Medicare - Statistics & Facts

Medicare is a federal social insurance program and was introduced in 1965. It aims to provide health insurance to older and disabled people. Unlike Medicaid, Medicare is not bound to lower incomes or a certain state of poverty. There are, however, a significant number of people who meet the criteria to participate in both programs. Medicare is split into parts with Part A (Hospital Insurance) covering inpatient hospital stays, care in skilled nursing facility, hospice care and parts of home health care. Part B (Medical insurance) covers certain doctors' services, outpatient care, medical supplies, and preventive care. Medicare Part D is otherwise known as prescription drug coverage and also covers many recommended vaccines. While there is no standard premium for Part A, in 2024, Part B costs 174.70 U.S. dollars per month or more depending on income of previous year. The premium of Part D depends on the individual plan. Instead of Medicare Traditional, someone eligible for Medicare can choose instead to enroll in a Medicare Advantage (MA also called Part C) plan through approved private companies. MA includes Parts A & B and usually Part D, with some additional benefits, such as hearing or dental care or restrictions on out-of-pocket costs, but with more restrictions on providers such as HMO and PPO plans.

Medicare beneficiaries

In 2022, 65 million people were enrolled in the Medicare program, which equates to 18.7 percent of all people in the United States. Around 54 million of them were beneficiaries for reasons of age, while the rest were beneficiaries due to various disabilities. The U.S. states with the highest percentage of Medicare beneficiaries among their populations were Maine and West Virginia, where 24 and more percent of the population was enrolled. With nearly 6.5 million, California was the state with the highest number of Medicare beneficiaries.

Medicare's finances

Medicare's income was quite significant and amounted to some 988 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. It is estimated that almost 80 percent of this income was generated by general revenue and payroll taxes. Other sources of Medicare income are beneficiary premiums, state payments, social security benefit taxations, and interests. However, total Medicare spending was lower than the revenue. In 2022, the United States spent around 905 billion U.S. dollars on the Medicare program. Hospital inpatient services – as included in Part A - are the service type which makes up the largest single part of total Medicare spending. When spending exceeds income, solvency becomes a problem. Medicare has two trust funds: Hospital Insurance (HI) trust fund and the Supplementary Medical Insurance (SMI) trust fund. The HI trust fund which pays for Part A is being slowly depleted and predicted to be insolvent in 2029. The SMI fund, which pays for Part B and D, on the other hand are authorized by Congress to meet annual spending and include premiums and other sources. While the SMI trust fund does not face a similar shortfall, increasing spending means likely increasing premiums and higher percentages of the federal budget being spent on Medicare.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.

Enrollment in Medicare program due to age: 57.1m

Medicare beneficiaries in California: 6.5m

Percentage of Medicare beneficiaries that are under 100% of the federal poverty level: 13.7%

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Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Percentage of people covered by Medicare in the United States from 1990 to 2022

Public Health Programs

Percentage of U.S. Americans covered by Medicare 1990-2022

Number of Medicare home health agencies in the U.S. from 1967 to 2021

Public Health Programs

Medicare - number of home health agencies in the U.S. 1967-2021

Enrollment in the Medicare program from 1966 to 2022, by type of beneficiary (in millions)

Public Health Programs

Medicare enrollment from 1966-2022, by type of beneficiary

Recommended statistics

Overview

Premium Statistic U.S. health care expenditure distribution by payer 2015-2023
U.S. health care expenditure distribution by payer 2015-2023
Distribution of U.S. health care expenditure from 2015 to 2023, by payer
Basic Statistic Percentage of U.S. Americans covered by Medicare 1990-2022
Percentage of U.S. Americans covered by Medicare 1990-2022
Percentage of people covered by Medicare in the United States from 1990 to 2022
Basic Statistic Total Medicare income 1970-2022
Total Medicare income 1970-2022
Total Medicare income from 1970 to 2022* (in billion U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Sources of Medicare revenue in 2021
Sources of Medicare revenue in 2021
Medicare revenue sources distribution in 2021
Basic Statistic Total Medicare trust fund assets at year-end 1970-2022
Total Medicare trust fund assets at year-end 1970-2022
Total Medicare trust fund assets at year-end from 1970 to 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Enrollment/beneficiaries

Premium Statistic Medicare enrollment from 1966-2022, by type of beneficiary
Medicare enrollment from 1966-2022, by type of beneficiary
Enrollment in the Medicare program from 1966 to 2022, by type of beneficiary (in millions)
Basic Statistic Top U.S. states by Medicare beneficiaries as a percentage of total population 2021
Top U.S. states by Medicare beneficiaries as a percentage of total population 2021
Top 10 U.S. states based on Medicare beneficiaries as a percentage of total population in 2021
Basic Statistic Top U.S. states by number of Medicare beneficiaries 2021
Top U.S. states by number of Medicare beneficiaries 2021
Top 10 U.S. states based on number of Medicare beneficiaries in 2021
Basic Statistic Distribution of Medicare beneficiaries 2021, by ethnicity
Distribution of Medicare beneficiaries 2021, by ethnicity
Distribution of Medicare beneficiaries in 2021, by ethnicity
Basic Statistic Distribution of Medicare beneficiaries, by federal poverty level 2015-2022
Distribution of Medicare beneficiaries, by federal poverty level 2015-2022
Distribution of Medicare beneficiaries from 2015 to 2022, by federal poverty level

Infrastructure

Basic Statistic Medicare - number of hospital facilities in the U.S. 1967-2021
Medicare - number of hospital facilities in the U.S. 1967-2021
Number of Medicare hospital facilities in the U.S. from 1967 to 2021
Premium Statistic Medicare - total number of hospital beds in the U.S. 1967-2021
Medicare - total number of hospital beds in the U.S. 1967-2021
Total number of Medicare hospital beds in the U.S. from 1967 to 2021
Premium Statistic Medicare - number of skilled nursing facilities in the U.S. 1967-2021
Medicare - number of skilled nursing facilities in the U.S. 1967-2021
Number of Medicare skilled nursing facilities in the U.S. from 1967 to 2021
Basic Statistic Medicare - number of home health agencies in the U.S. 1967-2021
Medicare - number of home health agencies in the U.S. 1967-2021
Number of Medicare home health agencies in the U.S. from 1967 to 2021
Basic Statistic Medicare - number of psychiatric hospitals in the U.S. 1967-2021
Medicare - number of psychiatric hospitals in the U.S. 1967-2021
Number of Medicare psychiatric hospitals in the U.S. from 1967 to 2021

Medicare Part D

Basic Statistic Prescription drugs spending in the U.S. by payer 2013-2021
Prescription drugs spending in the U.S. by payer 2013-2021
Prescription drugs spending in the United States from 2013 to 2021, by payer (in billion U.S. dollars)
Basic Statistic Number of Medicare plans offering drug coverage 2007-2024, by plan type
Number of Medicare plans offering drug coverage 2007-2024, by plan type
Average number of stand-alone prescription drug plans (PDPs) and Medicare Advantage drug plans offered to Medicare beneficiaries from 2007 to 2024, by plan type
Basic Statistic Average monthly Medicare Part D (prescription drug plan) premium U.S. 2006-2024
Average monthly Medicare Part D (prescription drug plan) premium U.S. 2006-2024
Average monthly Medicare Part D (prescription drug plan) premium in the U.S. from 2006 to 2024 (in U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Number of Medicare PDP plans available in the U.S. 2023-2024, by state
Number of Medicare PDP plans available in the U.S. 2023-2024, by state
Number of Medicare Part D stand-alone prescription drug plans (PDPs) in the U.S. in 2023 and 2024, by state
Premium Statistic Cost of Medicare PDP premiums in 2023, by US state
Cost of Medicare PDP premiums in 2023, by US state
Average Medicare stand-alone prescription drug plan monthly premium costs in 2023, by state (in U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Distribution of Medicare Part D enrollment in the U.S. 2023, by firm
Distribution of Medicare Part D enrollment in the U.S. 2023, by firm
Distribution of Medicare Part D enrollment in the U.S. in 2023, by firm

Medicare Advantage

Premium Statistic Enrollment of Medicare Advantage by plan type 2014-2022
Enrollment of Medicare Advantage by plan type 2014-2022
Medicare Advantage enrollment by plan type from 2014 to 2022
Basic Statistic Penetration of Medicare Advantage into Medicare 2000-2023
Penetration of Medicare Advantage into Medicare 2000-2023
Medicare Advantage penetration within total Medicare from 2000 to 2023
Premium Statistic Medicare Advantage enrollment in top ten states in the U.S. 2022
Medicare Advantage enrollment in top ten states in the U.S. 2022
Leading 10 U.S. states by Medicare Advantage enrollment in 2022
Premium Statistic Rates of Medicare Advantage enrollment in top ten states in the U.S. 2023
Rates of Medicare Advantage enrollment in top ten states in the U.S. 2023
Leading 10 U.S. states by percentage of Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan in 2023
Basic Statistic Share of MA plans with extra benefits in the U.S. 2024, by benefit
Share of MA plans with extra benefits in the U.S. 2024, by benefit
Percentage of individual Medicare Advantage (MA) plans with extra benefits in the U.S. in 2024, by benefit
Premium Statistic Average monthly MA premiums in the U.S. 2010-2023
Average monthly MA premiums in the U.S. 2010-2023
Average weighted Medicare Advantage monthly premiums in the U.S. from 2010 to 2023, (in U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Distribution of Medicare Advantage enrollment in the U.S. 2023, by firm
Distribution of Medicare Advantage enrollment in the U.S. 2023, by firm
Distribution of Medicare Advantage enrollment in the U.S. in 2023, by firm

Spending/costs

Basic Statistic Spending distribution of Medicare and Medicaid 2021
Spending distribution of Medicare and Medicaid 2021
Distribution of Medicare and Medicaid spending in 2021*
Basic Statistic Total Medicare spending 1970-2022
Total Medicare spending 1970-2022
Total Medicare spending from 1970 to 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars)*
Premium Statistic Supplementary Medical Insurance Medicare benefit payments 2015-2022
Supplementary Medical Insurance Medicare benefit payments 2015-2022
Distribution of Supplementary Medical Insurance (SMI) Medicare benefit payments from 2013 to 2022*
Premium Statistic Hospital Insurance Medicare benefit payments 2015-2022
Hospital Insurance Medicare benefit payments 2015-2022
Distribution of Hospital Insurance (HI) Medicare benefit payments from 2015 to 2022*
Basic Statistic Medicare actual costs 2017-2021 by setting
Medicare actual costs 2017-2021 by setting
Medicare actual costs by setting from 2017 to 2021 (in billion U.S. dollars)
Basic Statistic Medicare inpatient actual costs as share of total costs 2009-2021
Medicare inpatient actual costs as share of total costs 2009-2021
Medicare inpatient actual costs as percentage of total actual costs from 2009 to 2021

Outlook

Basic Statistic Share of U.S. federal budget spent on Medicare 1970, 2020 & 2051
Share of U.S. federal budget spent on Medicare 1970, 2020 & 2051
Share of U.S. federal budget spent on Medicare in 1970, 2020, and forecast for 2051
Basic Statistic U.S. Medicare outlays and forecast 2000-2033
U.S. Medicare outlays and forecast 2000-2033
Medicare outlays and forecast in the United States from 2000 to 2033 (in billion U.S. dollars)
Basic Statistic U.S. Medicare outlays and forecast as a percentage of GDP 2000-2034
U.S. Medicare outlays and forecast as a percentage of GDP 2000-2034
Medicare outlays and forecast in the United States from 2000 to 2034 (as a percentage of GDP)
Premium Statistic Annual growth in Medicare per capita spending and other measures 1990-2028
Annual growth in Medicare per capita spending and other measures 1990-2028
Average annual growth rate in Medicare per capita spending and other measures in the U.S. between 1990s and 2028
Basic Statistic Medicare HI trust fund asset balance at beginning and end of year U.S. 2021-2030
Medicare HI trust fund asset balance at beginning and end of year U.S. 2021-2030
Medicare Hospital Insurance (HI) trust fund asset balance at beginning and end of year in the U.S. from 2021 to 2030 (in billion U.S. dollars)

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Key figures

The most important key figures provide you with a compact summary of the topic of "Medicare" and take you straight to the corresponding statistics.

Number of Medicare hospital facilities in the U.S.
6,266
Detailed statistics
Medicare - number of hospital facilities in the U.S. 1967-2021
Total number of Medicare hospital beds in the U.S.
929,459
Detailed statistics
Medicare - total number of hospital beds in the U.S. 1967-2021
Number of Medicare skilled nursing facilities
14,908
Detailed statistics
Medicare - number of skilled nursing facilities in the U.S. 1967-2021
Number of Medicare psychiatric hospitals
622
Detailed statistics
Medicare - number of psychiatric hospitals in the U.S. 1967-2021

Number of Medicare Advantage enrollment in California
3.05m
Detailed statistics
Medicare Advantage enrollment in top ten states in the U.S. 2022
Average MA monthly premium
18 USD
Detailed statistics
Average monthly MA premiums in the U.S. 2010-2023
Share of individual MA plans with dental benefit
97%
Detailed statistics
Share of MA plans with extra benefits in the U.S. 2024, by benefit