This data spotlight examines changes in the availability and premiums of private Medicare Advantage options for Medicare beneficiaries in 2010 as the annual open enrollment period begins.  

While the number of plans available in 2010 declined somewhat from 2009, the analysis finds that Medicare beneficiaries on average have 33 Medicare Advantage plans to choose from.  For Medicare Advantage enrollees who stay in the same plan in 2010, monthly premiums will increase by 32 percent on average, with a steeper 78 percent average increase for enrollees in private fee-for-service plans who do not switch plans.

This data spotlight is one in a series looking at the 2010 Medicare Advantage plan options and trends around the Medicare Advantage plan.  These spotlights were prepared by a team of researchers at Mathematica Policy Research Inc. and the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Data Spotlight (.pdf)