The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said Friday that it expects average premiums, benefits, and plan choices for Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Part D prescription drug program to remain stable in 2026.
CMS said average premiums for both Medicare Advantage and Part D programs will be lower in 2026 compared to 2025. The announcement comes ahead of Medicare Open Enrollment, which kicks off October 15 and runs through December 7.
Specifically, CMS said the average monthly plan premium across all Medicare Advantage plans (including plans that provide prescription drug coverage and special needs plans) will drop from $16.40 in 2025 to $14.00 in 2026.
The agency also expects benefit options to remain stable, including Medicare Advantage supplemental benefit offerings such as hearing, dental, and vision.
Despite the premium and benefit options predictions, Medicare Advantage plans have estimated a decrease in enrollment in 2026. They project that enrollment will be 34 million in 2026, compared to 34.9 million in 2025. If their numbers pan out, Medicare Advantage enrollment will represent 48 percent of all people enrolled in Medicare, compared to 50 percent in 2025.
CMS isn’t convinced. The agency said that based on recent historical experience and enrollment trends, it believes enrollment in Medicare Advantage will be more robust in 2026 than plans project and enrollment will be stable.
Although the total number of Medicare Advantage plans nationally will see a slight decrease from 5,633 in 2025 to approximately 5,600 in 2026, CMS said 99 percent of Medicare beneficiaries will have access to a plan, and 97 percent of Medicare beneficiaries will have access to 10 or more Medicare Advantage plan choices.
As for Part D plans, CMS said the average stand-alone plan total premium will see a $3.81 drop from $38.31 in 2025 to $34.50 in 2026. Based on the application of Medicare Advantage rebates, the agency said the average Part D total premium for Medicare Advantage plans with prescription drug coverage is projected to decrease from $13.32 in 2025 to $11.50 in 2026 (a decrease of $1.82).