Plan Choices, Premiums and Out-of-Pocket Limits Less Desirable than Non-Rural Market
A new analysis from HealthPocket examines enrollee options for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and finds that rural residents have fewer plan choices, and higher premiums and out-of-pocket maximums than their non-rural counterparts.
Medicare Advantage plans serve 14.4 million Americans and have 28 percent of the Medicare-eligible population market share. The rural MA plan market share, in contrast, has 17 percent. These plans are growing in popularity compared to traditional Medicare, and consumers who choose Medicare Advantage coverage have a variety of plan options to compare before making a final decision. Consumers base their choices on multiple factors, including premiums, out-of-pocket cost exposure, finding their physician in a plan network and quality scores.
"Rural Medicare Advantage consumers are at a clear disadvantage compared to non-rural enrollees with respect to the key financial factors that go into plan selection," said Steve Zaleznick, Executive Director for Consumer Strategy and Development at HealthPocket. "They may have some good choices among those offered to them, but the competition in rural areas is just not as steep as it is in larger markets."
This HealthPocket Infostat is part of a series using health plan data to produce unbiased market analysis and guidance for consumers navigating America's changing health insurance environment. Consumers can review Medicare plan options for free using HealthPocket's Medicare comparison tool.
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