On average, Medicare Advantage beneficiaries have access to plans offered by eight different insurers, but in most counties, one or two companies control the majority of the market, according to an analysis from KFF.
The vast majority of MA beneficiaries live in highly or very highly concentrated markets in 2024. Just 7% of beneficiaries live in moderately concentrated markets.
Here are five things to know:
- Rural Medicare Advantage markets tend to be more concentrated than those in urban areas — 46% of rural markets were very highly concentrated, compared to 6% of urban markets.
- Nine in 10 MA beneficiaries lived in counties where one or two insurers controlled more than 50% of the market. In 2010, 96% of MA beneficiaries lived in counties where one or two insurers had a greater than 50% market share.
- The number of MA beneficiaries living in counties where one or two insurers controlled 75% or more of the market has declined since 2010. In 2024, 25% of MA beneficiaries lived in counties where one or two insurers controlled three-fourths of the market, down from 50% in 2010.
- UnitedHealthcare or Humana is the largest insurer in more than half of counties. UnitedHealthcare leads in 40% of counties, while Humana leads in 20%.
- UnitedHealthcare had a more than 50% market share in several large counties, including Dallas, Bexar and Tarrant counties in Texas and Pima County, Ariz.
Read KFF’s full analysis here.
