CMS: Medicare Advantage enrollment to rise by 11%

The number of Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollees referred to home health in 2013 could rise.

CMS projects an 11% increase in the number of beneficiaries choosing an MA plan over Medicare fee-for-service care, bringing the total to 14.5 million.

The rise means 30% of the health program’s more than 49 million beneficiaries will be plan members.

In a comment on the projection, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius noted that since health care reform (Affordable Care Act) was passed in 2010, Medicare Advantage premiums have fallen 10% and enrollment has risen 28%.

The secretary also announced that the average MA premium would increase by only $1.47.