Offering typically lower premium costs and enhanced benefits, Medicare Advantage (MA) plans are widely viewed by consumers as a stronger value than Original Medicare coverage.  Even with managed care protocols and more limited provider networks, Medicare Advantage plans have been consistently pulling Medicare eligible seniors away from Original Medicare coverage.  As of December 2021, MA enrollment topped 27.3 million Americans, an enrollment level that was more than 55% higher than where it was in December 2016.  In contrast, during the same five-year timespan the total Medicare eligible population was up only about 11%.

The growing popularity of MA plans across the U.S. is also found in the seven-state Great Plains region. In the last five years Medicare Advantage enrollment in the Great Plains region grew at an average rate of 15.6% per year, almost eight times faster than the annual growth rate in the region's Medicare eligible population over the same time period.  Closer examination of Medicare enrollment data reveals the following details about Medicare Advantage enrollment growth by state in the Great Plains region from December 2016 to December 2021:

Medicare Advantage Enrollment Growth by State in the Great Plains Region

	Medicare Eligible *			MA Enrollment *			Annual % Growth
State	Dec-21	Dec-16		Dec-21	Dec-16		Eligible	MedAdv
IA	650.1	593.6		170.7	92.5		1.8%	13.0%
KS	558.7	504.9		142.0	70.9		2.0%	14.9%
MN	1,075.8	957.9		508.2	160.7		2.3%	25.9%
MO	1,269.7	1,177.2		565.3	351.4		1.5%	10.0%
NE	361.5	326.5		82.8	38.2		2.1%	16.7%
ND	138.2	122.7		8.7	2.0		2.4%	34.1%
SD	184.7	163.7		19.5	8.3		2.4%	18.5%
Region	4,238.8	3,846.4		1,497.2	724.0		2.0%	15.6%
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