How health plans should approach product design, sales structure, and operations to compete in the highly competitive MA market.

Health plans large and small are prioritizing growth in Medicare Advantage—for good reason. Medicare Advantage (MA) products have seen tremendous growth in membership and profits over the last 10 years, stemming not just from organic growth but also from favorable government reimbursement and strategic investments from health plans.

Aggregate, industry growth in Medicare Advantage, however, does not guarantee individual plan success. The MA market has grown both more crowded and increasingly dominated by large players, which makes standing out against the competition more challenging. Yet key drivers of MA sales and growth often remain misunderstood, hindering some carriers' ability to break into new markets and grow membership. Health plan executives must equally focus on the intricacies of product design, MA sales structures, and operations to achieve sustainable growth.