Recent Reforms to the Medicare Advantage Program by Policy Vehicle, 2026

The annual Medicare Advantage regulatory cycle consists of the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Part D Final Rule and the Rate Announcement, finalized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) each spring for the applicable contract year. This document tracks key policies by the regulatory or administrative
vehicle that produced them — the CY2025 and CY2026 Final Rules and Rate Announcements, subsequent litigation, CMS Innovation Center actions, and the pending CY2027 rulemaking cycle — and notes where implementation has changed since these policies were first finalized.

Medicare Advantage Recent Reforms by Policy Vehicle

Fact Sheet

Recent Reforms to the Medicare Advantage Program by Policy Area, 2026 August 5, 2026

This fact sheet outlines recent and in-progress reforms to the Medicare Advantage program. Medicare Advantage Recent Reforms by Policy Area

Background Information

Fact Sheet

Medicare Advantage Overview August 5, 2026

Medicare beneficiaries have two options for receiving their Medicare benefits: fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare or Medicare Advantage. Medicare Advantage is the managed care option in Medicare and is a public-private partnership, meaning benefits are offered by…

Background Information

Report

Medicare Beneficiary Spending 2026 August 4, 2026

Average out-of-pocket spending increased for both Medicare Advantage and Fee-for-Service Medicare Enrollees in 2023, and the gap between the two programs continues to grow. In addition to having lower average out-of-pocket costs, Medicare Advantage enrollees…

Background Information