Medicare Advantage

This analysis examines the extent to which states are providing health benefits to their Medicare-eligible retirees through Medicare Advantage arrangements. In 2024, a majority of states offer Medicare Advantage plans to their state retirees, with 13 offering Medicare Advantage exclusively.

In discussions of Medicare’s financial condition, attention frequently centers on one specific measure—the solvency of the Medicare Hospital Insurance (HI) trust fund, out of which Medicare Part A benefits are paid. Based on current projections from the Medicare Board of Trustees, the HI trust fund is projected to be depleted in 2036, 12 years from now. These FAQs answer key questions about Medicare financing and trust fund solvency.

In 2024, federal spending on Medicare Advantage bonus payments will total at least $11.8 billion, as nearly three-quarters of enrollees are in a plan that received bonus payments. The average bonus payment is higher for employer plans and lowest for special needs plans, raising questions about the implication of the quality bonus program for equity.

This brief analyzes the different types of coverage that people with Medicare have and the demographic characteristics of Medicare beneficiaries with these different coverage types.

This brief examines the share of Medicare beneficiaries who reviewed their coverage and compared plans during the open enrollment period for 2022 (that takes place in the Fall of 2021), and who made use of Medicare’s official information resources, as well as variations by demographic groups. Overall, nearly 7 in 10 Medicare beneficiaries did not compare their own source of Medicare coverage with other Medicare options offered in their area.

With open enrollment less than a month away, a new KFF analysis suggests that the vast majority of the nation’s 67 million Medicare beneficiaries will not shop around among the coverage options for 2025 or switch plans. It’s a decision that could have a significant impact on enrollees’ coverage and…

The FDA recently approved a new use for Wegovy, the blockbuster anti-obesity drug, to reduce the risk of heart attacks and stroke in people with cardiovascular disease who are overweight or obese – a decision that opens the door to Medicare coverage of Wegovy, which is prohibited by law from covering drugs used for obesity. This brief analyses how many Medicare beneficiaries could be eligible for the new use of Wegovy and the potential impact on Medicare spending.

In a new analysis, KFF finds that 3.6 million people with Medicare could be eligible for coverage of Wegovy (semaglutide) now that the Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of the anti-obesity drug to reduce the risk of heart attacks and stroke in certain patients. This change potentially…

This brief examines 10 key facts about women with Medicare and presents new statistics on the health, economic and functional status of women with Medicare.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has recently taken actions to increase transparency in Medicare Advantage, however substantial data gaps remain that limit the ability of policymakers and researchers to conduct oversight and assess the program’s performance, and for Medicare beneficiaries to compare Medicare Advantage plans offered in their area.