Many Medicare Advantage Enrollees Facing Forced Disenrollment

A new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health reveals that Medicare Advantage (MA) plans are beginning to exit markets across the nation, estimating that 10% of enrollees (about 2.9 million people) will lose coverage in 2026 alone, with some states facing significantly higher rates of coverage loss. Rural counties and counties with less MA penetration are expected to experience more widespread plan exits. The study attributes this development to financial pressures and policy uncertainty facing MA plans, which are run by private insurance companies.