Aetna to close nearly 90 Medicare Advantage plans next year

Modern Healthcare – Thursday, August 7, 2025
By Nona Tepper

Aetna will end nearly 90 Medicare Advantage plans across 34 states in 2026, the company notified third-party sellers this week.

The CVS Health subsidiary’s financial performance has represented a bright spot in the Medicare Advantage market compared with competitors such as UnitedHealth Group. This month, CVS Health raised its annual earnings guidance amid a $2 billion turnaround plan. The company cut the second-most plans in 2025, after Humana.

The majority of the Medicare Advantage plans Aetna plans to eliminate next year are PPOs. Beginning in September, Aetna will stop paying commissions to brokers that enroll new members in these plans, according to a notice the company distributed to brokers on Monday.

“As we continue to evaluate how best to optimize the experience for our members and partners, we’ve made the decision to make specific plans non-commissionable starting September 1, 2025,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.

The company has not made any announcements about Medicare Advantage offerings in 2026, the spokesperson said.

In July, UnitedHealthcare also announced it will eliminate unprofitable plans representing more than 600,000 members from its portfolio next year. UnitedHealthcare and Blue Shield of California cut commissions for many PPOs last month.

Access this article at its original source.