Thanks to typically lower premium costs and more perks, Medicare Advantage (MA) plans are widely viewed by consumers as a better value than Original Medicare.  Despite often having managed care limitations and reduced provider choices, Medicare Advantage plans are drawing more and more Medicare eligible seniors away from Original Medicare.  As of December 2021, about 27.3 million Americans were enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, a figure that was up more than 55% from December 2016 levels.  In comparison, during this same five-year time span the Medicare eligible population as a whole only grew by about 11%.

The increased popularity of Medicare Advantage plans nationally is likewise seen in the five-state Great Lakes region of the country, where MA plan enrollment grew at an average rate of 10.1% per year over the past five years, nearly six times faster than the rate of growth of the region's Medicare eligible population during this period.  Here is a closer look at Medicare Advantage enrollment growth by state in the Great Lakes region over the last five years:

Medicare Advantage Enrollment Growth by State in the Great Lakes Region

	Medicare Eligible *			MA Enrollment *			Annual % Growth
State	Dec-21	Dec-16		Dec-21	Dec-16		Eligible	MedAdv
IL	2,301.8	2,137.4		712.2	411.8		1.5%	11.6%
IN	1,305.6	1,192.0		531.3	296.4		1.8%	12.4%
MI	2,141.9	1,964.7		1,080.4	640.9		1.7%	11.0%
OH	2,415.4	2,228.5		1,110.2	752.2		1.6%	8.1%
WI	1,235.0	1,097.4		567.3	370.8		2.4%	8.9%
Region	9,399.7	8,620.0		4,001.5	2,472.2		1.7%	10.1%
U.S.**	63,710.0	57,388.1		27,294.4	17,562.2		2.1%	9.2%

* Medicare Eligible and MA Enrollment numbers in thousands, as of December 2021 and December 2016
** U.S. totals include territories
Numbers may not total due to rounding

Source: Medicare Monthly Enrollment by State Reports