WASHINGTON — Federal data show 732 Medicare Advantage plans will disappear in 2027, a contraction that could force millions of beneficiaries to find new coverage and could directly affect Granite State enrollees after several large insurers pared back their service areas.
what the numbers show
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data cited by HEALTH CARE un-covered indicate the plan reductions would affect just under 2.4 million people nationally. Analysts say disruptions could ultimately touch as many as 5 million beneficiaries if insurers continue to retrench.
- 732 Medicare Advantage plans slated to disappear in 2027, according to federal data.
- About 2.4 million people initially affected, with some industry estimates as high as 5 million.
- Major insurers trimming footprints: UnitedHealthcare, Humana, Aetna and Centene all reported sizable pullbacks; Aetna is listed as exiting Maryland and New Hampshire.
what insurers say and why it matters
Humana acknowledged a broad reduction that company executives described internally as part of a strategy to recover margins. The retrenchment by large for-profit insurers matters because a handful of companies dominate the Medicare Advantage market: UnitedHealthcare and Humana together account for about 46% of enrollment, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission estimates.
For beneficiaries, the practical effects can be immediate: losing a plan can mean changing doctors, switching prescription drug coverage, or choosing a new network with different costs and out-of-pocket rules. Insurers can also revise premiums, copays, drug formularies, provider networks, and annual out-of-pocket caps each year; those changes are disclosed in a plan’s Annual Notice of Change.
timing and enrollment
The Medicare open enrollment period for switching plans opened Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7. Beneficiaries whose plans disappear or whose networks and benefits change will need to shop new options during that window.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Enrollment window | Oct. 15–Dec. 7, 2026 |
| Plans leaving in 2027 | 732 (CMS data) |
| People initially affected | About 2.4 million (HEALTH CARE un-covered analysis) |
broader concerns about access and costs
An analysis cited in the reporting noted some 2027 Medicare Advantage plans could have in-network out-of-pocket caps as high as $9,850, or up to $14,800 with out-of-network care. Prescription drugs generally do not count toward those caps in many plans.
Advocates and watchdogs have pointed to growing use of prior authorization in Medicare Advantage. KFF reported insurers fielded nearly 53 million prior authorization requests in 2024 and denied about 4 million of them, a volume critics say adds friction to care for beneficiaries.
New Hampshire residents who receive Medicare Advantage coverage should review any notices from their insurer and the plan’s Annual Notice of Change, and consider their options during the Oct. 15–Dec. 7 enrollment period. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services maintains plan and county-level data that beneficiaries and advisers can consult for specific local impacts.
