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Roughly 33.4 million adults older than 65 and people with disabilities were enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan as the calendar flipped to 2024 — another year of steady, albeit slower, growth for the taxpayer-funded program.

Enrollment increased 7.1% year over year, which would make this year’s annual growth rate identical to last year’s, according to new federal Medicare Advantage enrollment data analyzed by STAT.

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The data reinforce how America’s Medicare program continues to shift toward a more privatized version that has not saved any money for taxpayers, has been linked to inappropriate coding practices, and has restricted care for older and vulnerable patients. And even though the federal government made several changes to Medicare Advantage for 2024 — changes that were vehemently opposed by the health insurance industry — the program’s growth has not been stunted, nor did insurers dramatically slash their offerings.

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