With typically lower premium costs and additional benefits, Medicare Advantage (MA) Plans provide Medicare-eligible seniors with a compelling value proposition in comparison to traditional Medicare coverage. Despite employing sometimes unpopular managed care protocols to control costs, the value appeal of MA plans continues to draw more and more Medicare-eligible seniors away from traditional Medicare coverage.  In a little more than six-and-one-half years, from October 2016 through May 2023, the market share of MA plans across the U.S. has grown from less than 31% of Medicare-eligible Americans to 48%.

The increasing popularity of MA plans nationally is likewise evident in the Great Plains region of the U.S., where Medicare Advantage plan enrollment has grown from an approximate 19% share of the Medicare-eligible market in October 2016 to a 41.5% market share as of May 2023.  Here is a state-by-state look at how Medicare Advantage market share in the Great Plains region has grown from October 2016 to May 2023:

Medicare Advantage Market Share in the Great Plains Region

	Medicare Eligible (1)			MA Enrollment (1)			% MA Market Share
Area	May-23	Oct-16		May-23	Oct-16		May-23	Oct-16
IA	665.8	588.7		219.6	92.5		33.0%	15.7%
KS	572.2	500.2		178.4	70.7		31.2%	14.1%
MN	1,108.9	949.8		581.9	160.5		52.5%	16.9%
MO	1,295.3	1,167.7		662.1	349.7		51.1%	30.0%
NE	371.6	324.0		107.0	38.3		28.8%	11.8%
ND	143.0	121.5		22.2	2.0		15.5%	1.6%
SD	191.2	162.1		31.5	8.3		16.5%	5.1%
Region	4,348.0	3,814.1		1,802.7	722.0		41.5%	18.9%
Total(2)	65,390.9	56,888.7		31,362.0	17,489.5		48.0%	30.7%

(1) in thousands; region totals may not equal the sum of individual states due to rounding adjustments

(2) includes U.S. territories

Source:  Medicare Monthly Enrollment Reports