COLUMN: 2026 Medicare Advantage options shrink in Marion, Polk counties

The Salem area’s Medicare Advantage insurance market, which normally sees fairly minor annual changes, is being slimmed down for 2026.

Medicare beneficiaries in Polk County, who lost Aetna Medicare Advantage insurance plans this year, will also lose access to Providence plans next year. In Marion County, meanwhile, neither Aetna nor Providence plans will be available in 2026.

This means that those currently enrolled in those plans will need to find new insurance for 2026 if they wish to have insurance beyond Medicare only, and they will have deadlines to do so.

For 2026, Marion and Polk county residents who want Medicare Advantage insurance plans may choose from among four companies, alphabetically: ATRIO, Kaiser Permanente, United Health Care and Wellcare.

Although Marion County also