KFF Analyses Examine the Latest Data About Medicare Advantage Enrollment, Premiums, Out-of-Pocket Limits, Supplemental Benefits and Prior Authorization

Three new KFF analyses examine the latest data about Medicare Advantage, including trends in enrollment, premiums, out-of-pocket limits, supplemental benefits and prior authorization.

The first analysis, focusing on enrollment trends, finds that 55% of eligible Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicare Advantage in 2026, though the pace of enrollment growth continued to slow. Nearly one quarter (23%) of Medicare Advantage enrollees are in special needs plans (SNPs), which limit enrollment to beneficiaries with specialized health needs or who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. Most (85%) of the net increase in Medicare Advantage enrollment between 2025 and 2026 across all plan types was among SNPs. Medicare Advantage enrollment remains highly concentrated, with UnitedHealth Group leading the market, and, together with Humana, accounting for nearly half (46%) of all Medicare Advantage enrollees nationwide, the same as last year.

A companion analysis finds that three quarters (75%) of enrollees in individual Medicare Advantage plans with prescription drug coverage pay no premium other than the Medicare Part B premium, a selling point for enrollees. Nearly a third of enrollees (31%) are in plans that also reduce the Part B premium. Nearly all Medicare Advantage enrollees (99%) are in plans that require prior authorization for some services. Most Medicare Advantage enrollees are in plans that offer supplemental benefits not covered by traditional Medicare, such as vision, hearing and dental. Access to those three benefits remained stable, though there were decreases in the share of enrollees in plans providing other benefits, such as over-the-counter benefits, meals, and transportation.

Also recently available is a KFF analysis with a more detailed examination of out-of-pocket limits in Medicare Advantage plans in 2026, including variation by plan type, the distribution of enrollees facing different out-of-pocket limits, and trends over time.

Contact: Chris Lee | 202.654.1403 | ChrisL@kff.org

When citing our work, please note our legal name is KFF. We should be cited as KFF, a nonprofit health policy research, polling, and news organization. Our name is no longer the Kaiser Family Foundation.

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Medicare Advantage Plans Cover 55% of Eligible Medicare Beneficiaries in 2026

KFF Analyses Examine the Latest Data About Medicare Advantage Enrollment, Premiums, Out-of-Pocket Limits, Supplemental Benefits and Prior Authorization

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