Medicare Advantage Provider Networks Limit Enrollees to About Half of the Physicians in Their Area That Are Available to Beneficiaries in Traditional Medicare, on Average

(Source – Chris Lee for The Kaiser Family Foundation published October 27, 2025)

With Medicare’s annual open enrollment period underway, a new KFF analysis finds that Medicare Advantage enrollees, on average, had access to just under half (48%) of the physicians in their area who were available to people enrolled in traditional Medicare.

The finding illustrates a key tradeoff for beneficiaries in choosing Medicare Advantage. Such plans can be appealing to beneficiaries because they offer extra benefits and cap out-of-pocket costs without the need for supplemental coverage. But the plans’ provider networks, which help insurers manage utilization and costs, also restrict enrollees’ choice of physicians, hospitals, and other providers without paying additional cost. Changes in provider networks can be disruptive for patients when their hospitals and physicians are no longer in-network. Continue reading here…

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