Medicare Advantage Enrollment Grew by About 1 Million People, Mainly Due to Special Needs Plans

Medicare Advantage Enrollment Grew by About 1 Million People, Mainly Due to Special Needs Plans

Just over 35 million people are enrolled in Medicare Advantage as of February 1, 2026. That reflects an increase of 1.1 million people since February 2025, which translates into 3% growth year-over-year. Enrollment in Medicare Advantage has increased steadily over the last two decades, rising from 8 million people (19% of eligible beneficiaries) in 2007 to 34 million people (54% of eligible beneficiaries) in 2025, but the pace of enrollment growth has recently slowed. In February 2026, more than 8 million people are enrolled in a SNP, an increase of nearly 900,000 enrollees since February 2025, comprising 83% of total Medicare Advantage enrollment growth over the last year. The increase in enrollment in individual plans was much smaller, rising by 224,000 people compared to a year ago.

— KFF, February 23, 2026

The Explosion of the Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan

For insurers that remain committed to their Medicare Advantage businesses, special needs plans have been a major growth driver. KFF estimated that almost half of MA enrollment growth from 2024 to 2025 stemmed from these tailored plans. In 2025, SNPs covered 21% of MA enrollees. “I think SNP growth is really happening because Medicare Advantage is becoming more clinically precise in many ways,” Matt Eyles, Alignment Health’s executive vice president of government and business strategy. “If you’re able to target specific medical conditions and build support around them, then you can achieve better outcomes for seniors and hopefully keep them in the home rather than in institutional or other higher cost settings.”

— Becker’s Payer Issues, March 20, 2026

Medicare Advantage Enrollment Slows to 3 Percent in 2026 as Insurers Put on Brakes

About 35.5 million Americans were enrolled in MA as of Feb. 1. This represents a 3% increase over 2025, when about 34.4 million people enrolled. In comparison, annual enrollment growth clocked in at 7%-10% between 2017 and 2024. Overall, MA growth has put home health providers at a disadvantage. The sector continues to struggle under inadequate payment rates from MA insurance companies. MA plans generally reimburse 60% to 80% of what traditional Medicare pays for home health.

— McKnight’s Home Care, February 19, 2026

Medicare Advantage Grows Less Than 1% During Annual Enrollment: 7 Notes

Almost 35.5 million people were enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan as of Feb. 1, up about 3% from 34.4 million at the same time last year. For 2026, 23% of MA enrollees have special needs coverage, with the segment growing by 883,000 year-over-year, or 12.2%. Humana added more than 1.2 million MA members during the annual enrollment period, growing 21% from December to February to reach 7.04 million. UnitedHealthcare dropped from 10.3 million in December to 9.4 million in February, a decline of about 915,000, or 9%. Total SNP enrollment reached roughly 8.2 million as of February. Dual-eligible SNPs remain the largest category at 6.4 million, followed by chronic condition SNPs at 1.6 million and institutional SNPs at about 129,000.

— Becker’s Payer Issues, February 17, 2026

UnitedHealth, Aetna Dump Medicare Members, Humana Grows

The Medicare Advantage program continues to bring in more older adults and people with disabilities, but not nearly at the same rates from just a few years ago.

Almost 35.5 million people were enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan as of Feb. 1, up roughly 3% from 34.4 million at the same time in 2025, according to new federal data analyzed by STAT. The growth during Medicare’s annual enrollment window, which runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, stagnated — with enrollment increasing just 1%.

— STAT News, February 16, 2026

4 Insurers Reporting Medicare Advantage Growth

A handful of insurers are boasting Medicare Advantage membership gains following the annual enrollment period. UnitedHealthcare anticipates losing up to 1.4 million Medicare Advantage members in 2026, while Elevance Health expects MA enrollment to hover between 1.8 million and 1.9 million for full-year 2026. Humana recorded more than 1 million additional individual MA members, a 20% increase. SCAN Health Plan posted 40.6% membership growth with 127,000 new members during the annual enrollment period.

— Becker’s Payer Issues, February 12, 2026

UnitedHealthcare Expects to Lose Up to 2.8 Million Members in 2026

UnitedHealth Group reported its fourth quarter and full year 2025 earnings Jan. 27, projecting membership declines between 2.3 million and 2.8 million across its Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and commercial business lines in 2026 as the company prioritizes margin recovery following a turbulent financial year. UnitedHealthcare expects to lose between 1.3 million and 1.4 million Medicare Advantage members in 2026, higher than the 1 million previously anticipated. In their earnings call with investors, executives attributed the steeper losses to intense competition during the annual enrollment period, which drove more beneficiaries to other plans.

— Becker’s Payer Issues, January 27, 2026