CMS proposed a major payment boost for Medicare Advantage plans but declined to take up new regulations around AI and GLP-1 drugs.
Here are 10 Medicare Advantage updates Becker’s has reported since March 18.
- Greensboro, N.C.-based Cone Health purchased Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health’s stake in HealthTeam Advantage, a MA plan. Novant Health became a co-owner of the plan in 2022.
- Sutter Health and SCAN Group are collaborating on new Medicare Advantage products in Northern California for 2026 and plan to launch a new joint venture MA plan in the near future.
- When two Blue Cross Blue Shield plans exited Medicare Advantage markets, UnitedHealthcare picked up many of these members, according to an analysis from Chartis.
- CMS is rebranding its Health Equity Index reward program as the Excellent Health Outcomes for All (EHO4all) reward. The change is set to take effect for 2027 Medicare Advantage star ratings.
- CMS will increase payments to Medicare Advantage plans by more than $25 billion in 2026. According to CMS, MA plans can expect a payment increase of 5.06% in 2026, more than double what the previous administration proposed. The increase “will likely significantly support the recovery” of MA plans as they continue to face rising medical costs, according to Fitch Ratings.
- CMS published its final rule for Medicare Advantage and Part D in 2026. The agency will implement a series of regulatory updates aimed at strengthening consumer protections and improving care coordination across the Medicare Advantage and Part D programs. The rule did not include additional guardrails around the use of AI by MA plans, and does not require Medicare to pay for GLP-1 drugs for weight loss. Groups representing insurers applauded the rule.
- Medicare Advantage insurers are spending an increasing amount on fees and commissions paid to brokers, a report from the office of Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden found.
- Enrollment in provider-sponsored Medicare Advantage plans declined by nearly 60,000 members for 2025, according to a report from Chartis.
- The average deductible for a Medicare Advantage plan more than doubled to $315 from 2024 to 2025, according to a survey from online broker eHealth.
- Cigna closed the sale of its Medicare Advantage business to Health Care Service Corp. As of February, Cigna had nearly 700,000 Medicare Advantage members.
