About 480,000 beneficiaries – less than 5 percent of all enrollees – will need to find new plans because their 2014 plan will no longer be available in 2015. While some plans will leave the market in 2015, others are entering or expanding and most enrollees (over 95 percent) will be able to remain in their same plan in 2015 if they choose.

1īeneficiaries will be able to choose from 18 Medicare Advantage plans, on average, in 2015, the same number of plans as in 2014. Federal payments to Medicare Advantage plans were gradually reduced by the Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) with the goal of creating greater parity in payments between the traditional Medicare program and Medicare Advantage by 2017. Under the current Medicare program, Medicare Advantage plans are offered as an alternative to the traditional Medicare fee-for-service program, and Medicare beneficiaries can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, change Medicare Advantage plans, or switch from Medicare Advantage to traditional Medicare during the annual open enrollment period.

In 2014, more than 16 million Medicare beneficiaries (30%) were enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans – private plans, such as HMOs or preferred provider organization (PPOs) that receive funds from the federal government (Medicare) to provide Medicare-covered benefits to enrollees.

Compare medicare advantage plans 2015