Access to Medicare Part D Plans: A Comparison of Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Areas

This policy brief updates previous publications by the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center1 (from 2011 data to 2017 data) and extends the RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis reporting of rural activity in the Medicare Part D program. Earlier RUPRI reports focused on enrollment differences between urban (metropolitan) and rural (nonmetropolitan) counties. This policy brief focuses on the types of plans offered by county classification— metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore (no urban cluster of at least 10,000 persons). Comparisons are made across county type and between Part D plan types (i.e. stand-alone plans and those offered as part of Medicare Advantage [MA] plans) as there are important differences in the manner in which these plans are offered and in premiums and benefits.