Steps to take if your service provider exits

People on Medicare Advantage (MA) need to pay careful attention this open enrollment season. Multiple insurers are significantly reducing the number of plans they offer and the markets they offer in 2026. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) expects MA enrollment to decline by about 1 million beneficiaries compared to 2025.

This trend will force many Americans 65 and older to change health insurance companies. However, some retirees will be hurt more than others by the cuts, depending on where they live. Find out which areas of the United States are most affected, and what you can do if your plan is cancelled.

Major insurers are backing away from Medicare Advantage in 2026

Most major health insurers, including Aetna CVS Health, UnitedHealthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Anthem, have announced at least some cuts to their 2026 MA plan offerings in recent months. Many smaller insurance companies that play a large role in covering select states or communities have followed suit.

Notably, UCare, a nonprofit health plan serving Minnesota and western Wisconsin, will end Medicare Advantage coverage starting in 2026, a move expected to affect 158,000 Americans.

Because the plan has been around since 1998, “there’s a lot of panic and uncertainty, especially around those enrolled in UCare,” said Kelly Jo Greiner, director of Minnesota’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), because the plan has been around since 1998. “They’re not happy with it, they don’t understand why this is happening, and they don’t want change.”

Ucare did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, insurers generally say they need to pull back because patients are using benefits more than expected, and the government has reduced the reimbursement rate for insurers’ spending on patients.

“Research shows that new enrollees in the master’s program are sicker and have more chronic conditions than those receiving traditional Medicare, requiring more frequent care and resulting in higher costs,” Blue Cross Blue Shield said in a written statement. “However, payment rates have not kept pace with rising drug and hospital prices. This results in fewer choices, lower benefits, and higher costs for members.”

Where do discounts occur?

Despite the challenges, not all markets were negatively affected. In fact, an Investopedia analysis of the MA market found that while 1,949 US counties lost at least one MA plan in 2026, 798 counties gained at least one.

Winning districts tend to include major metros. For example, Dallas County, home to Dallas, Texas (population 1.3 million), has added four MA plans for 2026. Instead, it is home to a large percentage of older residents. In Alabama, for example, where some counties added five or more MA plans, the population over 65 rose from about 861,000 in 2020 to nearly 956,000 in 2024.

“Medicare Advantage plans work better in environments like Florida that have large populations,” said Brian Cronin, a licensed Medicare broker and owner of The Cronin Agency in New Hampshire, where 77,000 residents are directly affected by plan cuts. Otherwise, health insurers see “modest enrollment and high plan utilization, which puts them in the red.”

That’s why less-populated rural and suburban counties — such as Grafton County, New Hampshire, which is losing 22 plans and has a low population density of just 54.5 people per square mile — tend to get short shrift. So do counties, such as those in rural Minnesota, that do not qualify for the high level of federal reimbursement.

In New Hampshire, “there aren’t a lot of options,” Cronin said. “We will be able to engage everyone in a plan, but this plan will not be as rich in benefits as this year.”

Ultimately, whether your Medicare Advantage plan continues, and how many 2026 options are available to you, depends largely on where you live.

What can you do if your Medicare Advantage insurance company leaves?

Here’s how to determine if you’re affected by changes to the MA market and, if so, how to find suitable, affordable coverage after losing your current plan.

Check your Medicare Annual Notice of Change (ANOC)

This letter from your health insurance company, due each year by September 30, explains any changes to your current plan that will take effect in January, including whether it is no longer available.

Bookmark Open Registration

If your plan is cancelled, prepare to choose a new plan during Medicare open enrollment, which runs from October 15 to December 7, 2025. Medicare Open Enrollment is your opportunity to join any MA plan available in your area, or to switch to original Medicare.

MA beneficiaries can also take advantage of a second enrollment period from January 1 to March 31, 2026. If you enroll after that, your new plan will take effect on the first day of the following month in which you enroll.

Understand the risks

If your MA plan is canceled and you miss open enrollment, you will automatically be enrolled in Original Medicare, which covers hospitalization and Medicare. In this case, unless you have Medicare Part D, you may end up without prescription drug coverage. You will have to pay the full price without insurance assistance for your prescriptions until you can join a new plan in 2027.

“We are very concerned about these people,” Greiner said.

You can circumvent any issues by choosing a new Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage plan with prescription drug coverage during open enrollment.

Know your options

Locate plans available in your area using the Plan Finder tool on Medicare.gov. It’s worth checking even if your current plan will continue in 2026.

“most [people] “You should find that there are still multiple options available, and that taking time to understand plan parameters may pay off this year in the form of more generous coverage and lower out-of-pocket costs,” said Brandi Lipton, assistant professor of health, community and behavior at the Joe C. Wynn School of Population and Public Health at the University of California, Irvine.

Compare Medicare Advantage plans

Look at out-of-pocket costs, including premiums, deductibles and copayments. But pay close attention to formularies — the list of covered drugs for a given plan — and provider networks, because they also have significant flaws and disruptions in certain areas. The plan’s coverage may be less than it used to be, or your doctor may not be included anymore, once you check the fine print.

“We have a number of providers that are withdrawing from their plans,” Greiner said of the Minnesota market. “They did not like the process and procedures of obtaining consent” for treatment and demanding payment.

Consider Medigap, or a Medicare cost plan

Medigap is a private health insurance policy designed to fill gaps in Original Medicare coverage. There are restrictions on applying for a Medigap plan, but you can do so without going through Medicare underwriting during open enrollment if your MA plan is canceled and you decide to go back to original Medicare.

This can turn a frustrating situation into an opportunity. Typically, signing up for Medigap after you’re already enrolled in Medicare can be difficult due to medical underwriting requirements, especially if you have pre-existing health conditions.

Medicare Cost Plans are a combination of Medicare Advantage and Original Medicare that allow you to visit out-of-network providers at a reasonable cost. They’re an option if the remaining MA plans in your area have thin networks or exclude your preferred doctors. However, it is limited to certain states.

“These are plans that are very popular in Minnesota,” Greiner said.

Ask for help

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsure how to proceed, contact your local SHIP or find a reputable Medicare insurance agent or broker in your area. Agents represent one insurance company while brokers sell plans from multiple insurance companies, giving you more options to choose from at once. You can check an insurance professional’s credentials on your state’s insurance department website.