Industry·2d ago
Analysis Shows MA Insurers Cutting Benefits Despite 2027 PR Claims
Major Medicare Advantage insurers issued press releases Thursday touting their 2027 plans as preserving core benefits, but a Leerink Partners analysis of CMS Medicare Plan Finder data found widespread cuts to dental allowances and Part B premium givebacks. UnitedHealthcare saw dental cuts affecting nearly 70% of members and increased cost-sharing; Humana cut Part B givebacks for 62% of members while modestly raising dental allowances; Centene, CVS/Aetna, Elevance and Clover Health also reduced benefits, with Clover's cuts described as the most pervasive, including a $1,144 increase to its maximum out-of-pocket limit. The cuts come amid a broader industry pullback driven by elevated senior care costs and insurer complaints about reimbursement, with insurers projecting MA enrollment will fall 6% to 34 million in 2027, a projection CMS disputes. Medicare open enrollment runs Oct. 15 to Dec. 7.