UnitedHealthcare, the insurance arm of UnitedHealth (NYSE:UNH), Humana (NYSE:HUM), and CVS Health (NYSE:CVS), the owner of the Aetna insurer, have scaled back their operations in the Medicare Advantage market as the next Medicare Open Enrollment period is set to start in a few days.
UnitedHealthcare, the number one player in the MA market, said on Wednesday that its 2026 Medicare Advantage plans will be available for 94% of Medicare beneficiaries in the U.S., and the company will maintain its market leadership.
The announcement came as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is set to run the next Medicare Open Enrollment period from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, giving Americans, mainly those aged 65 and older, the option to compare 2026 MA plans.
Last year, the Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based managed care giant said that 96% of Medicare beneficiaries will have access to its 2025 Medicare Advantage plans. Meanwhile, citing Bobby Hunter, CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s government programs, Reuters reported that the company will no longer offer MA plans in 109 U.S. counties next year, impacting 180,000 Medicare beneficiaries.
With UnitedHealth (NYSE:UNH) having seen an abrupt leadership transition early this year amid regulatory headwinds, Hunter attributed the decision to higher medical utilization and rising healthcare costs among its beneficiaries.
“The combination of (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) funding cuts, rising healthcare costs, and increased utilization have created headwinds that no organization can ignore,” Hunter said during a press briefing on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, CVS’s (NYSE:CVS) unit Aetna announced that its 2026 MA products will be available across 43 states plus Washington, D.C., to cover 57M Medicare members in 2,159 counties, 100 counties fewer than last year.
In 2025, the company offered its MA Prescription Drug plans in 44 states plus Washington, D.C., expanding its reach to 59M Medicare beneficiaries across 2,259 U.S. counties.
Humana (NYSE:HUM), the second-biggest MA insurer after UnitedHealth (NYSE:UNH), announced that its 2026 Medicare Advantage plan offerings will extend to 46 states and Washington, D.C., covering 85% of U.S. counties.
In 2025, Humana (NYSE:HUM) offered up to 793 Medicare Advantage plans in 48 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, catering to Medicare enrollees across 89% of U.S. counties.
The announcements are consistent with a projection from the CMS, which indicated last week that MA enrollments for 2026 will decline by approximately 3%.