The total number of 2017 Medicare Advantage plans will increase slightly across the country with 3% more Medicare Advantage plans in 2017. (
Updated 10/25/2016 with newly released Medicare Advantage plan information.)
- Brief review: Medicare Advantage plans come in two general forms, MAs (Medicare Advantage plans that do not include prescription drug coverage) and MAPDs or Medicare Advantage plan that includes prescription drug coverage (MAPD). 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), and may include additional healthcare benefits (basic dental, optical, hearing, and/or fitness coverage) - an MAPD also includes Medicare Part D drug coverage. If you enroll in a Medicare Advantage (MA) that does 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).
- Overall, there will be 2,687 Medicare Advantage plans (MAs and MAPDs) available in 2017, as compared to 2,620 Medicare Advantage plans offered in 2016.
- Most (90%) of 2017 Medicare Advantage plans will include prescription drug coverage (MAPDs). In fact, a few more 2017 Medicare Advantage plans will include prescription drug coverage (MAPD) as compared to 2016.
- However, slightly fewer 2017 Medicare Advantage plans without prescription coverage (MA) will be offered as compared to 2016.
- The majority (around 71%) of 2017 Medicare Advantage plans will be HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations).
- Almost 20% of 2017 Medicare Advantage plans will be Local PPOs (Preferred Provider Organizations). Medicare Advantage Local HMOs show the greatest increase in the total number of 2017 plans (with the addition of 55 Local HMO plans).
- The number of Private Fee for Service (PFFS) Medicare Advantage plans continues to decline in 2017 (a 16% decrease in PFFS plans). As a note, in 2015, the number of PFFS Medicare Advantage plans decreased by 43% (with PFFS Medicare Advantage plans offering prescription drug coverage decreasing by 66% or losing 33 PFFS MAPD plans in 2015) and have continued to decrease since that time.
Jump to 2013 - 2017 MAPD Plan chart
Jump to 2013 - 2017 MA Plan chart
Jump to Health Plan Type definitions
Change in the Number of All Medicare Advantage Plans
(MA & MA-PD)
|
|
Number of Medicare Advantage Plans (MA & MA-PD) |
Health Plan Type |
2017 |
2016 |
Change ’16 to ‘17 |
2015 |
2014 |
Cost |
77 |
81 |
-4 |
-5% |
86 |
87 |
Local HMO |
1,920 |
1,865 |
55 |
3% |
1,785 |
1,763 |
Local PPO |
515 |
487 |
28 |
6% |
493 |
540 |
Regional PPO |
61 |
58 |
3 |
5% |
54 |
58 |
All PPOs |
576 |
545 |
31 |
6% |
547 |
598 |
PFFS |
48 |
57 |
-9 |
-16% |
69 |
120 |
MSA |
4 |
4 |
0 |
0% |
7 |
6 |
MMP |
62 |
68 |
-6 |
-9% |
32 |
4* |
Total MA & MAPD plans |
2,687 |
2,620 |
67 |
3% |
2,526 |
2,578 |
*Note: this is number of MMP plans in the September, 2013 landscape file
Reminder: Types of Medicare Advantage Plans
As you browse through the
2017 Medicare Advantage plans, you will see in our Medicare Advantage search tools that there are seven common types of Medicare Advantage plans offered.
Change in the Number of MA-PD Plans |
|
Number of Medicare Advantage Plans With Drug Coverage |
Health Plan Type |
2017 |
Change
’16 to ‘17 |
2016 |
Change
’15 to ‘16 |
2015 |
Change
’14 to ‘15 |
2014 |
Cost |
33 |
-1 |
34 |
-5 |
39 |
0 |
39 |
Local HMO |
1,785 |
53 |
1,732 |
83 |
1,649 |
40 |
1,609 |
Local PPO |
479 |
38 |
441 |
0 |
441 |
-29 |
470 |
PFFS |
32 |
-6 |
38 |
-12 |
50 |
-33 |
83 |
Regional PPO |
44 |
3 |
41 |
4 |
37 |
-1 |
18 |
MMP |
62 |
-6 |
68 |
36 |
32 |
-2 |
34 |
Total MAPD Plans |
2,435 |
81 |
2,354 |
138 |
2,216 |
-3 |
2,219 |
As compared to the 2,435 MAPDs or Medicare Advantage plans that provide prescription drug coverage in 2017, there are only 252 different 2017 MAs or Medicare Advantage plans that offer health coverage only (no prescription drug coverage). And across the country, there will be 14 fewer MA plans in 2017.
Change in the Number of
Medicare Advantage Plans Without Drug Coverage |
|
Number of Plans
|
Health Plan Type |
2017 |
Change
’16 to ‘17 |
2016 |
Change
’15 to ‘16 |
2015 |
Change
’14 to ‘15 |
2014 |
Cost |
44 |
-3 |
47 |
0 |
47 |
-1 |
48 |
Local HMO |
135 |
2 |
133 |
-3 |
136 |
-18 |
154 |
Local PPO |
36 |
-10 |
46 |
-6 |
52 |
-18 |
70 |
MSA |
4 |
0 |
4 |
-3 |
7 |
1 |
6 |
PFFS |
16 |
-3 |
19 |
0 |
19 |
-1 |
37 |
Regional PPO |
17 |
0 |
17 |
0 |
17 |
-1 |
18 |
Total MA Plans w/o Rx Cov. |
252 |
-14 |
266 |
-12 |
278 |
-55 |
333 |
Other resources
2017 Medicare Advantage plan information is available in our 2017 Medicare Advantage plan finder (or
MA-Finder) that can be found at:
MA-Finder.com/2017.
You can also see how each 2016 Medicare Advantage plan is changing in 2017 using our Medicare Advantage comparison tool found at:
MA-Compare.com/2017.
Reminder: October 15th starts the annual Open Enrollment Period
The annual Medicare Open Enrollment Period (or Annual Coordinated Election Period) for 2017 Medicare Part D plans and Medicare Advantage plans begins on Saturday, October 15
th and continues through Wednesday, December 7
th, with 2017 Medicare plan coverage beginning on Sunday, January 1, 2017.
For more information, you can telephone Medicare at 1-800-633-4227 to speak with a Medicare representative.