More 2022 Medicare Advantage plan choices, with increases in HMO and local PPO options

A brief review of Medicare Advantage plans

Medicare Advantage plans come in two general forms (with or without drug coverage),

--  MAs or Medicare Advantage plans that do not include prescription drug coverage and
--  MAPDs or Medicare Advantage plan that includes prescription drug coverage (MAPD).

What is included in a Medicare Advantage plan?

A Medicare Advantage plan (MA or MAPD) includes your Medicare Part A (in-patient and hospitalization coverage), Medicare Part B (out-patient and physician coverage), may include additional or supplemental healthcare benefits (basic dental, optical, hearing, and/or fitness coverage) - and supplemental non-health related benefits (food delivery and general transportation).  A MAPD also includes your Medicare Part D drug coverage.  If you enroll in some types of Medicare Advantage (MAs) that do not include drug coverage, you may not be permitted to also join a stand-alone Medicare Part D plan (PDP) (so be sure to check before you join).

You can join a Medicare Advantage plan even with pre-existing health issues.

Starting in 2021, you can join a Medicare Advantage plan without any pre-existing health questions - so even if you are a Medicare beneficiary suffering from End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), you can join a Medicare Advantage plan.  This "guaranteed issue" rule also applies to employer/union Medicare plans (EGHP), but, depending on your state, may not include Medicare Advantage Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) and Medicare-Medicaid Plans (MMPs).  You can click here for more details about joining a Medicare Advantage plan with ESRD.

• Most 2022 Medicare Advantage plans provide Part D prescription drug coverage (MAPDs)
  
  There are 415 additional Medicare Advantage MAPD options available in 2022 as compared to 2021.  Similar to 2021, 91% of all 2022 Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug coverage (MAPDs).  Note the increases in Local Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO) and Local Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) MAPD options for 2022 - with a further decline in Medicare Advantage Regional PPO, Cost, and PFFS Medicare Advantage plans.
  
  
  
  
  

  Change in the Number of MAPD plans
  Number of Medicare Advantage plans with Drug Coverage
  Health Plan Type	2022	Change '21 to '22	2021	Change '20 to '21	2020	Change '19 to '20	2019
  Cost	13	-1	14	-2	16	-2	18
  Local HMO	3,085	192	2,893	261	2,632	364	2,268
  Local PPO	1,398	228	1,170	199	971	154	817
  Regional PPO	43	-2	45	-1	46	0	46
  PFFS	19	-2	21	-5	26	-3	29
  MMP	43	0	43	-1	44	-6	50
  Total MAPD Plans	4,601	415	4,186	451	3,735	507	3,228

  
  
  
• A few more 2022 Medicare Advantage plan options do not include drug coverage (MAs)
  
  There is a slight increase of 50 additional 2022 Medicare Advantage plans without prescription coverage (MA) as compared to 2021. In fact, as compared to the 4,601 Medicare Advantage plans that provide prescription drug coverage (MAPDs) in 2022, there are only 432 different 2022 MAs - or Medicare Advantage plans that offer health coverage only (no prescription drug coverage).
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Change in the Number of Medicare Advantage plans without Drug Coverage (MAs)
  	Number of MA Plans
  Health Plan Type	2022	Change '21 to '22	2021	Change '20 to '21	2020	Change '19 to '20	2019
  Cost	51	-5	56	-8	64	10	54
  Local HMO	192	13	179	34	145	13	132
  Local PPO	148	37	111	47	64	8	56
  Regional PPO	19	0	19	1	18	1	17
  MSA	11	6	5	-1	6	0	6
  PFFS	11	-1	12	-3	15	0	15
  Total MA Plans w/o Rx Cov.	432	50	382	70	312	32	280

  
  
  
• More Medicare Advantage Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) options are offered in 2022
  
  The majority (around 65%) of 2022 Medicare Advantage plans will be HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations) with a 7% increase in the number of 2022 HMO plans over 2021.
  
  Members of a Medicare Advantage HMOs (MA-only) are not permitted to enroll in a stand-alone Medicare Part D plan (PDP) and will need another source for their drug coverage (such as employer/union drug coverage or VA drug coverage).
  
  
  
• More Local Medicare Advantage Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs) in 2022
  
  There will be a 31% increase in 2022 Medicare Advantage Local PPOs (Preferred Provider Organizations) plans as compared to 2021.
  
  Members of a Medicare Advantage PPOs (MA-only) are not permitted to enroll in a stand-alone Medicare Part D plan (PDP) and will need another source for their drug coverage.
  
  
  
• The declining Medicare Advantage Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plan offering
  
  The number of Medicare Advantage Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans continues to decline in 2022 - with only 30 PFFS plans available in 2022).  As a note, PFFS plans have continued to decrease since 2015 when the number of Medicare Advantage PFFS (MA and MAPD) plans decreased by 43%. 
  
  Members of a Medicare Advantage PFFS (MA-only) can enroll in any available stand-alone Medicare Part D plan (PDP) for their drug coverage.
  
  
  
• Only a few different 2022 Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs) offered, but 2022 MSAs are available to many beneficiaries across the country.
  
  In the chart above, we see that there are only 11 Medicare Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs) being offered in 2022 (up from 5 MSAs in 2021). 
  
  However, 2022 MSAs will be available in 39 states (2,364 counties) across the country - serving millions of Medicare beneficiaries.  In comparison, 2021 MSAs were offered in 38 states (2,337 counties) -- and back in 2018, MSAs were available to Medicare beneficiaries in only 111 counties across two states.
  
  Unlike other Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, MSAs are made up of a high-deductible health plan and a medical savings account funded by an annual tax-free deposit. MSA members can use the medical savings account to pay for healthcare costs before the health plan deductible is met.
  
  MSA members can enroll in any available stand-alone Medicare Part D plan (PDP) for their drug coverage.

• HMO - Health Maintenance Organization plans
  
  HMOs are wellness-based Medicare Advantage plans and usually have the most-restrictive healthcare provider network, meaning that your healthcare costs may be considerably higher if you go outside of your plan’s established network.  Also, depending on your HMO plan, you may only have access health services outside of your plan network with a referral from your doctor.  Local HMOs are often very affordable compared to other Medicare Advantage plans because of the restrictive network and their focus on wellness helps to control healthcare costs.  The majority of 2022 Medicare Advantage plans will be HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations).
   
• HMO POS - Health Maintenance Organization with Point-of-Service option plans
  
  These Medicare Advantage HMO’s have a more flexible healthcare network allowing you to seek care outside of your plan’s network by paying a higher cost-sharing rate.  An HMO-POS is often chosen by people who travel part of the year, but still return home for the majority of their healthcare needs.  Again, expect out-of-network healthcare costs to be more than in-network.  For instance, you may have a $30 co-payment when you visit a healthcare provider in-network (at home) and pay $60 when you visit a provider outside of the plan’s network (while traveling).
  
  Important: Be sure to read your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) carefully to be sure that you still have your POS option.  In past years, some HMO-POS plans "crosswalked" or moved members to an HMO (without the POS option). 
  
  Please also note, depending on your HMO-POS plan, you may find that out-of-network costs do not count toward your Maximum Out of Pocket (MOOP) limit or you may have a much higher out-of-network MOOP — check with your plan's Member Services department for more details.
   
• PPO - Preferred Provider Organization plans
  
  Medicare Advantage PPOs have a less-restrictive provider network, but again, you probably will pay a higher cost-sharing rate when you visit a healthcare provider outside of your plan’s network.
   
• PFFS - Private Fee for Service plans
  
  Although very popular (and affordable) several years ago, few Medicare Advantage PFFS plans are now available (only 30 PFFS plans are available in 2022).  PFFS plans have the most flexible network, meaning that you can go to any health care provider as long as the provider accepts Medicare and the terms and conditions of your PFFS plan.  As noted, although 2022 PFFS plans will be offered in only isolated areas, some people may still find PFFS plans a flexible and economical alternative to other Medicare Advantage plans.  If you choose a PFFS plan that does not include prescription drug coverage, you have the option to join a separate stand-alone Medicare Part D plan (PDP).
  
  
• SNP - Special Needs plans
  
  SNPs are Medicare Advantage plans designed for a people with specific conditions or financial needs.  Certain SNPs are available only to diabetics, people with chronic cardiac conditions, nursing home residents, or people dual eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid (D-SNPs).  If you do not meet the plan’s “special need”, you will not be permitted to join the Special Needs plan.  In a separate article, "Significant changes in the 2022 Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan (SNP) landscape", we look closer at the 2022 SNPs ( on this site).
   
• MSA - Medical Savings Account plans
  
  MSAs are like Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) — a high-deductible health plan combined with a medical spending account that you can use to pay for your health care costs.  MSAs do not provide prescription drug coverage and you would need to join a separate stand-alone Medicare Part D plan (PDP).  More people will have access to MSA plans in 2022.  Although there are only 11 MSA plans in 2022, MSAs are available in 2,364 counties across 39 states.
   
• MMP - Medicare-Medicaid Plans
  
  MMP plans were introduced in 2014 and are only offered in 241 counties across nine (9) states.  As noted by CMS: "A Medicare-Medicaid Plan (MMP) [like a D-SNP] is a private health plan that has been competitively selected and approved to provide integrated care to eligible full-benefit Medicare-Medicaid enrollees under the CMS Financial Alignment Demonstration." (CMS, “Financial Alignment Initiative,”
  (https://www.cms.gov/Medicare-Medicaid-Coordination/Medicare-and-Medicaid-Coordination/Medicare-Medicaid-Coordination-Office/FinancialAlignmentInitiative/FinancialModelstoSupportStatesEffortsinCareCoordination.html.)
   
  MMPs only serve full-benefit dual-eligible (Medicare/Medicaid) beneficiaries and some additional limitations may apply.