Competition among managed Medicare plans in Massachusetts is largely a local affair. Nearly 90% of all Medicare Advantage (MA) members are served by companies based in the commonwealth. The four companies with the highest enrollment are all Massachusetts-based, non-profit organizations. Three of the four – Tufts Associated Health Plans, Fallon Community Health Plan, and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care – got their starts in connection with local medical schools and health care providers.

This article was published in Medicare Business Online on November 16, 2009. Prospective clients may request a copy by using the form on the Contact page.

Tennessee is a largely rural state, where more than half of the individuals eligible for Medicare live outside the four largest population centers and 44% live in the mountains of East Tennessee. The state’s 23.1% Medicare Advantage (MA) penetration is higher than both the average rate of 20.8% and the median rate of 18.3% for the rest of the United States. MA penetration is higher in East Tennessee than the Middle or West regions of the state, which are home to its two big metropolitan areas, Nashville and Memphis. In East Tennessee, a 25-year history of provider-sponsored managed care is partly responsible for the above-average penetration rate.

This article was published in September 2009 by Mark Farrah Associates in Medicare Business Online. Copies are available on request.

A look at Georgia Medicare Advantage (MA) membership data indicates that competition is good for overall managed Medicare enrollment. With the nation’s two largest managed Medicare companies battling for members and market share statewide, MA penetration climbed from 12.8% in June 2008 to 15.2% in July 2009. While Georgians’ participation in managed Medicare plans remains far below the national and average state penetration rates (23% and 20%, respectively), the increase is a sign of progress in this largely rural state.

This article was published by Mark Farrah Associates in Medicare Business Online in August 2009. Copies are available on request.