In order to contain costs, the PPACA cuts Medicare Advantage by $156 billion from 2013 to 2022, according to the Congressional Budget Office. However, despite concerns that the cuts could lead to a drop in enrollment, the number of beneficiaries opting to sign up for Medicare Advantage plans has risen considerably since the healthcare reform law was enacted.
Here are five key findings on Medicare Advantage enrollment in recent years, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
1. Since the PPACA was enacted, Medicare Advantage enrollment has risen by 4.6 million beneficiaries, or by 41 percent.
2. As of March 2014, 30 percent (15.7 million) of Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, up 10 percent from March 2013.
3. HMOs account for 64 percent of Medicare Advantage enrollment in 2014.
4. In 2014, 31 percent of Medicare Advantage enrollees are in a local or regional PPO.
5. Medicare Advantage enrollment in 2014 is concentrated among a small number of health insurers, with six companies accounting for 72 percent of the market: UnitedHealthcare (20 percent), Humana (17 percent), Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliated plans (17 percent), Kaiser Permanente (8 percent), Aetna (7 percent) and Cigna (3 percent).
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