This increase has implications for federal spending, as there are higher costs associated with Medicare Advantage compared to traditional Medicare. KFF also examines the growing share of enrollment in special needs plans (SNPs), particularly those for individuals dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, and for those with chronic conditions.
More than half (54%) of eligible Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicare Advantage in 2025. While a growing share of Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, the pace of the increase in enrollment slowed in 2025.
In 2025, one in five (21%) Medicare Advantage enrollees is in a special needs plan (SNP), reflecting a steady increase in recent years. Almost half (48%) of the total increase in Medicare Advantage enrollment between 2024 and 2025 was among SNPs, up from 43% in the prior year.
More than 80% of SNP enrollment is in plans designed for people who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid (D-SNPs), though plans for people with certain chronic conditions (C-SNPs) saw a surge in enrollees in 2025. Enrollment in C-SNPS increased by more than 70% between 2024 and 2025, compared to 3% for D-SNPs and 0% for institutional-SNPs.
Medicare Advantage enrollment is highly concentrated among plans owned by a small number of parent organizations, with UnitedHealth Group leading the market, and, together with Humana, accounting for nearly half (46%) of all Medicare Advantage enrollees nationwide, consistent with the pattern in 2024. Since 2024, market shares for the leading parent organizations have remained roughly the same. However, in absolute numbers, UnitedHealth Group had the largest growth in enrollment, with 505,000 more enrollees in 2024 than in 2025, followed by Elevance Health, which gained 249,000 enrollees. In contrast, enrollment in Humana plans decreased by about 297,000 between 2024 to 2025.
Ochieng, N., Freed, M., Biniek, J. F., Damico, A., & Neuman, T. (2025, August 11). Medicare Advantage in 2025: Enrollment update and key trends | KFF. KFF. https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/medicare-advantage-enrollment-update-and-key-trends/
Marselas, K. (2025, July 31). Medicare Advantage enrollment grows, but not quite as fast, as concerns mount. McKnight’s Long-Term Care News. https://www.mcknights.com/news/medicare-advantage-enrollment-grows-but-not-quite-as-fast-as-concerns-mount/
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