Most Medicare Beneficiaries Affected by Plan Terminations in 2025 Have Robust Medicare Advantage Options in 2026 Authors: Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, Meredith Freed, Allison Kim, Nancy Ochieng, and Tricia Neuman Published: Mar 13, 2026

https://www.kff.org/medicare/most-medicare-beneficiaries-affected-by-plan-terminations-in-2025-have-robust-medicare-advantage-options-in-2026/ After years of rapid increases, Medicare Advantage enrollment growth slowed in 2025, a trend that continued in 2026. The number of Medicare Advantage prescription drug (MA-PD) plans available to the average Medicare beneficiary has declined from a peak of 36 in 2024 to 32 in 2026. Additionally, the trend of rapidly expanding extra benefits, spurred by sharp increases in rebate payments from the federal government, has stalled, with a smaller share of plans offering over-the-counter allowances and meals after hospital stays. Medicare Advantage insurers have warned that recent changes to the Medicare Advantage payment system have already hurt enrollees, leading to plan terminations, reduced benefits, and higher costs, and that these harmful effects will be exacerbated if the Trump Administration’s proposed payment rates for the 2027 plan year are finalized.