Health insurers will be offering more Medicare Advantage plans in 2016, and a few more zero-premium plans, but budget pressure may show up in enrollees’ out-of-pocket costs.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted the final 2016 private Medicare plan summary information for 2016 in big, compressed data files.
The files list the Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare Part D prescription drug plans, Medicare Special Needs Plans (SNPs) and Medicare-Medicaid Plans insurers will offer to Medicare plan enrollees during the 2016 open enrollment period, which is set to start Oct. 15 and end Dec. 7.
See also: 5 things you have to know about 2015 private Medicare plans
The files do not list Medicare supplement insurance plans.
The Medicare Advantage program gives insurers a chance to sell plans that serve as an alternative for traditional Medicare coverage.
CMS officials say 95 percent of Medicare enrollees will have access to a Medicare Advantage plan with a monthly premium of $0.