Medicare Advantage Market Share in the Rocky Mountain Region

Thanks to additional benefits and usually lower costs than regular Medicare coverage, Medicare Advantage (MA) Plans have much to offer cost-sensitive Medicare eligible individuals. Despite utilizing sometimes unpopular managed care protocols to control costs, MA plans, with their more compelling value propositions, have been attracting growing numbers of Medicare eligible seniors away from regular Medicare coverage.  In slightly over four years, from October 2016 through January 2021, the market share of MA plans across the U.S. has grown from under 31% of Medicare eligible seniors to slightly more than 41%.

The growing popularity of Medicare Advantage plans nationally is mirrored in the five-state Rocky Mountain region of the U.S., where MA plan enrollment has grown from an approximate 29.9% share of the Medicare eligible market in October 2016 to a 38.5% share as of January 2021.  Here is a state-by-state look at how Medicare Advantage market share in the Rocky Mountain region has expanded from October 2016 to January 2021:

Medicare Advantage Market Share in the Rocky Mountain Region

	Medicare Eligible (1)			MA Enrollment (1)			% MA Market Share
State	Jan-21	Oct-16		Jan-21	Oct-16		Jan-21	Oct-16
CO	948.5	829.9		425.3	274.4		44.8%	33.1%
ID	352.1	294.7		138.2	93.7		39.2%	31.8%
MT	239.7	209.6		52.7	41.6		22.0%	19.8%
UT	418.2	359.3		176.7	123.7		42.3%	34.4%
WY	115.1	98.9		4.9	2.6		4.3%	2.6%
Region	2,073.6	1,792.5		797.9	536.0		38.5%	29.9%
Total (2)	62,741.5	56,888.7		25,936.7	17,489.5		41.3%	30.7%

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

(2) includes U.S. territories

Source:  Medicare Monthly Enrollment Reports