Health insurance companies that are the biggest players in privatized Medicare Advantage coverage are for the most part maintaining their geographic footprints for 2027 after a multi-year period of retrenchment.
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Health insurance companies that are the biggest players in privatized Medicare Advantage coverage are for the most part maintaining their geographic footprints after a multi-year period of retrenchment.
Unlike recent years, where health insurers pulled out of hundreds of counties and some states as healthcare costs rose following the COVID-19 pandemic, health plans are largely maintaining their markets with some exceptions. Health plans are unveiling benefit options for older adults to examine and make choices later this month during Medicare open enrollment, which runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7.
Take UnitedHealth Group’s UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest health insurer, which says its total individual Medicare Advantage footprint will expand by four counties – from 2,787 counties in 2026 to 2,791 counties in 2027 – and will span across 47 states and the District of Columbia. The company is, however, exiting Wyoming in 2027.
The slight expansion for 2027 is in sharp contrast to its exits ahead of this year, which contributed to a decline in UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage enrollment to 7.5 million in the second quarter of this year compared to 8.4 million in 2025.
“For 2027, we focused on preserving the core benefits that consumers rely on and utilize the most,” said Bobby Hunter, UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive officer of government programs. UnitedHealthcare has more than 7.5 million in its Medicare Advantage plans.
And Humana, another large player in Medicare Advantage, said it is exiting the individual Medicare Advantage market in Minnesota where the company had fewer than 10,000 enrollees. Humana, which has more than 7 million Medicare Advantage enrollees, said it is still serving Medicare beneficiaries in Minnesota through its Group Medicare and Medicare prescription drug plan offerings. “In 2027, Humana will offer Medicare Advantage plans in 2,600 counties across 45 states and Washington, D.C., representing more than 80% of U.S. counties,” the Louisville-based insurer said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Chicago-based Health Care Service Corporation, which paid more than $3 billion for Cigna’s Medicare business last year, “will not offer a Blue branded MA product in Oklahoma, Texas, or Montana,” company spokeswoman Erika Callahan said. Health Care Service, which operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in five states, confirmed that about 127,000 Medicare Advantage plan members are affected by the decision to exit those states. Health Care Service has about 800,000 Medicare Advantage enrollees across the country.
“This decision reflects a market-by-market review of many factors, including member needs, membership, network adequacy, provider partnerships, reimbursement, utilization, and competitive conditions,” Callahan said. “Our 2027 offerings reflect a disciplined strategy to strengthen our Medicare business for the long term.”
Centene, too, which is best known for administering Medicaid for poor Americans and selling individual coverage under the Affordable Care Act also known as Obamacare, is scaling back the markets where it sells Medicare Advantage under its Wellcare brand. “Our current offering is available in 32 states and 1,853 counties and will be available in 29 states and 1,692 counties in 2027,” Centene said in a statement. “By focusing on the areas where we can deliver the greatest value, we are improving access to high-quality care while maintaining a sustainable and competitive offering.”
Medicare Advantage plans contract with the federal government to provide coverage available in traditional Medicare plus extra benefits and services to seniors, such as disease management, drug coverage and nurse help hotlines with some also offering vision, dental care and wellness programs.
The plans have been battling rising costs from the older adults in Medicare Advantage but the Trump administration via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services gave them an unexpected raise in reimbursement for 2027. That, industry analysts say, puts more political pressure on them to keep their markets stable and expand benefit offerings.
CVS Health’s Aetna health insurance unit is expanding the availability of its chronic condition special needs plans while growing its “high value provider incentive program and continuing to focus on care navigation and support,” said the company, which will offer Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plans in 41 states plus Washington, D.C. that are accessible by 57 million Medicare-eligible beneficiaries. CVS’ Aetna Medicare Advantage plans will be offered in 2,087 counties next year, including 60 new counties.
The nation’s second-largest health insurer, Elevance Health said its affiliated Medicare Advantage plans will “continue to maintain a broadly stable geographic footprint year over year, reflecting a disciplined approach to portfolio management that balances long-term sustainability with continued access across the communities we serve.” Elevance will offer Medicare Advantage coverage across 1,518 counties in 23 states in 2027, compared with approximately 1,516 counties in 24 states in 2026.
Health insurers say they have increased investments in technology and related infrastructure to improve patient experience. “Members need confidence that their health plan will help them navigate their healthcare, connect to the right care and resources and provide support as their needs change,” said Elevance Health’s president of government health benefits, Aimée Dailey.
Meanwhile, some more regional players say they are continuing to expand even as others maintain their geographic footprint. Alignment Health, which has more than 294,000 Medicare Advantage members, is staying in its five-state region of Arizona, California, Nevada, North Carolina and Texas and expanding its sales footprint to 55 counties from 45 this year. “Our plans were available to 8.3 million Medicare-eligible seniors in 2026 and will be available to nearly 9.5 million Medicare-eligible seniors in 2027,” Alignment said in a statement.
Thus, competition will remain fierce in most markets with ample choices for seniors given more than half of the nation’s eligible seniors are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans.
“Access to MA plans remains broad in 2027, with more than 99% of Medicare beneficiaries having access to at least one MA plan, and 97% having access to 10 or more MA plan choices,” the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said in a statement earlier this week. “The total number of available MA plans nationally is expected to remain relatively stable, changing from 5,553 in 2026 to approximately 5,532 in 2027. Beneficiaries will continue to have a wide range of choices, and approximately eight in 10 MA beneficiaries will be able to remain in their current plan with the same or a lower premium in 2027.”
CMS, which said the average monthly premium across all MA plans is projected to decrease by 16.5% from $14.37 in 2026 to $12 in 2027, said enrollment in Medicare Advantage is projected to be 34 million in 2027, “representing approximately 47.4% of all people enrolled in Medicare,” the agency said.
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