KFF: 193 counties will have no Medicare Advantage drug plan in 2027, up from 123

About 638,000 Medicare beneficiaries live in counties with no Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage open to general enrollment in 2027. Medicare open enrollment ends December 7, 2026.

In this brief: 4 sections 2 min read

- Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah and Vermont, plus territories other than Puerto Rico. New Hampshire, North Dakota and Oklahoma are new to the list. Alaska alone has about 110,000 beneficiaries without an MA-PD option.
- UnitedHealth Group: exits 228 counties, enters 9. Humana: exits 62, enters 4. Health Care Service Corporation: exits 498, no entries. Centene: exits 359, enters 15. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan: exits 177, enters 1.
- Nearly 13 million people have more than 40 plans, down from 16.6 million. Nearly 7 million have 1 to 10 plans, up from 4.8 million. The average beneficiary can choose plans from seven insurers, down one from 2026.
- Medicare open enrollment runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, with changes taking effect January 1, 2027. People in counties without an MA-PD can still pair traditional Medicare with a stand-alone Part D plan.

Read full analysis on kff.org

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