Medicare beneficiaries in 193 counties across 16 states will have no Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans available for general enrollment in 2027, up from 123 counties in 2026, according to an Oct. 9 KFF analysis of CMS plan landscape data.
Eight things to know:
1. The 193 counties are home to 638,000 beneficiaries, or 1% of all Medicare beneficiaries. That’s 239,000 more people than in 2026.
2. Three of the 16 states — New Hampshire, North Dakota and Oklahoma — are new for 2027. No insurer is offering an MA-PD for general enrollment anywhere in Alaska, which affects about 110,000 beneficiaries.
3. UnitedHealth Group is exiting 228 counties and entering nine. The insurer will offer MA-PDs in about 70% of U.S. counties, down from nearly 80% in 2026.
4. Humana is exiting 62 counties and entering four. It still has the largest footprint of any insurer, covering about 80% of counties.
5. Health Care Service Corp. is exiting 498 counties, the most of any insurer, and entering none. Centene is exiting 359 counties and entering 15. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is exiting 177 counties and entering one.
6. Molina Healthcare and Clear Spring Health are leaving the MA-PD market entirely, though Molina will still offer special needs plans in many counties. Devoted Health is entering 342 counties and exiting none.
7. Twenty percent of beneficiaries can choose from more than 40 MA-PDs in 2027, down from 27% in 2026.
8. KFF said the exits likely reflect a mix of local market conditions, cost pressures, changing insurer strategies and profitability assessments.
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