Industry
CMS Data Shows 4.3 Million Medicare Advantage Plans Ending in 2026
CMS data shows 4.3 million Medicare beneficiaries will lose their current plan at the end of 2026, including 3.1 million Medicare Advantage enrollees with drug coverage and 1.2 million stand-alone Part D plan enrollees. An additional 1.4 million Medicare Advantage enrollees are in plans consolidating into another plan from the same insurer. Affected beneficiaries will need to select new coverage during the annual enrollment period or risk being defaulted into a plan that may not fit their needs. This reflects continued insurer exits and plan consolidation in the Medicare Advantage market following recent payment and policy pressures.
Why it mattersInsurers and brokers serving dual-eligible and low-income Medicare beneficiaries must prepare for a surge in plan-switching and enrollment confusion that could spill into Medicaid coordination for dually eligible members.