CMS Releases 2026 Medicare Advantage Rate Announcement

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2026 Medicare Advantage (MA) Rate Announcement April 7. Payments made by the federal government to MA plans are projected to result in an increase of 5.06%, or over $25 billion, in Calendar Year (CY) 2026. This is an increase of 2.8% since the 2026 MA Advance Notice was published in January, and CMS attributes this to a rise in the effective growth rate due to the inclusion of additional payment data that was not previously available.

The Rate Announcement complements policies in the recently released CY 2026 MA Final Rule that would strengthen protections for the millions of people who rely on MA and Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage.

The agency also created a Rate Announcement fact sheet.

If you have questions, contact Kimberly Greck, American College of Radiology® (ACR®) Senior Economic Policy Analyst.