Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, with extra benefits and typically lower costs, offer a great value compared to traditional Medicare. Despite employing sometimes unpopular managed care protocols to control costs, the better value of MA plans continues to draw more and more Medicare-eligible seniors away from traditional Medicare coverage.  In a span of just over six-and-one-half years, from October 2016 through May 2023, the penetration of Medicare Advantage plans across the U.S. has grown from under 31% of Medicare-eligible Americans to a 48% market share.

The growing popularity of MA plans nationally is also seen in the six-state New England region, where Medicare Advantage plan enrollment has grown from an under 22% share of the Medicare-eligible market in October 2016 to over 40% as of May 2023.  Here is a state-by-state look at how Medicare Advantage market share in New England has grown from October 2016 to May 2023:

Medicare Advantage Market Share in New England

	Medicare Eligible (1)			MA Enrollment (1)			% MA Market Share
Area	May-23	Oct-16		May-23	Oct-16		May-23	Oct-16
CT	727.1	643.9		395.2	172.2		54.4%	26.7%
MA	1,415.2	1,250.9		429.4	249.7		30.3%	20.0%
ME	367.4	315.3		202.6	80.3		55.1%	25.5%
NH	330.7	273.9		108.0	22.6		32.7%	8.2%
RI	235.5	208.5		121.8	73.6		51.7%	35.3%
VT	160.5	135.9		48.8	10.4		30.4%	7.6%
Region	3,236.3	2,828.4		1,305.9	608.8		40.3%	21.5%
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