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Medicare Advantage

Special Needs Plans Reach 23 Percent of Medicare Advantage Enrollment as Broader Growth Stalls

A KFF enrollment analysis finds nearly 8.2 million people are now in Medicare Advantage special needs plans, accounting for 85 percent of net enrollment growth in 2026, with chronic condition plans more than tripling since 2020.

By the Goodsurance editorial teamJuly 6, 2026

Special needs plans, a Medicare Advantage subset designed for people with specific circumstances, reached 23 percent of total Medicare Advantage enrollment in 2026, up from 21 percent in 2025, according to a July 2026 KFF analysis. Nearly 8.2 million people are enrolled in a special needs plan, an increase of more than 900,000 in one year.

Special needs plans come in three forms. Dual-eligible special needs plans, serving people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid, make up 78 percent of SNP enrollment. Chronic condition plans target people with serious illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, or severe mental illness. Plans for people in institutional settings round out the category.

Nearly 1 in 4 Medicare Advantage enrollees is now in a special needs plan, and chronic condition plans have tripled since 2020.

Chronic condition plan growth has been especially fast. The number of such plans has more than tripled since 2020, rising from 165 to more than 540 in 2026.

Overall Medicare Advantage enrollment grew by only about 200,000 people in 2026, a sharp slowdown from prior years. Special needs plans accounted for 85 percent of that net growth, making them the primary engine of expansion at a time when traditional Medicare Advantage plan enrollment has largely plateaued.

In plain words

Medicare Advantage has a special group of plans for people who need more help. These are called special needs plans, or SNPs. They serve people who have both Medicare and Medicaid, people with serious health conditions, or people who live in nursing facilities. In 2026, nearly 1 in 4 Medicare Advantage members is in one of these special plans. That is up from about 1 in 5 last year. Plans for people with serious health conditions have more than tripled since 2020. Most regular Medicare Advantage plan growth has slowed down, but special needs plans keep growing.

Understand the basics first

Source: KFF
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