Medicare Advantage Premiums to Decrease by 6 Percent in 2019

The Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a 6 percent decrease in Medicare Advantage (MA) premiums in 2019 due to MA enrollment, health plan options, and benefits hikes, reports HealthPayerIntelligence . CMS said the average 2019 MA premium will fall from $29.81 to $28 and improve health plan affordability for most beneficiaries. Eighty-three percent of enrollees are expected to have either the same or a lower premium next year, while CMS estimated that 46 percent of MA beneficiaries in their current plan will have a $0 premium. MA also is offering 600 more health plan options and boosting the average number of MA choices for consumers. An estimated 3,700 MA health plans will be available in the market in 2019, with 91 percent of beneficiaries able to choose from 10 or more options. CMS expects MA enrollment to increase from 20.2 million to 22.6 million enrollees next year. "Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage demonstrate the successes possible when we harness consumer choice and private-sector innovation to improve care and lower cost," said Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. "Meanwhile, the significant steps taken to maximize competition among Medicare Advantage plans and support and empower Medicare beneficiaries are a crucial piece of allowing enrollees to define and drive value."