As nearly 30 million Americans already know, Medicare Advantage delivers affordable, comprehensive, high-quality health coverage. But Medicare Advantage plans also provide far-reaching, long-term advantages, driven by robust competition among health insurance providers in the Medicare Advantage market.
The result is lower costs, more choices, and better access to benefits for millions of seniors and people with disabilities.
In 2023, Medicare Advantage will offer even greater plan choices to Medicare-eligible Americans. In fact, Medicare Advantage is projected to increase enrollment while decreasing premiums – demonstrating a healthy program with robust competition that continues to deliver value for both enrollees and taxpayers. Heres’ how:
Lower Costs
The Medicare Advantage average monthly premium for 2023 is $18 per month, a decline of nearly 8% from the 2022 average premium.
Just under 94% of counties* and about 99% of Medicare Advantage-eligible Americans will have access to at least one Medicare Advantage Part D prescription drug plan with a $0 total premium (Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug coverage) in 2023.
Two-thirds (66%) of all Medicare Advantage Part D prescription drug plans have no premium for 2023.
More Choices
Medicare Advantage plans are available to nearly every Medicare-eligible American, and the choice among plans is increasing: Nearly 98% of Medicare Advantage-eligible Americans will have a choice from among at least 10 Medicare Advantage plans in their county in 2023 – up from both 2021 and 2022.**
More choices are available to Medicare-eligible Americans living in rural areas as well. The total number of Medicare Advantage plan options in rural counties has more than doubled, increasing to more than 12,200 in 2023 from about 5,500 in 2022.
Americans have more choices than ever before for plans that address specific health needs such as diabetes, heart disease, dementia, or HIV/AIDS; individuals who require institutional level of care; or those dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid services.
Better Access to Benefits
Competition among Medicare Advantage plans is driving expanded benefits offerings to seniors and people with disabilities.
- In 2023, at least 97% of individual Medicare Advantage plans offer vision, fitness, telehealth, hearing or dental benefits.
- Over 99% of Medicare-eligible Americans have access to at least one Medicare Advantage plan offering dental, fitness, vision, and hearing benefits for 2023 – benefits not included with original Medicare.
- The vast majority of Medicare-eligible Americans have access to one or more Medicare Advantage plans that offer telehealth benefits (over 99%), over-the-counter items (99%), a meal benefit (99%), transportation assistance (98%), and/or in-home support services (87%).
Health insurance providers are committed to fostering robust competition in order to provide Americans with more choices, better quality, and lower costs. Medicare Advantage is a prime example of the broad-ranging benefits that Americans can enjoy year after year as a result of successful market competition.
Whether it’s offering more choices for the health plan that fits a person’s needs, more widespread availability of high-quality, integrated health coverage, or greater access to health plans with $0 premium and drug coverage, competition in the Medicare Advantage market is helping drive immense value for the millions of Americans the program serves.
*AHIP analysis of Landscape and Premium files, available online at https://www.cms.gov/medicare/prescription-drug-coverage/prescriptiondrugcovgenin
** Total counties and data on eligible based on the September 2022 CMS “MA State/County Penetration 2022 09” file available online at https://www.cms.gov/research-s... and the Landscape files available online at https://www.cms.gov/medicare/p.... Note the Landscape files contain data on plans in Puerto Rico, but not the other territories.