Managed Medicaid plans whip commercial plans

Public health programs continued to increase their share of U.S. enrollees in the first quarter, a tracking firm says. 

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Analysts at Mark Farrah Associates say enrollment in managed Medicaid plans increased to 49 million in the quarter. That was up 9 percent from the total for the first quarter of 2015.

States hire private companies to run managed Medicaid plans. Indianapolis-based Anthem and four other carriers serve about 40 percent of the managed Medicaid enrollees, the analysts say. 

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Mark Farrah analysts are also reporting that:

• Enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans rose 5.2 percent, to 18.2 million.

• Enrollment in fully insured group plans fell 0.8 percent, to 60 million, and enrollment in self-insured group plans rose 1.6 percent, to 118 million.

• The number of people with individual or family coverage they bought themselves rose just 1 percent, to 20.5 million, after increasing 37 percent between the first quarter of 2014 and the first quarter of 2015.

The analysts base their figures on public filings and other sources.