Medicare Advantage Represents a Growing Share of Medicare Enrollment

June 16, 2022 - Medicare Advantage enrollment is on the rise across the United States, with more than 100 congressional districts boasting Medicare Advantage coverage of 50 percent or higher, according to an enrollment map from Better Medicare Alliance.

Better Medicare Alliance used April 2022 CMS state and county enrollment data in order to assess how much Medicare Advantage plans have penetrated marketplaces across the country.

In 2022, 123 congressional districts saw Medicare Advantage plans account for 50 percent or more of Medicare enrollment. More than 30 states had more than 40 percent of their Medicare beneficiaries covered by Medicare Advantage plans.

“Better Medicare Alliance’s newly-updated enrollment map, populated with 2022 CMS data, provides a powerful visual representation of the strength of Medicare Advantage across the country, as more and more seniors and individuals with disabilities make an active choice for MA’s lower costs, better outcomes, coordinated care, and enhanced benefits,” said Mary Beth Donahue, president and chief executive officer of the Better Medicare Alliance (BMA).

Alabama, Michigan, and Florida all took the lead, tying for first place among the top ten states that had the highest Medicare Advantage penetration levels in the US. The three states reported that 53 percent of their Medicare beneficiaries were in Medicare Advantage plans.

These states were followed by Hawaii, Connecticut, Maine, and Oregon which all had 51 percent penetration. Georgia, Louisiana, and Minnesota each boasted 49 percent penetration.

While Alabama, Michigan, and Florida had the highest level of Medicare Advantage penetration among the states, districts in Florida, New York, Texas, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania had the top ten highest penetration among all of the congressional districts. 

The top three congressional districts for Medicare Advantage enrollment were Florida’s 24th congressional district which had 76 percent Medicare Advantage enrollment, New York’s 15th congressional district which had 73 percent Medicare Advantage enrollment, and New York’s 25th congressional district which had 71 percent Medicare Advantage enrollment.

These high enrollment rates are also important because they contribute to the diverse range of Medicare beneficiaries who enroll in Medicare Advantage plans.

“BMA’s Medicare Advantage enrollment map depicts not only the continued strength of Medicare Advantage today but the rich diversity of the communities it serves. We must not ignore that many of the regions with the highest Medicare Advantage enrollment rates are also among the most diverse,” said Elena Rios, MD, president and chief executive officer of the National Hispanic Medical Association.

“With this map in hand, policymakers are well equipped to pinpoint Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in their communities and advocate for their needs in Washington.”

The results have strong implications not only for the beneficiaries who are selecting Medicare Advantage plans, but also for policymakers in Washington DC.

“In this data, we see a continuing shift as Democratic districts now lead the growth in Medicare Advantage. This has important policy and political implications,” Kenneth Thorpe, chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management in the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and chair of the Better Medicare Alliance board of directors, explained in the press release. 

“With polling showing that 92% of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries believe a candidate’s support for MA is important to earning their vote, lawmakers have a powerful incentive to continue standing up for the health coverage their constituents choose and deserve.”

The data marked an increase over the past year’s penetration. In 2021, 90 districts saw Medicare beneficiary enrollment in Medicare Advantage surpass 50 percent of Medicare enrollment, compared to 123 in 2022.

In 2021, Medicare Advantage received bipartisan support in Congress. Since then, support remained strong and this stance was reiterated in 2022 when over 340 members of the US House of Representatives wrote to CMS in support of Medicare Advantage.