Overview

• New CMS plan data show UnitedHealthcare offering in one fewer state and 108 fewer counties for 2026, Humana in three fewer states and 194 fewer counties, and Aetna in one fewer state and 98 fewer counties.
• UnitedHealth will shutter more than 100 plans covering about 600,000 members and exit 16 counties affecting roughly 180,000 people, with closures concentrated in PPOs and a shift toward HMOs.
• Minnesota faces outsized disruption with UCare exiting MA statewide and other carriers retreating from dozens of counties, while average MA premiums there are projected to rise about 18% and beneficiaries worry about keeping their doctors.
• Though CMS pegs the average MA premium at $14 next year, analysts report enrollment‑weighted premiums for general MA plans rising nearly 22% with higher deductibles, tighter networks and reduced OTC allowances at some large carriers.
• Analysts expect MA enrollment to dip slightly to about 34 million in 2026, even as some insurers expand in select markets, and Medicare open enrollment runs Oct. 15 to Dec. 7.