A Closer Look at the Growing Role of Special Needs Plans in Medicare Advantage

(Authors: Abby Sachar, Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, Maiss Mohamed, and Alice Burns for The Kaiser Family Foundation Published: Sep 25, 2025)

Enrollment in Medicare Advantage, the private plan alternative to traditional Medicare, has increased steadily over the past two decades, and since 2023, more than half of eligible beneficiaries have enrolled in Medicare Advantage. Amidst this growth, an increasing number of beneficiaries are enrolling in special needs plans (SNPs), especially since 2018, when SNPs became a permanent part of the Medicare Advantage program. SNPs now account for 21% of all Medicare Advantage enrollees, compared with just 13% in 2018. The increase in the share of Medicare Advantage enrollees in SNPs also means that SNPs contribute disproportionately to the growth in Medicare Advantage enrollment. For example, between 2024 and 2025, growth in SNPs comprised nearly half (48%) of the total increase in Medicare Advantage enrollment. Continue reading here…

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