Analysis Finds Record 3,148 Medicare Advantage Plans Will be Available in 2020
A record 3,148 Medicare Advantage plans will be available across the country as alternatives to traditional Medicare, a new KFF analysis finds.
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A record 3,148 Medicare Advantage plans will be available across the country as alternatives to traditional Medicare, a new KFF analysis finds.
Medicare Advantage plans gain beneficiaries from traditional Medicare who have lower average spending and use fewer health services than similar beneficiaries who choose to remain in traditional Medicare, according to a new KFF analysis.
The analysis examines enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans during beneficiaries’ first year on Medicare and finds that less than one-third or 29% enrolled in these private health plans, including HMOs or PPOs. The majority of people new to Medicare are choosing traditional Medicare in the year they first go on Medicare. The study looks at how these findings vary across age, Medicaid status, states, and counties.
Number of Coronavirus Cases, Distribution of $30B in CARES Act funding and Medicare Advantage Penetration by StateStateNumber ofCOVID-19 Cases on April 21, 2020Percent of Total COVID-19 CasesFirst Distribution of CARES Act PaymentsPercent of Total Money DistributedPercent of Medicare Beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage, 2020New York253,400.0032.1%$1,859,574,4346.2%40%New Jersey88,806.0011.3%$919,426,8013.1%29%Massachusetts39,643.005.0%$841,425,1202.8%23%Pennsylvania34,005.004.3%$1,246,250,0764.2%41%California33,866.004.3%$2,920,960,7339.7%40%Michigan32,000.004.1%$936,700,1393.1%42%Illinois31,508.004.0%$1,204,103,1804.0%25%Florida27,058.003.4%$2,220,563,1377.4%43%Louisiana24,523.003.1%$474,891,7351.6%38%Connecticut19,815.002.5%$377,981,2571.3%41%Texas20,087.002.5%$2,089,066,4527.0%37%Georgia19,398.002.5%$792,069,1602.6%37%Maryland14,193.001.8%$742,225,3062.5%11%Ohio12,919.001.6%$989,773,4173.3%39%Washington12,486.001.6%$553,838,8061.8%33%Indiana11,688.001.5%$668,604,6142.2%32%Colorado10,112.001.3%$360,905,4821.2%38%Virginia9,097.001.2%$814,360,4672.7%21%Tennessee7,238.000.9%$739,723,3472.5%38%North Carolina6,979.000.9%$919,171,0873.1%36%Missouri5,963.000.8%$618,601,1672.1%35%Rhode Island5,090.000.6%$90,459,8340.3%39%Arizona5,068.000.6%$707,587,4822.4%39%Alabama5,092.000.6%$449,481,9451.5%41%Mississippi4,512.000.6%$374,847,7901.2%20%Wisconsin4,541.000.6%$471,681,0771.6%42%South Carolina4,439.000.6%$518,022,4631.7%28%Nevada3,830.000.5%$241,471,8410.8%36%Utah3,213.000.4%$185,292,4220.6%36%Iowa3,159.000.4%$297,929,1711.0%22%Kentucky3,050.000.4%$452,761,1711.5%34%District of Columbia3,098.000.4%$84,989,0990.3%20%Delaware2,745.000.3%$154,114,1180.5%17%Oklahoma2,680.000.3%$489,853,9981.6%22%Minnesota2,470.000.3%$472,206,1221.6%43%Kansas2,070.000.3%$325,135,9501.1%19%Oregon1,956.000.2%$291,029,0251.0%42%Arkansas1,990.000.3%$326,536,0431.1%26%New Mexico1,971.000.2%$169,486,1320.6%35%South Dakota1,685.000.2%$107,650,2010.4%19%Idaho1,736.000.2%$135,028,0560.5%33%Nebraska1,648.000.2%$225,027,9120.8%17%New Hampshire1,447.000.2%$164,580,3860.5%19%Puerto Rico1,298.000.2%$41,889,8220.1%70%West Virginia908.000.1%$246,574,8510.8%31%Maine875.000.1%$145,763,8120.5%36%Vermont816.000.1%$54,457,8700.
Medicare Part D plan sponsors, which provide drug coverage to 45 million older adults and people with disabilities, have the option to relax their ‘refill too soon’ restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as part of efforts to ensure adequate access to medications in disasters or emergencies. This analysis examines the share of Part D enrollees who currently have access to extended supplies of generic, brand-name, and specialty-tier drugs covered by their plan in 2020, prior to relaxation of any early-fill restrictions in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit is provided by private plans, either Medicare Advantage plans that offer drug coverage (MA-PDs) or, for those in traditional Medicare, stand-alone prescription drug plans (PDPs). New data from CMS shows that 56 million people are enrolled in Part D plans as of February 2026, with more in MA-PDs than PDPs, reflecting higher overall enrollment in Medicare Advantage than in traditional Medicare. Enrollment in group MA-PD plans decreased while group PDP enrollment increased.
In the face of rising prescription drug costs, a large majority of the public supports federal efforts to lower drug spending. Policymakers are considering several proposals that would lower prescription drug costs. To better understand the potential out-of-pocket cost exposure that Medicare beneficiaries may face for Part B drugs, which are typically administered by physicians and other health care providers, we analyzed cost-sharing liability for these drugs in traditional Medicare and cost-sharing requirements in Medicare Advantage plans.
This brief provides an overview of the major health-related COVID-19 federal emergency declarations that have been made since early on in the pandemic, summarizes the flexibilities triggered by each, and identifies the implications for their ending, related to coverage, costs, and payment for COVID-19 testing, treatments, and vaccines; Medicaid coverage and federal match rates; telehealth; access to medical countermeasures through FDA emergency use authorization (EUA); and other Medicaid, Medicare and private health insurance flexibilities.
Earlier this week, the Biden Administration announced the final Medicare Advantage rates for 2023, which are projected to result in an average increase in Medicare Advantage plan revenue of 8.5% compared to 2022 - the highest average expected increase in recent years.
Using Medicare Advantage encounter data, this analysis finds that 62% of Medicare Advantage enrollees have at least one chart review record and that diagnoses added from chart reviews increase payments from CMS to insurers for 17% of enrollees. The use of chart reviews varies across the largest Medicare Advantage insurers.
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