Medicare Advantage plans shift more costs onto seniors in 2027

ByBob Herman

Oct. 1, 2026

Bob Herman is the author ofHealth Care Inc., an award-winning weekly newsletter about the business of health and medicine.

Bob Herman

Bob covers the money in health care, focusing on health insurance and hospitals. His stories delve into Medicare Advantage, opaque prescription drug benefits, and how much executives actually make. He is also the author of theHealth Care Inc. newsletter. You can reach Bob on Signal at bobjherman.09.

People who have a Medicare Advantage plan — and wind up needing care and prescriptions next year — are in for a rude awakening.

Medicare Advantage insurers are raising out-of-pocket costs for enrollees, drastically cutting money for dental work and other benefits, and eliminating plans that have broad networks of hospitals and doctors, according to federal data released this week and analyzed by STAT and several investment firms. That could result inmore shockfor older adults, like discovering their doctor is no longer accepted by their plan, if they don’t shop carefully during Medicare’s annual enrollment period for 2027 plans, which starts Oct. 15.

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Big companies like UnitedHealth Group, Humana, and others are chasing higher profits by pruning benefits, after investors grew dissatisfied with margins that were smaller than the insurers had promised. The changes in plans even come even after the industry won apayment increaseand delayed reforms from the Trump administration in April.

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1. Bob Herman

   Business of Health Care Reporter

   Bob covers the money in health care, focusing on health insurance and hospitals. His stories delve into Medicare Advantage, opaque prescription drug benefits, and how much executives actually make. He is also the author of theHealth Care Inc. newsletter. You can reach Bob on Signal at bobjherman.09.

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