Medicare Advantage Enrollment Reaches 35 Million, Driven by SNP Growth

As of February 1, 2026, Medicare Advantage enrollment has reached 35 million, representing a 3% increase – or 1.1 million people – compared to February 2025. This growth is largely attributed to increased enrollment in Special Needs Plans (SNPs), according to data released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on February 13, 2026.

Slowing Enrollment Growth

While Medicare Advantage enrollment continues to rise, the pace of growth has slowed. In 2025, enrollment increased by 4%, a slower rate than any year between 2007 and 2024, when average annual growth was 9%. From 2007, enrollment has risen from 8 million people (19% of eligible beneficiaries) to 34 million people (54% of eligible beneficiaries) in 2025.

The Rise of Special Needs Plans

SNPs, which limit enrollment to beneficiaries with specialized health needs or those eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, accounted for 83% of the enrollment increase over the past year. Over 8 million people are now enrolled in SNPs, an increase of nearly 900,000 since February 2025. The share of Medicare Advantage enrollees in SNPs has increased from 21% in 2025 to 23% in 2026. Enrollment growth in SNPs has been consistently increasing since 2018, when these plans became a permanent part of the Medicare program.

Individual Plan Growth Slows

Enrollment in traditional individual Medicare Advantage plans increased by a smaller margin, rising by 224,000 people compared to the previous year. Enrollment in employer- and union-sponsored group plans declined slightly, falling by approximately 40,000 enrollees. However, a decrease of about 1.2 million beneficiaries in group MA-PDs was largely offset by an increase of 1.1 million in employer MA-only plans.

Insurer Performance Varies

Among the five largest Medicare Advantage insurers, only Humana Inc. And Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. Experienced enrollment increases. Humana boosted its enrollment by 1.2 million, while Kaiser Permanente added 64,000 enrollees. Both insurers saw growth across all plan types – individual, employer-sponsored group, and SNPs.

UnitedHealth Group, Inc., the largest Medicare Advantage insurer, lost over 530,000 enrollees, primarily due to declines in individual (-582,000) and group (-219,000) plans, partially offset by SNP enrollment growth (+267,000). CVS Health Corporation saw a net decrease of 29,000 enrollees, driven by a decline in individual plan enrollment (-81,000), while Elevance Health Inc. Experienced the largest decline, with 368,000 fewer enrollees than the previous year, including a decrease in SNP enrollment (-18,000).

Growth Among Smaller Insurers

Insurers with fewer than 1 million enrollees collectively increased enrollment by 734,000 people, with growth observed in SNPs (+388,000), individual plans (+331,000), and group plans (+15,000). More than three-quarters of these smaller insurers saw enrollment increases compared to the previous year.

Medicare Advantage Benefits

In 2026, the average Medicare beneficiary has a choice of 32 Medicare Advantage plans with prescription drug coverage. Most of these plans have no premium (beyond the standard Part B premium) and the majority offer benefits such as dental, vision, and hearing coverage, along with reduced cost-sharing compared to traditional Medicare without supplemental insurance.

This analysis uses data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Advantage Enrollment and Landscape files, excluding cost plans, PACE plans, and HCPPs. Data excludes county-plan combinations with fewer than 11 enrollees.