Medicare Advantage Plan Count Rises 10%

A comparison of the file for 2018 with a similar file for 2017 shows that:

• The total number of plans will increase 10% next year, to 38,110.

• The number of plans with no monthly out-of-pocket premium payments for the enrollees increased to 11,933 for 2018, up 22% from the 2017 zero-premium plan count. 

• The cost of the median 2018 plan is $43 per month. That’s for a local preferred provider organization plan in Jefferson County, West Virginia, with a $6,700 annual out-of-pocket maximum.

• The cost of the median 2017 plan was $47 per month, for a local PPO plan in Davidson County, North Carolina, with a $4,500 annual out-pocket maximum.

CMS expects enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans to increase 9% in 2018, to 20 million.

The Medicare Advantage program gives private insurers the ability to offer what amounts to an alternative to traditional Medicare coverage. 

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