The health insurer Humana now says its individual enrollment in the popular Advantage plans would increase by 35,000 to “approximately 860,000” members this year.
Such growth, which is a key driver for Humana, means Medicare Advantage membership will see 19% growth over its 2022 ending membership and be ahead of earlier forecasts of 825,000 members in 2023. It also could bode well for 2024 if these new members stick with Humana during the open enrollment period, which started two weeks ago and runs to Dec. 7.
Medicare Advantage plans, which are a large share of Humana’s business, contract with the federal government to provide extra benefits and services to seniors, such as disease management and nurse help hotlines with some also offering vision, dental care and wellness programs.
“Our third quarter results reinforce Humana’s commitment to delivering strong earnings growth, especially considering the 19 percent increase in our individual Medicare Advantage membership which significantly outpaces the industry growth rate,” Bruce Broussard, Humana’s president and chief executive said Tuesday in announcing the company’s third quarter earnings.
In the third quarter, Humana profits were $832 million, or $6.71 per share, compared to $1.19 billion, or $9.39 per share, in the year-ago period. Total revenues increased 16% to $26.4 billion.
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