Dive Brief:

The CMS has released complete data about the Medicare Advantage plan landscape for 2026, showing how the three largest carriers are paring back their coverage to focus on profits.

UnitedHealthcare, Humana and Aetna all reduced the number of states and counties they serve for 2026, following through on promises to trim underperforming geographies to try to recover flagging margins.

The cutback on the part of large national payers creates a growth opportunity for small and regional carriers to snap up members next year, but is also likely to cause turmoil for seniors in the privatized Medicare plans, many of which are unaware that they may face significant changes to their costs and benefits.

Dive Insight:

Overall, MA plans available to seniors stayed relatively stable for 2

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