CMS released new Medicare Advantage landscape data on Monday showing insurers are trimming next year’s plan choices even as the national total stays nearly flat. The file points to 5,532 plans in 2027, down from 5,553 in 2026, after major insurers cut offerings and widened some county exits.
UnitedHealthcare is nixing about 690 plans, while Humana is culling about 2,400. Centene cut about 3,000 unique plans, and every major insurer analyzed by Stephens reduced the number of individual plans on offer for 2027.
CMS 2027 landscape file
The Monday release is the first broad look at how insurers reshaped Medicare Advantage for 2027 before the Medicare open enrollment period. It shows a market that is changing by county and by product type, not just by the national total.
Centene is departing 344 counties for 2027. CVS is exiting 103 counties, UnitedHealthcare is leaving 63 counties, and Elevance is exiting 56 counties. At the same time, Devoted Health is adding 336 counties and Alignment Healthcare is adding 9 counties.
UnitedHealthcare and Humana cuts
The biggest reductions come from the insurers that serve large numbers of seniors in Medicare Advantage. UnitedHealthcare’s cut of about 690 plans and Humana’s cut of about 2,400 plans mean some beneficiaries will face fewer choices inside their current counties, while others will have to compare a new set of options if their plan disappears.
Nearly 3 million seniors had to find new Medicare Advantage coverage in 2026 after losing access to their old plans. This year’s cutback is smaller in the national total, but the county exits show how disruption can be concentrated in specific places rather than spread evenly across the country.
Medicare Advantage Premiums Expected to Drop More Than 16% in 2027, CMS Projects
CMS also projected in Medicare Advantage Premiums Expected to Drop More Than 16% in 2027, CMS Projects that premiums are expected to fall more than 16% next year. The Trump administration described the 2027 market as providing stability for seniors even as insurers are broadly reducing plan choices and increasing cost sharing for the plans that remain.
For seniors, the practical step is to check whether their county and current plan are still in the 2027 lineup before the Medicare open enrollment period. The open question now is how many beneficiaries will lose the plan they have today when the changes take effect.
