As the Medicare open enrollment period approaches, the nation's largest insurers are expanding Medicare Advantage plans to nearly every corner of the country, along with introducing plans built for specific populations.
Where eight payers are expanding MA in 2024:
UnitedHealthcare is expanding its Medicare Advantage footprint next year to reach 96 percent of all Medicare-eligible individuals. Specifically, the payer is expanding standard MA plans to 110 new counties, reaching 700,000 more eligible individuals. In addition, 2.7 million more people will be eligible for chronic special needs plans.
Elevance Health is expanding its Medicare Advantage plans to expand to an additional 91 counties in 2024, raising the company's service area to 38.5 million eligible individuals across 22 states and Puerto Rico. The company will also offer D-SNP plans in 21 states, chronic special needs plans in 15 states, and institutional special needs plans in eight states.
Aetna will offer Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans in 46 states and Washington, D.C. next year, adding 255 new counties and offering 2.2 million more Medicare-eligible beneficiaries access to an Aetna plan. The CVS Health company is also expanding D-SNP plans to 433 new counties across 31 states, and is expanding its veterans-focused MA plans to 43 states total.
Cigna Healthcare is expanding its Medicare Advantage footprint to 603 counties across 29 states and the District of Columbia, including a first-time entry into Nevada. The company's veteran-focused MA plans will expand to 17 states and its D-SNP plans to 68 new counties. In total, the payer's MA expansions will reach an additional 2.3 million eligible individuals.
Humana is expanding its Medicare Advantage plans to 39 new counties across 14 states and Washington, D.C, totaling an additional 762,000 Medicare-eligible individuals. The company's expansion plan includes offering D-SNPs in 116 counties and its veteran-focused plans in 84 new counties. Humana offers MA in 49 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, covering 94 percent of U.S. counties.
Alignment Health is expanding further into California, growing its geographic reach to 53 total markets across Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, North Carolina and Texas, and reaching up to 8.5 million Medicare-eligible individuals. The payer is also launching a co-branded MA plan with grocery delivery company Instacart in 13 counties across California and Nevada.
SCAN Health Plan is expanding to offer Medicare Advantage plans in 22 counties across five states, including an expansion of its LGBTQ-focused plan, and the launch of plans focused on women and members with chronic needs specifically.
Select Health, part of Intermountain Health, and Kroger Health are launching co-branded Medicare Advantage plans across four states in 2024. The new plans will be offered in select counties in Colorado, Idaho, Nevada and Utah and will increase access to services through Kroger's grocery and pharmacy offerings.