Humana and UnitedHealthcare Drop 990,000 Medicare Advantage Plans for 2027

Why Are Humana and UnitedHealthcare Ending Medicare Advantage Plans for 2027?

Both insurers are cutting unprofitable Medicare Advantage plans ahead of the 2027 plan year. Humana is ending plans covering about 600,000 members, and UnitedHealthcare is ending plans covering about 390,000 members, both effective December 31, 2026.

A UnitedHealth spokesperson confirmed that approximately 390,000 members are in plans being discontinued, while Humana has announced cuts affecting around 600,000 enrollees. Humana’s chief financial officer said the company would cut off the lower tail of profitability rather than reduce benefits uniformly, and the exits target plans rated 3.5 stars or lower for the 2027 bonus year. That represents about 8% of Humana’s 7.2 million Medicare Advantage members.

UnitedHealthcare framed its exit differently. The company pointed to higher costs and greater use of plans, saying those pressures reach across the healthcare industry. Neither company is leaving Medicare Advantage entirely — both are narrowing to the plans they expect to keep profitable in 2027.

Will You Automatically Get Another Plan From the Same Company?

Possibly, but it is not guaranteed and it is not automatic in every county. Humana expects to re-enroll some members into other plans it offers; UnitedHealthcare says the same. Read your letter before assuming you are covered.

Humana expects to recapture roughly 40% of affected members by moving them into other plans it offers, which leaves an estimated 360,000 members needing to find coverage elsewhere. The replacement plan Humana offers may have a different physician network, drug formulary, specialist copay or out-of-pocket ceiling than the plan you are losing. Our post on why carriers are dropping Medicare Advantage plans for 2027 walks through how to compare an automatic replacement against shopping on your own.

This is not isolated to two companies. Wall Street analysts reviewing newly released government data found that CVS Health’s Aetna and Centene are also pulling back on their Medicare Advantage footprints. If your plan comes from a different carrier, check your own October notice rather than assuming you are unaffected.

What Are the Three Deadlines You Actually Need to Track?

There are three separate dates, not one. Annual Enrollment closes December 7 for a clean January 1 start. A special election period runs through February 28, 2027. Medigap guaranteed-issue rights close March 4, 2027, and only apply if you return to Original Medicare.

The special election period for a plan non-renewed effective January 1 begins December 8 of the contract year and ends the last day of the following February, with enrollment requests received from December 8 through December 31 effective January 1, requests received in January effective February 1, and requests received in February effective March 1.

Enrolling by December 7 is still the cleanest path. Our guide to the 2027 Annual Enrollment Period covers what you can and cannot change during that window.

What Happens If You Do Nothing by December 31, 2026?

If you take no action, your Humana or UnitedHealthcare plan ends December 31, 2026. You are defaulted to Original Medicare with no drug coverage and no Medigap policy already in place.

If an individual does not elect a plan prior to the termination effective date, they will be defaulted to Original Medicare on the effective date of the termination, though the special election period remains in effect for two months afterward if they wish to elect an MA plan. That default does not add a Part D plan for you. Going 63 consecutive days or more without creditable drug coverage after your initial enrollment period can trigger a late enrollment penalty that follows you for as long as you have Part D.

Review your Annual Notice of Change and your non-renewal letter side by side before December 7. Our post on reading your 2027 Annual Notice of Change in ten minutes explains the four lines that distinguish a benefit change from an actual plan termination.

Do You Get Medigap Guaranteed-Issue Rights If You Go Back to Original Medicare?

Yes, but only if you switch to Original Medicare rather than another Medicare Advantage plan, and only within a fixed window tied to your termination date.

If you buy a Medigap policy during your Medigap Open Enrollment Period or give proof you have a guaranteed issue right, the insurance company can’t use any answers to medical questions to deny you a Medigap policy or change the price. For a plan ending December 31, 2026, the guaranteed-issue window generally opens 60 days before that date and closes 63 days after it, landing on March 4, 2027. Choosing a new Medicare Advantage plan instead of Original Medicare forfeits this right entirely.

Keep your October 2 non-renewal letter. Insurers routinely ask for proof of the qualifying event before issuing a guaranteed-issue Medigap policy. For the full list of qualifying events and timing, see our post on 10 Medigap guaranteed issue triggers and the 63-day deadline, and use our state-by-state Medigap rules tracker to confirm whether your state adds protections beyond the federal baseline. If you are weighing Medigap against another Medicare Advantage plan, our comparison on switching from Medicare Advantage to Medigap lays out the tradeoffs.

Which of Our Licensed States Have Confirmed Humana or UnitedHealthcare Exits?

Neither company has published a public county list. Your notice and your Medicare Plan Finder results are the only reliable confirmation for your specific plan and ZIP code.

The 2027 withdrawals target specific low-performing plans rather than whole states, and Humana has not yet disclosed which counties are affected. That means a neighbor’s plan can be ending while yours renews, even under the same carrier. Check your own letter and plan ID before assuming anything based on general news coverage.

We are licensed in more than 40 states, not including California, and work with Medicare clients by phone and video. If you are in one of our frequently requested states, start with the state Medicare guide, then confirm your specific plan on Medicare.gov:

• Illinois — see our Illinois Medicare guide
• Arizona — see our Arizona Medicare guide
• Colorado — see our Colorado Medicare guide
• Florida — see our Florida Medicare guide
• Iowa — see our Iowa Medicare guide
• Indiana — see our Indiana Medicare guide
• Maryland — see our Maryland Medicare guide
• Michigan — see our Michigan Medicare guide
• New Jersey — see our New Jersey Medicare guide
• Ohio — see our Ohio Medicare guide
• Texas — see our Texas Medicare guide
• Utah — see our Utah Medicare guide
• Virginia — see our Virginia Medicare guide
• Washington — see our Washington Medicare guide
• Wisconsin — see our Wisconsin Medicare guide

Some of these states include metro areas where KFF has found the overall market shrinking, not just these two carriers. Dallas, Minneapolis, Seattle, Houston and Portland all have between a quarter and a third fewer Medicare Advantage plans for seniors for 2027. That makes early comparison shopping more important than in past years, even if your current plan is renewing.

Our Medicare page has more on enrollment periods and what to check before you pick a 2027 plan. If your notice is unclear or you want a second look at your options, our team can review it with you by phone or video before the December 7 deadline.