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Full Breakdown

Humana to End Medicare Advantage Plans Covering About 600,000 Members

9/10/2026, 3:51:29 AM

Plan Terminations and Scope

Humana announced that it will discontinue a set of Medicare Advantage plans that together serve roughly 600,000 seniors. The insurer said the plans are being removed as part of a strategy to exit lower-performing offerings and improve overall profitability. Affected beneficiaries will retain their underlying Medicare eligibility but must select new coverage for the next plan year.

Rationale and Expected Recapture

Company executives described the move as targeting the “lower tail” of plan profitability rather than cutting benefits across the entire Medicare Advantage business. Humana expects to recapture a share of the displaced members comparable to the more than 40 % rate achieved after similar exits in 2025, which could keep about 240,000 of the 600,000 members in other Humana plans.

Options for Affected Beneficiaries

Members will receive formal Plan Non-Renewal Notices, typically mailed in October, indicating the exact coverage-end date. The primary decision window is the Medicare Open Enrollment period from October 15 through December 7, with changes taking effect on January 1. Those whose plans end on January 1 also have a Special Enrollment Period from December 8 through the last day of February to choose another Medicare Advantage plan, switch to Original Medicare, or add a standalone Part D prescription plan. Beneficiaries who move to Original Medicare may qualify for a guaranteed-issue Medigap policy within a 60-day window before and after their Advantage coverage ends.

Verbatim Quotes

  • “We will work to recapture a significant portion of that volume as we did in 2025,” — CFO Celeste Mellet
  • “This underpins the main difference between Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare: profit motive,” — Drew Powers, the founder