Medicare
Humana and UnitedHealthcare will end Medicare Advantage plans covering about 1 million people in 2027
Humana says about 600,000 members are affected and UnitedHealthcare about 390,000, with most offered another plan. Open enrollment runs through December 7, so families should check this year's plan letters now.
Key facts
- Humana and UnitedHealthcare are ending some Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, affecting about 1 million people.
- Most affected members will be offered another plan by the same insurer, according to the companies.
- People whose plan is ending get a special window from December 8 through February to choose new coverage.
What happened
Two of the largest Medicare Advantage insurers are closing some plans for 2027. CBS News reported on October 23 that Humana and UnitedHealthcare confirmed the moves, which together affect about 1 million people age 65 and older. Healthcare Brew first reported the changes.
Humana told CBS News that its plan exits for 2027 will affect about 600,000 members and that most of them will be offered an alternative plan. UnitedHealthcare confirmed it is closing a Medicare Advantage plan for about 390,000 members, who will have access to another UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plan. The company pointed to higher costs and more use of services, pressures it said are affecting the whole industry.
Medicare's rules give people whose plan is not renewed a special window to choose new coverage, from December 8 through the last day of February. Anyone who does not join another Medicare Advantage plan before the old one ends is moved to Original Medicare. The regular open enrollment period runs from October 15 to December 7.
What it means for families
A plan ending does not mean losing Medicare. But a replacement plan can have a different doctor and hospital network, different drug coverage and different costs, and those details matter most for someone who sees several specialists or lives in assisted living with a set pharmacy. Picture a mother who has seen the same cardiologist for years: if the new plan leaves that doctor out of network, sorting it out in December is far easier than finding out at a January appointment.
Plans mail their changes for next year each fall, and those letters are easy to lose in a pile of marketing mail. It helps for an adult child to sit down with a parent and go through the plan mail together.
What this means in New York: Free Medicare counseling is available through the state's HIICAP program. Call 1-800-701-0501 and you will be routed to trained counselors at your county's office for the aging.
What to do this week
- Open every letter from the Medicare plan and look for wording that says the plan is ending or not renewing.
- List every doctor, hospital and prescription, and check them against any replacement plan before December 7.
- If the plan is ending, note the December 8 to end-of-February special window as a backup.
- For a free second opinion in New York, call HIICAP at 1-800-701-0501.
Sources
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