24 Health Systems Are Dropping Medicare Advantage Plans in 2026

At least 24 health systems are severing ties with specific Medicare Advantage plans for 2026, continuing a trend Becker's Hospital Review has tracked since 2023. The common complaints are familiar: heavy prior authorization burdens, frequent care denials, and reimbursement that arrives slowly or falls short of traditional Medicare rates.

The stakes are rising because Medicare Advantage now covers more than half of the nation's older adults. When a system drops a plan, patients enrolled in that product can lose in-network access to their usual hospitals and physicians, forcing them to switch providers, switch plans, or pay out of network. That makes each termination more consequential than it would have been a few years ago.

The pattern reflects a broader standoff between providers and insurers over the economics of MA. Hospitals argue the administrative friction and payment delays no longer justify the volume. For payers and patients, the contraction signals that the once near-universal acceptance of MA plans can no longer be assumed heading into open enrollment.