Normally offering lower premiums and more perks, Medicare Advantage (MA) plans hold much appeal to seniors over Original Medicare coverage. Despite being designed with managed care restrictions and more limited provider networks, Medicare Advantage plans have been steadily drawing Medicare eligible seniors away from Original Medicare. As of December 2021, more than 27.3 million Americans were enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. That's an increase of more than 55% from December 2016 Medicare Advantage enrollment levels. By comparison, during this same five-year period, the total Medicare eligible population grew by only about 11%.
The growth in Medicare Advantage enrollment nationally is mirrored in the twelve-state Southeastern region. Over the last five years MA plan enrollment in the Southeast grew at an average rate of 10.3% per year, whereas during this same period the region's Medicare eligible population grew at a rate of only 2.2% per year. A further examination of the Southeast's Medicare Advantage enrollment growth by state from December 2016 to December 2021 provides the following details:
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The Southeast's Medicare Advantage Enrollment Growth by State |
| Medicare Eligible * | MA Enrollment * | Annual % Growth | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Dec-21 | Dec-16 | Dec-21 | Dec-16 | Eligible | MedAdv | ||
| AL | 1,073.4 | 999.6 | 548.0 | 263.0 | 1.4% | 15.8% | ||
| AR | 653.6 | 613.8 | 225.1 | 125.8 | 1.3% | 12.3% | ||
| FL | 4,808.6 | 4,215.7 | 2,483.2 | 1,727.3 | 2.7% | 7.5% | ||
| GA | 1,817.5 | 1,602.5 | 870.3 | 533.0 | 2.6% | 10.3% | ||
| KY | 953.5 | 889.5 | 418.3 | 241.1 | 1.4% | 11.7% | ||
| LA | 903.3 | 825.2 | 428.6 | 258.7 | 1.8% | 10.6% | ||
| MS | 618.3 | 578.7 | 187.9 | 90.1 | 1.3% | 15.8% | ||
| NC | 2,086.9 | 1,847.3 | 944.7 | 564.6 | 2.5% | 10.8% | ||
| SC | 1,137.7 | 987.5 | 413.0 | 231.2 | 2.9% | 12.3% | ||
| TN | 1,408.6 | 1,280.5 | 646.0 | 453.5 | 1.9% | 7.3% | ||
| VA | 1,585.7 | 1,417.1 | 470.5 | 205.0 | 2.3% | 18.1% | ||
| WV | 444.1 | 427.6 | 175.4 | 101.9 | 0.8% | 11.5% | ||
| Region | 17,491.2 | 15,685.0 | 7,810.9 | 4,795.1 | 2.2% | 10.3% | ||
| 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
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