Administration touts thriving Medicare Advantage under health law

Enrollment in the private plans is projected to increase 11 percent next year, while premiums hold steady, officials say, disproving predictions made by critics of the health care law.

The Associated Press/Washington Post: Premiums Inching Higher For Popular Medicare Advantage Plans; Strong Rise In Enrollment
Monthly premiums for popular private insurance plans through Medicare are only inching up next year, the Obama administration said Wednesday, trumpeting good news for skeptical older voters on a closely watched election-year issue (9/19).

Politico: Medicare Advantage Shrugs Off Cuts
The Obama administration is declaring a small victory on Medicare: The private Medicare Advantage plans haven't been hurt by "Obamacare" after all. In fact, they're thriving, according to administration estimates released Wednesday (Norman, 9/20).

Reuters: Medicare Advantage Enrollment Projected To Grow 11 Percent
Enrollment in Medicare Advantage, the private insurance segment of the popular U.S. healthcare program for the elderly, is expected to grow 11 percent next year while premiums remain steady, government health officials said on Wednesday. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimated that 14.5 million people will enroll in Medicare Advantage plans in 2013, based on insurance industry expectations. That is up from 13.1 million people this year (Morgan, 9/19).

The Hill: HHS: Health Law Strengthened Medicare Advantage
Enrollment is up and premiums are down in Medicare Advantage (MA) as a result of the healthcare law, the federal health department reported Wednesday. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius issued projections that MA enrollment will increase by 11 percent over the next year while premiums hold steady. Sebelius attributed a 28 percent rise in MA enrollment and 10 percent drop in MA premiums since 2010 to the Affordable Care Act, which remains politically divisive (Viebeck, 9/19).

Kaiser Health News: Capsules: HHS Touts Growth In Medicare Advantage Plans, Drop In Premiums
Just days away from a House hearing where Republicans are likely to charge that the 2010 health law's cuts to Medicare Advantage plans will cause insurers to leave the program and seniors to pay more for coverage, the Obama administration said Wednesday that as a result of the law seniors now have more of these private plans to choose from and that coverage is less expensive (Carey, 9/19).