UnitedHealth Group is projecting its Medicare Advantage enrollment will decrease by 1 million people in 2026.
That estimate is up from a 600,000-member decrease it projected in July. UnitedHealthcare CEO Tim Noel said on the company’s Oct. 28 earnings call that their plan for 2026 “reflects a conservative path focused on margin growth.”
“We made significant adjustments to benefits and executed targeted plan exits and network reductions to offset elevated medical trends and government funding decreases,” he said. “As a result of our plan actions, as well as competitive market dynamics, we expect membership contraction of approximately 1 million members in total Medicare Advantage, including individual and group markets.”
Mr. Noel said the company expects these actions will drive margin improvements in 2026 with potential for further improvements in 2027.
Bobby Hunter, UnitedHealthcare’s CEO of government programs said that he “absolutely believes in the long-term potential” of Medicare Advantage, but “ultimately, right now, medical trend pressure is increasing the cost of healthcare, and the funding cuts to the program are degrading choice, access and value to the consumer. That’s a real impact on the 35 million Medicare eligibles who rely on MA right now to make healthcare affordable.”
“I still absolutely believe in the differentiated value proposition of MA, but cannot underscore the importance of stability in the program as we look to the longer-term growth rate and opportunity for MA,” Mr. Hunter said.
UnitedHealth Group posted a $2.3 billion profit in the third quarter of 2025, down from a $6.1 billion profit during the same time last year.
