - and those benefits only work if you know they exist and ask for them. If your plan includes an OTC allowance, transportation support, or access to a community health worker, those are active resources waiting to be used, not fine print. Here is how to put each one to work on your behalf.
Community health worker support: Zing Health deploys community health workers embedded in the neighborhoods they serve - if you are facing challenges with transportation, food access, housing instability, or other social needs that affect your health, ask Member Services to connect you with a community health worker who can help navigate local resources
OTC health product allowance: On qualifying Zing plans, your OTC benefit provides an allowance for eligible health and wellness products. Call Member Services to find out your specific allowance amount, how to activate your benefit, and where to use it
Dental, vision, and hearing: Use your included annual benefits for covered cleanings, eye exams, eyewear, and hearing services where available. Call Member Services for in-network provider referrals in the Chicago metro area
Non-emergency medical transportation: Qualifying Zing plans include transportation support for medical appointments. Call Member Services in advance to schedule rides to and from your appointments
D-SNP dual-benefit coordination: If you qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid, ask Member Services whether a Zing Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan is available in your county and how it coordinates your combined benefits under a single plan
Availability
Zing Health Medicare Advantage plans are primarily available in select counties in the Chicago metropolitan area in Illinois, including Cook County and surrounding counties - confirm your specific ZIP code eligibility with a licensed agent before comparing plan options, as availability is county-specific.
What to Verify Before Enrolling
Zing Health’s model is built around a specific geography and a specific population - which means the questions you need answered before enrolling are more targeted than they would be with a national carrier. Work through each of these checkpoints carefully so you know exactly what you are committing to and how to get the most from your coverage on day one.
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Whether your specific county and ZIP code falls within Zing Health’s current service area in Illinois - coverage is concentrated in Cook County and select surrounding counties in the Chicago metro, but availability is plan- and county-specific and should be confirmed before comparing
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Whether your primary care physician, key specialists, and preferred hospitals participate in Zing Health’s provider network for your county - their HMO model requires in-network care for most services, so network fit is especially important to confirm before enrolling
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The prescription drug formulary for the specific Zing Health plan available in your county, including your medications’ tier placements, any prior authorization or step therapy requirements, and which retail pharmacies qualify as preferred in their Part D network
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The exact copay and cost-sharing amounts for primary care visits, specialist visits, urgent care, emergency room use, and inpatient hospital stays on the specific plan you are considering, along with the plan’s annual maximum out-of-pocket limit for in-network services
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Your eligibility for any dual-eligible (Medicare-Medicaid) or low-income subsidy benefits that may affect premium amounts, cost-sharing reductions, or access to supplemental benefits - and whether the specific Zing Health plan you are considering is structured as a Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) or a standard Medicare Advantage plan
Contact Zing Health Directly
Whether you want to verify that your doctor is in Zing’s network, ask about your OTC allowance, or find out whether a D-SNP plan is available in your county, their Member Services team is the authoritative source for your plan-specific questions. Have your member ID ready when you call, and use the contact details below to reach Zing Health directly.
Member Services
1-833-946-4968Website
www.zinghealth.comContact information is provided for reference and may change. Always verify current contact details on Zing Health’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 Zing Health Availability in Your Area
If you are a Medicare beneficiary in the Chicago area who has wondered whether there is a plan that was actually built with your community in mind - rather than adapted for it after the fact - Zing Health may be worth a serious look. Enter your ZIP code below and a licensed agent will pull every plan available in your county, walk you through how Zing’s network and benefits compare to your other options, and help you decide whether this is the right fit for where you are and how you use your healthcare.
Quick Medicare Review
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