Medicare Blog

how many seniors use medicare advantage

by Tiffany Vandervort Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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More than 28.5 million patients are now enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, according to new federal data. That's up nearly 9% compared with the same time last year. More than 40% of the more than 63 million people enrolled in Medicare are now in an MA plan.Jan 31, 2022

Full Answer

How much does the average senior spend on Medicare Advantage?

Meanwhile, the average senior with Medicare Advantage spends less than $3,400 on their insurance each year. MA enrollees tend to have better health outcomes than their peers covered by traditional Medicare.

How many people are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans?

Between 2019 and 2020, total Medicare Advantage enrollment grew by about 2.1 million beneficiaries, or 9 percent – nearly the same growth rate as the prior year. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that the share of all Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans will rise to about 51 percent by 2030.

Why is Medicare Advantage so popular among enrollees?

Taken together, it's no surprise Medicare Advantage is so popular among enrollees. According to the Better Medicare Alliance, 98% of beneficiaries are satisfied with their coverage.

Could Medicare Advantage save the government $7 billion a year?

If every senior with Advantage had been enrolled in traditional Medicare, the government could have saved a whopping $7 billion — less than 1% of overall Medicare spending. In other words, the extra spending is a blip on the federal balance sheet.

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What percentage of people on Medicare have Medicare Advantage?

Medicare served nearly 63 million beneficiaries in 2019. 62 percent were enrolled in Part A or Part B, and the rest (37 percent) were in Medicare Advantage (Part C).

How popular is Medicare Advantage?

All that marketing seems to be working. Recently, 42 percent of Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in Advantage plans, up from 31 percent in 2016, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Those numbers include 50 percent of Black and 54 percent of Hispanic enrollees vs. 36 percent of whites in 2018.

How many Medicare Advantage lives are there?

2022 was another banner year for Medicare Advantage. The program now boasts 28 million participants, which represent 45% of all Medicare beneficiaries. This marks a +3% point improvement in penetration over 2021 and a total program enrollment growth of +9%.

What are the negatives of a Medicare Advantage plan?

Medicare Advantage can become expensive if you're sick, due to uncovered copays. Additionally, a plan may offer only a limited network of doctors, which can interfere with a patient's choice. It's not easy to change to another plan. If you decide to switch to a Medigap policy, there often are lifetime penalties.

Why are more people choosing Medicare Advantage?

Higher Quality and Better Outcomes. Medicare Advantage provides beneficiaries with personalized, higher-quality care that leads to better outcomes. Research shows: Hospital readmission rates are 13% to 20% lower in Medicare Advantage than in Medicare Fee-For-Service.

What is the future of Medicare Advantage?

After a 9 percent increase from 2021 to 2022, enrollment in the Medicare Advantage (MA) program is expected to surpass 50 percent of the eligible Medicare population within the next year. At its current rate of growth, MA is on track to reach 69 percent of the Medicare population by the end of 2030.

Who sells the most Medicare Advantage plans?

UnitedHealthcareStandout feature: UnitedHealthcare offers the largest Medicare Advantage network of all companies, with more than 1 million network care providers. UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans and offers plans in nearly three-quarters of U.S. counties.

What are the top 3 Medicare Advantage plans?

The Best Medicare Advantage Provider by State Local plans can be high-quality and reasonably priced. Blue Cross Blue Shield, Humana and United Healthcare earn the highest rankings among the national carriers in many states.

How long has Medicare Advantage been around?

What is Medicare Advantage? Since 1997, Medicare enrollees have had the option of opting for Medicare Advantage instead of Original Medicare. Medicare Advantage plans often incorporate additional benefits, including Part D coverage and extras such as dental and vision as well as additionals supplemental benefits.

Can you switch back to Medicare from Medicare Advantage?

Yes, you can elect to switch to traditional Medicare from your Medicare Advantage plan during the Medicare Open Enrollment period, which runs from October 15 to December 7 each year. Your coverage under traditional Medicare will begin January 1 of the following year.

Do Medicare Advantage plan premiums increase with age?

The way they set the price affects how much you pay now and in the future. Generally the same monthly premium is charged to everyone who has the Medigap policy, regardless of age. Your premium isn't based on your age. Premiums may go up because of inflation and other factors, but not because of your age.

Can I switch from an Advantage plan to a supplement?

If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, it is against the law for a company to sell you a Medicare Supplement insurance plan, unless you are planning to switch to Original Medicare.

A whole-person approach

Our Medicare Advantage (MA) plans grew out of this need for an integrated health benefit. In addition to services covered by Medicare, our MA plans offer a pharmacy benefit and access to supplemental benefits like vision, dental and hearing.

Evolving our plans

We’ve also heard from members that they’re pleased to see us in their communities. We prioritize outreach efforts such as our member education events, where questions can be asked one-on-one with BlueCross representatives.

When did Medicare Advantage start?

When the program was implemented in 2004, the new funding for private plans was imme­diately directed to enhancing benefits and reducing beneficiary costs.

Why did Congress create Medicare Advantage?

Medicare Advantage is the latest generation of private health plan competition in Medicare, a fea­ture of the Medicare program since 1972 when Congress enacted legislation to allow health mainte­nance organizations (HMOs) to provide coverage for Medicare beneficiaries.

What happened to Medicare Plus Choice?

The effort, plagued with unintended consequences, backfired: With the enactment of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 and the creation of the Medicare Plus Choice program, Congress changed the payment policy and autho­rized the Medicare bureaucracy to set in place a series of new regulations on private plans.

What was the original Medicare Part C?

While best known for creating the costly universal prescription drug entitlement, the Act also replaced Medicare Plus Choice (Medicare Part C)—a program created under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 that allowed Medi­care recipients to choose coverage from among several private plans—with Medicare Advantage.

What percentage of Medicare enrollment is expected to be in 2013?

The Congressional Budget Office projected that enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans would reach only 16 percent by 2013, and the Department of Health and Human Services projected an enrollment close to 30 percent.

What is the current Medicare payment system?

In traditional Medicare, doctors and hospitals are paid through a complex system of pricing with fixed payments for hospital services based on hundreds of diagnostic categories , fee schedules for thousands of physicians' services , and ancillary formulas gov­erning annual payment adjustments and updates.

What is benchmark payment for Medicare?

Under the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, the Secretary Health and Human Services (HHS) determines a benchmark payment equal to the maxi­mum amount that Medicare will pay private health plans for providing all Medicare Parts A and B benefits and hospital and physician services in a given geo­graphic area.

How many people are on Medicare in 2019?

In 2019, over 61 million people were enrolled in the Medicare program. Nearly 53 million of them were beneficiaries for reasons of age, while the rest were beneficiaries due to various disabilities.

What is Medicare in the US?

Matej Mikulic. Medicare is a federal social insurance program and was introduced in 1965. Its aim is to provide health insurance to older and disabled people. In 2018, 17.8 percent of all people in the United States were covered by Medicare.

Which state has the most Medicare beneficiaries?

With over 6.1 million, California was the state with the highest number of Medicare beneficiaries . The United States spent nearly 800 billion U.S. dollars on the Medicare program in 2019. Since Medicare is divided into several parts, Medicare Part A and Part B combined were responsible for the largest share of spending.

What is Medicare inpatient?

Hospital inpatient services – as included in Part A - are the service type which makes up the largest single part of total Medicare spending. Medicare, however, has also significant income, which amounted also to some 800 billion U.S. dollars in 2019.

How many people will be enrolled in Medicare Advantage in 2020?

Enrollment in Medicare Advantage has doubled over the past decade. In 2020, nearly four in ten (39%) of all Medicare beneficiaries – 24.1 million people out of 62.0 million Medicare beneficiaries overall – are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans; this rate has steadily increased over time since the early 2000s.

What percentage of Medicare Advantage plans are high quality?

11. The majority (78%) of Medicare Advantage enrollees are in plans that receive high quality ratings (4 or more stars) and related bonus payments. In 2020, more than three-quarters (78%) of Medicare Advantage enrollees are in plans with quality ratings of 4 or more stars, an increase from 2019 (72%).

How much does Medicare Advantage pay in 2020?

However, 18 percent of beneficiaries in MA-PDs (2.8 million enrollees) pay at least $50 per month, including 6 percent who pay $100 or more per month, in addition to the monthly Part B premium. The MA-PD premium includes both the cost of Medicare-covered Part A and Part B benefits and Part D prescription drug coverage. Among MA-PD enrollees who pay a premium for their plan, the average premium is $63 per month. Altogether, including those who do not pay a premium, the average MA-PD enrollee pays $25 per month in 2020.

How many Medicare Advantage enrollees are in a plan that requires higher cost sharing than the Part A hospital

Nearly two-thirds (64%) of Medicare Advantage enrollees are in a plan that requires higher cost sharing than the Part A hospital deductible in traditional Medicare for a 7-day inpatient stay, and more than 7 in 10 (72%) are in a plan that requires higher cost sharing for a 10-day inpatient stay.

How much is the deductible for Medicare Advantage 2020?

In contrast, under traditional Medicare, when beneficiaries require an inpatient hospital stay, there is a deductible of $1,408 in 2020 (for one spell of illness) with no copayments until day 60 of an inpatient stay.

What percentage of Medicare beneficiaries are in Miami-Dade County?

Within states, Medicare Advantage penetration varies widely across counties. For example, in Florida, 71 percent of all beneficiaries living in Miami-Dade County are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans compared to only 14 percent of beneficiaries living in Monroe County (Key West).

What is the analysis of Medicare Advantage 2020?

It also includes analyses of Medicare Advantage plans’ extra benefits and prior authorization requirements. The analysis also highlights changes pertaining to Medicare Advantage coverage that have occurred in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 crisis. 1. Enrollment in Medicare Advantage has doubled over the past decade.

How many Medicare Advantage subscribers are there in 2019?

Whereas in 2014, Medicare Advantage had about 16.2 million subscribers, by 2019 that number rose to nearly 23 million . As a whole, Medicare appears to be growing as the competition for benefits progresses.

How many people are on medicare in 2020?

About 19 million people enrolled when Medicare first started. By 2020, that number grew to nearly 63 million. Overall, how many people per state enroll in Medicare?

What is Medicare Supplement?

Medicare Supplement (Medigap) – Supplements help pay expenses for hospital and medical services left by Original Medicare, with each Medigap plan standardized to cover specific expenses like deductibles, co-pays, and co-insurance.

What is Medicare count?

Counting Medicare enrollees per year and per month. Generally meant by the term Medicare health plan are Medicare-approved health insurance products that works in addition to having Original Medicare. As a means of getting benefits that can exceed Medicare, you can choose from Medicare health plans: Medicare Advantage (Part C) ...

What is the number to call for Medicare?

Dial (800) 950-0608 with your Medicare questions. With the aim of helping older Americans buy health insurance, Medicare became part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “Great Society” vision created in 1965. Although Medicare eligibility has nothing to do with income levels, it can provide healthcare both for Americans with disabilities as well as ...

Which states have the highest Medicare enrollment?

Overall, California, Florida and Texas have the highest number of people enrolled in Medicare. They are the only three states whose Medicare members exceed four million. Of course, California holding the title of most populous state translates to a higher Medicare population.

How many people in Texas have Medicare?

Nonetheless, nearly 16% of its massive population of 39.5 million has Medicare, totaling about 6.3 million individuals. With Texas as the second most populous U.S. state, as of 2019, roughly 14% of Texas’ population has Medicare. By comparison, the state of Maine has over 25% of its population on Medicare.

What Is Medicare Advantage?

Medicare Advantage (also known as Part C) plans are provided by private insurers and essentially replace Original Medicare as your primary insurance. They cover all Medicare-covered benefits and may also provide additional benefits like some dental, hearing, vision and fitness coverage.

What Are the Benefits of Medicare Advantage?

Medicare Advantage plans provide all the same benefits provided by Original Medicare, plus coverage for items and services not covered by Original Medicare, including some vision, some dental, hearing and wellness programs like gym memberships.

How Much Does Medicare Advantage Cost?

Many Medicare Advantage plans have a $0 premium, so be sure to explore your options. Baethke explains it like this: “If you enroll in a plan that does charge a premium, you must pay this fee every month in addition to your Medicare Part B premium, which is around $149 [or higher, depending on your income].”

What Is Medicare Supplement?

Medicare Supplement plans (commonly known as Medigap plans) are sold by private insurance companies to help fill the gaps of Original Medicare coverage.

What Are the Benefits of a Medicare Supplement Plan?

A Medicare Supplement plan makes your out-of-pocket costs more predictable and easier to budget.

How Much Does a Medicare Supplement Plan Cost?

The estimated average monthly premium (the amount you pay monthly) for a Medicare Supplement plan can range from $150 to around $200, depending on the state you live in and your insurer.

Sources

NORC at the University of Chicago. Innovative Approaches to Addressing Social Determinants of Health for Medicare Advantage Beneficiaries. Better Medical Alliance. Accessed 9/6/21.

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