Seniors Make the Switch to Medicare Advantage in Increasing Numbers   The number of seniors who switched from traditional Medicare to Medicare Advantage increased annually from 2016 to 2020, according to new research published in JAMA Health Forum. The switch rate from traditional Medicare to MA grew to 6.8% in 2020 — more than three times higher than the switch rate from MA to traditional Medicare. This trend was noticed across populations with a variety of traits, including age, race and mortality status, and was particularly strong among Medicare-Medicaid dual eligibles. Switch rates from MA to traditional Medicare, meanwhile, are largely on the decline, but still more common among duals than non-duals. The study’s authors suggested this movement was a contributor to overall MA growth, noting that MA’s share of Medicare enrollment is projected to exceed 50% this year. They also observed that switching accounted for a growing share of new MA enrollment growth, rising from 49% in 2016 to 67% in 2020.

Click to enlarge   Switch rates tended to decline substantially as beneficiaries aged, with beneficiaries under age 65 the most likely to swap coverage among the non-dual cohort. Seniors between the ages of 65 and 69 were the most likely to switch among duals. Meanwhile, Black and Hispanic seniors had higher switch rates than other racial and ethnic groups, regardless of dual status. Non-dual white beneficiaries were the least likely to swap their coverage. There may be a “divergence in the enrollment preferences of Black and Hispanic beneficiaries,” according to the study authors, but more research is necessary to explore this topic, they added.   Click to enlarge   SOURCE: “Beneficiary Switching Between Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage Between 2016 and 2020,” JAMA Health Forum, Dec. 29, 2022.   From Radar on Medicare Advantage Learn more about subscribing to AIS Health's publications.