Medicare Advantage Continues To Grow Despite Health Insurer Exits

InnovationHealthcareMedicare Advantage Continues To Grow Despite Health Insurer ExitsByBruce Japsen,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Bruce Japsen writes about healthcare business and policy.Follow AuthorJun 07, 2026, 08:00am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.A KFF report showed 55% of eligible Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in privatized Medicare Advantage this year, "though the pace of enrollment growth continued to slow." The report was issued June 5, 2026gettyDespite some high-profile retreats by health insurers from Medicare Advantage, the privatized medical coverage for older adults continues to add health plan members and is now the choice of 55% of eligible beneficiaries, a new report shows. Medicare Advantage plans contract with the federal government to provide coverage available in traditional Medicare plus extra benefits and services to seniors, such as disease management, drug coverage and nurse help hotlines with some also offering vision, dental care and wellness programs.“While a growing share of Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, the pace of the increase in enrollment continued to slow in 2026,” a new analysis by KFF shows.The KFF analysis is an indication that Medicare Advantage remains popular among old adults and those who may have been forced to choose a new plan because their insurer left the market continued with such coverage at another company. Health insurers that are the biggest players in privatized Medicare Advantage coverage including UnitedHealth Group’s UnitedHealthcare and CVS Health’s Aetna health insurance business have pulled back for this year after years expanding their geographic footprints.But the KFF report indicated the large companies still have the biggest market share of Medicare Advantage.“Medicare Advantage enrollment is highly concen...