Medicare Advantage Enrollment Update 2016.

Purpose. The RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis reports annually on rural beneficiary enrollment in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, noting any trends or new developments evident in the data. These reports are based on data through March of each year, capturing results of open enrollment periods. Key Findings. (1)The number of non-metropolitan beneficiaries enrolled in MA and other prepaid plans increased to 2,189,300 as of March 2016, representing 21.8 percent of all non-metropolitan Medicare beneficiaries compared with 31.5 percent of beneficiaries enrolled in MA and other prepaid plans nationally. (2) While non-metropolitan enrollment continued to increase through March 2016, the annual growth rate slowed to 5.5 percent, compared to 6.8 percent between March 2014 and March 2015. (3) Enrollment in private fee-for-service MA plans continued to decline, both nationally and in non-metropolitan counties, while enrollment in other types of MA plans increased. (4) The states with the highest percentage of non-metropolitan beneficiaries enrolled in MA plans continued to be Minnesota, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and New York, ranging from a high of 53.4 percent in Minnesota to 32.6 percent in New York. (5) Non-metropolitan beneficiary enrollment (counts) in MA plans declined in five states: Hawaii, Idaho, Ohio, Washington, and Wyoming.