New Medicare Advantage Turnover Rates Might Be the Tip of the Iceberg

October 5, 2022

Previous estimates of enrollee turnover in Medicare Advantage plans may be significantly lower than reality, according to a paper published in the AJMC. The authors examined retrospective Medicare enrollment data from 2012-2017 and found that over 15% changed insurers in the first year after enrollment, with almost half changing within five years.

According to the authors, “Higher rates of insurance switching and disenrollment within these markets have been linked to adverse health outcomes, including delays in seeking medical care,5 lower adherence to medications,2 and increased utilization of higher-cost services such as the emergency department or hospital.2,6 Furthermore, high enrollee turnover may reduce the incentive for health plans to invest in the delivery of certain preventive health services and the management of some chronic medical conditions, as it may take years of continued enrollment before these benefits justify the up-front investment by health plans or other risk-bearing organizations such as accountable care organizations”

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(Source: AJMC, October 4th, 2022)

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