Medicare Advantage Capitation Payments To Increase By 7.2% For 2026 

For calendar year 2026, federal payments to Medicare Advantage plans are projected to increase by 7.2% due to a combination of higher fee-for-service (FFS) costs and higher risk scores for Medicare Advantage members. The base capitation rates for Medicare Advantage plans are slated to increase by a 5.06% effective growth rate. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expects the underlying Medicare Advantage coding trend to increase member risk scores, which is projected to increase the amount that CMS pays Medicare Advantage plans by another 2.10%, for an effective total increase of 7.2 . . .