Health insurers trying to avoid costly Medicare enrollees draw scrutiny

Major health insurers are taking drastic steps to discourage older adults from signing up for their private Medicare plans as they seek to boost profits, drawing the ire of insurance brokers and state regulators.

Humana, UnitedHealthcare, Anthem, and Centene, and regional insurers like SummaCare are among the firms that are halting or cutting commissions on Medicare plans, while some are even cutting off access to online enrollment portals, according to company notices obtained by STAT. Many of those decisions occurred after Oct. 15, when Medicare’s annual enrollment period started. It ends Dec. 7.

Companies have overhauled their 2026 Medicare Advantage and Medicare prescription drug plans in an attempt to boost profits and adapt to the Inflation Reduction Act. An estimated 3 million p