For the Medicare Advantage industry, change wasn’t a major outcome of the Biden administration’s first year in office. But for 2022, MA organizations face a host of unknowns — such as potential risk adjustment and star ratings changes that could impact plan revenue — and challenges that include staying competitive in an increasingly rich benefits landscape. For AIS Health’s annual roundup of perspectives on the year ahead, industry experts weigh in on how doing business in 2022 might differ from previous years.

AIS Health: What do you view as some of the biggest challenges or uncertainties facing MAOs in 2022?

For the Medicare Advantage industry, change wasn’t a major outcome of the Biden administration’s first year in office. But for 2022, MA organizations face a host of unknowns — such as potential risk adjustment and star ratings changes that could impact plan revenue — and challenges that include staying competitive in an increasingly rich benefits landscape. For AIS Health’s annual roundup of perspectives on the year ahead, industry experts weigh in on how doing business in 2022 might differ from previous years.

AIS Health: What do you view as some of the biggest challenges or uncertainties facing MAOs in 2022?

As a condition of receiving enhanced federal funds during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), states were required to take certain steps to ensure continuous Medicaid and CHIP coverage for most enrollees, leading to a nearly 18% jump in Medicaid enrollment. But with the latest PHE extension set to expire on Jan. 16, states will no longer receive such funds and will therefore no longer be required to maintain continuous coverage, although CMS has given them 12 months after the month in which the PHE ends to complete eligibility redeterminations. As a result, supporting states’ reverification efforts and ensuring that eligible members stay on the rolls or have a viable landing spot will be critical to Medicaid managed care organizations this year, industry experts tell AIS Health, a division of MMIT.

Centene Corp. completed its $2.2 billion acquisition of Magellan Health, Inc. The previously announced deal will allow Centene to expand its behavioral health platform, increase its specialty health and pharmacy capabilities, and enhance its ability to address members’ whole health. Magellan Health will operate independently under Centene’s Health Care Enterprises umbrella, with CEO Ken Fasola and other members of Magellan Health’s leadership team continuing to lead the organization, Centene said on Jan. 4.

The top 25 Medicare Advantage insurers enroll a combined 24.3 million lives, or 87.8% of the national market, according to the December 2021 update to AIS’s Directory of Health Plans. That’s up from 21.4 million lives at year-end 2020. Among the large national insurers, Centene Corp. saw staggering growth of nearly 40%, fueled by the insurer’s significant 2021 market expansion, followed by Anthem, Inc. at 30.7%. Anthem completed its acquisition of InnovaCare Health’s MMM Holdings, the largest MA organization in Puerto Rico, in July 2021. Highmark Health and Molina Healthcare also completed deals that boosted their MA presence this year. Just one insurer in the top 25, Triple-S Management Corp., saw an enrollment loss, though it was less than 1%. See the complete list in the table below.